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Mariners vs. Yankees |
Mets vs. Cardinals
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Sunday, October 15
Whoa, Nellie! Where's the relief?
Associated Press
SEATTLE -- It's shut-up time for Jeff Nelson.
Nelson had a chance Sunday to do what New York Yankees boss
George Steinbrenner demanded of him recently -- "Put up or shut
up" -- and in a six-pitch disaster put up nothing but meatballs for
the Seattle Mariners to squash.
The right-hander came into the game for starter Denny Neagle
with a chance to preserve a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning and help
close out the AL Championship Series in Game 5.
Instead, Nelson let the Mariners back in with a five-run
outburst reminiscent of the Yankees' seven-run eighth inning in
Game 2 that had turned this series their way.
Neagle had gotten into trouble when Mark McLemore led off with a
bunt single, Rickey Henderson drew a walk, and both runners moved
up on Mike Cameron's sacrifice.
Alex Rodriguez greeted Nelson's first pitch, a letter-high
fastball on the inside of the plate, with a line-drive single just
past the outstretched glove of diving third baseman Scott Brosius,
scoring McLemore and Henderson.
Then on a 2-0 pitch, after four throws over to first worrying
about Rodriguez, Nelson gave up a home run on a fastball to Edgar
Martinez to dead center.
"I was ready to go every pitch," Rodriguez said of the moves
that drew Nelson's attention. "Just perhaps he threw a fat one
over the plate where he didn't want it."
Nelson had given up a game-blowing grand slam to Martinez in
late August. As if this one wasn't enough, John Olerud then crushed
an 0-1 pitch by Nelson for a homer over the right-field fence.
Six pitches, five runs, and the Yankees' visions of going home
to prepare for the World Series quickly vanished. Now after a 6-2
loss, their lead cut to 3-2, they have to try to put the Mariners
away in Game 6 Tuesday.
"It happened quick," Nelson said. "It's one of those times.
You try to make good pitches, and I didn't make good pitches today.
I just didn't have the pop on my fastball. It's very frustrating."
Steinbrenner looked annoyed at the lost opportunity as he made
his way into the Yankees' clubhouse. Asked if he had a comment
about Nelson, Steinbrenner paused, seemed as if he were about to
respond, then stopped himself, saying "No."
Torre sought to soften any criticism of Nelson, saying, "In
defense of Nellie, he was up three times yesterday and didn't get
in."
Nelson, who was charged with three of the runs, hadn't given up
a run in five innings in four games this postseason while striking
out eight and allowing only two hits. Last year, he didn't give up
a run in nine postseason appearances.
But in between, Nelson found himself embroiled in some nasty
exchanges with Steinbrenner and manager Joe Torre.
Nelson was upset when Torre left him off the AL roster for the
All-Star Game. At the time, the 6-foot-8 setup man was 6-2 with a
1.74 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings.
Torre took four relievers to the All-Star Game, all of them
closers -- Oakland's Jason Isringhausen, Boston's Derek Lowe,
Detroit's Todd Jones and the Yankees' Mariano Rivera.
Nelson suggested that in the future he might not be so willing
to pitch when he's not feeling 100 percent. Torre and general
manager Brian Cashman were stung by those remarks.
Nelson and Torre seemed to patch up their differences, but
Nelson struggled in July and August, prompting Steinbrenner to
deliver his "Put up or shut up" ultimatum.
"I have 29 more days plus the playoffs to put up with this
stuff," Nelson said at the time.
Nelson, who is eligible for free agency after this season, added
that Steinbrenner's comments wouldn't necessarily affect his
decision on where to play next season.
"I'm not worried about my status for next year," he said. "I
want to help this team win the World Series."
He surely didn't help the team much Sunday.
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