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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez brought Seattle's bats back to
life, and then the Mariners made sure the AL Championship Series
returned to the Bronx.
With Seattle facing elimination, Rodriguez revived his team with
a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning. Edgar Martinez and
John Olerud followed with consecutive homers that carried Seattle
over the New York Yankees 6-2 Sunday, pulling the Mariners to
3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
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Game 5 at a glance
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Every game a hero
Edgar Martinez was 3-for-14 in the first four games of the ALCS, with no extra-base hits and one RBI. He had just one hit in Game 5, but it was biggie: a two-run homer to center off Jeff Nelson. Martinez's fifth-inning blast made it 5-2.
Key move
In Seattle's five-run fifth, Joe Torre went for the kill, bringing in Nelson much earlier than he normally would. Mark McLemore led off with a bunt single off Denny Neagle and then Rickey Henderson walked. After Mike Cameron's sacrifice, Nelson came in to face Alex Rodriguez. Nelson threw just six pitches but gave up a two-run single to ARod and home runs to Martinez and John Olerud.
Key plays
Top of fourth, the Yankees scored twice to go up 2-1 and were threatening to blow it open with runners at second and third and no outs. But Freddy Garcia got Scott Brosius to pop to third, struck out Chuck Knoblauch looking and got Derek Jeter to ground to short.
Key number
The Yankees left 15 runners on, tying a postseason record for a nine-inning game. The Phillies stranded 15 against the Braves in Game 4 of the 1993 NLCS. The previous ALCS record was 13, by three teams.
ESPN analysis
Joe Torre has been worried all series about having to go to his closer and his set-up men too early. Jeff Nelson came on in the fifth inning Sunday with runners at second and third facing Alex Rodriguez. In Game 3, Nelson had used more fastballs than sliders and really confused the Mariner hitters. So Rodriguez was looking for a first-pitch fastball, got it and hammered it to left field to give the Mariners a lead.
Then, with Rodriguez a threat to steal on first, Nelson threw out of the slide step. He is nowhere near as effective throwing out of the slide step, and he fell behind Edgar Martinez. The third slide-step pitch was a home run for Martinez. The middle of the order has to produce for the Mariners to be successful.
-- Buck Martinez
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"We're in a no-lose situation," Olerud said. "I don't think
there's many people who think we're able to come back."
The Yankees, trying to fulfill the AL half of what would be the
first Subway Series since 1956, returned to New York with their top
two playoff pitchers ready: Orlando Hernandez faces John Halama in
Game 6 Tuesday night, with Andy Pettitte on reserve if there is a
seventh game the following day.
"I like our chances, basically because we have two of our best
going," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Hopefully, one is
enough."
The Mariners' mission is similar to five years ago, when they
lost to the Yankees in the opening games of the best-of-five Division Series
in the first round, then won three straight at the Kingdome. This
time, however, they will have to win two at Yankee Stadium.
"The pressure's on them," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said.
"They're supposed to win."
Freddy Garcia beat the two-time defending World Series champions
for the second time in six days, allowing seven hits in five
innings. The Yankees, 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in
the opener, were just 2-for-15 Sunday with runners on second or
third.
"We had plenty of opportunities," Torre said. "We just didn't
do anything with them."
Safeco Field was nearly silent after Luis Sojo's two-run double
gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the fourth against Garcia.
Seattle, which scored five runs in the first four games of the
series, got five runs in the fifth alone, the inning ignited by
Mark McLemore's 40-foot bunt single up the third-base line.
And the Mariners didn't even take batting practice.
"We just got loose and played the game," Piniella said.
"Sometimes, it's a more relaxing thing."
Denny Neagle, who lost to Garcia in the opener, then issued his
fourth walk of the game, to Rickey Henderson.
The Yankees converged on the mound to talk strategy, while
Mariners coaches conferred with their runners.
Fans stood, cheering, and a train whistle sounded loudly from
beyond right field.
Mike Cameron sacrificed and Torre brought in Jeff Nelson to face
Rodriguez, a free agent after the World Series and likely to become
the sport's highest-paid player. The Yankees declined to
intentionally walk ARod, and he drove the first pitch into left
field.
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Stranded!
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The Yankees tied a postseason record by leaving 15 runners on base in a nine-inning game. How it happened:
Top of 1st
Bernie Williams grounded to short with a runner on second (1)
Top of 2nd
Scott Brosius fouled out to shallow right with runners at first and third (2,3)
Top of 3rd
Williams grounded to second with runner on first (4)
Top of 4th
Derek Jeter grounded to short with runners at second and third (5, 6)
Top of 5th
Paul O'Neill grounded out with runners at first and second (7,8)
Top of 6th
No runners left on
Top of 7th
Glenallen Hill struck out with the bases loaded (9, 10, 11)
Top of 8th
David Justice struck out with runners at first and second (12, 13)
Top of 9th
Luis Sojo flied to center with runners at first and third (14, 15)
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"That was the big hit we were looking for this whole series,"
Olerud said. "That was a relief."
Martinez, who hit a come-from-behind grand slam off Nelson on
Aug. 29, but struck out against him Friday, followed by driving a
2-0 pitch about 10 rows deep into the center-field bleachers.
Olerud, robbed of a home run an inning earlier when Bernie
Williams pulled a ball back over the center-field fence, then sent
an 0-1 pitch into the right-field seats.
Nelson had allowed two homers in 69 2/3 innings during the
regular season. Now he had allowed two in six pitches.
"It happened quick," Nelson said. "I didn't make good
pitches."
Coming into the inning, Seattle was batting just .180 in the
series. The Mariners then started the fifth by going 5-for-5,
mirroring the Yankees' performance in Game 2, when they trailed 1-0
in the eighth inning, then went 8-for-8 and scored seven runs.
Rodriguez made sure New York didn't come right back, ranging to
his left to snuff Sojo's grounder leading off the sixth and
throwing him out at first with time to spare.
David Bell ended the inning with even a more sparkling play,
diving to stop Chuck Knoblauch's grounder to third and throwing him
out from a sitting position.
New York, which hasn't won four straight since Sept. 7-10,
threatened in the seventh, loading the bases when Jose Paniagua
walked Derek Jeter leading off. and Arthur Rhodes walked Williams
and Tino Martinez with one out.
|  | | Bernie Williams robs Seattle's John Olerud of what would have been a fourth-inning homer. Olerud hit a solo shot the following inning. |
Rhodes got Jorge Posada to strike out on a low curveball, and
Torre then called back slumping Paul O'Neill, who already was
walking to the batter's box, and sent Glenallen Hill to pinch hit
for him.
In Game 1, Hill batted for O'Neill with the potential tying run
on first in the eighth and took a called third strike. History
repeated, and Hill took a curveball for another third strike.
With two on and two outs in the eighth, Kazuhiro Sasaki struck
out David Justice.
Seattle, held to one hit Saturday by Roger Clemens, needed just
four batters to get three runners and match its total the previous
night.
Neagle walked Cameron, Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez with out,
then gave up a sacrifice fly to Olerud that ended Seattle's
scoreless streak at 14 innings.
New York rallied in the fourth when Tino Martinez doubled
leading off and went to third on a single by Posada, just his
second hit in 15 at-bats in the series.
Sojo followed with a double, making him 4-for-4 against Garcia
in the playoffs. But the 24-year-old right-hander held tough,
retiring Scott Brosius on a popup, striking out Knoblauch and
getting Jeter on a grounder.
Game notes: Olerud swiped second in the seventh inning, his first
stolen base of the year and the ninth of his career. ... The roof
was closed when the Yankees started batting practice, then was
opened about 90 minutes before game time. ... The Hall of Fame
asked Clemens for the cap or jersey he wore during his one-hitter.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
A-Rod sleepless in possible Seattle finale
Whoa, Nellie! Where's the relief?
McLemore's little hit starts big frame
In a pinch, Yankees go without O'Neill
RECAPS
Seattle 6
NY Yankees 2
NY Mets 10
St. Louis 6
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Lou Piniella and the Mariners talk about their Game 5 victory over the Yankees.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 John Olerud says the Mariners knew they needed to score runs against the Yankees.
wav: 148 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Facing Edgar Martinez and John Olerud, Joe Torre had some difficult decisions to make.
wav: 184 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Lou Piniella says the Mariners will go into New York relaxed.
wav: 131 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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