| | ATLANTA -- Orlando Hernandez had just given up a long home run to Chipper Jones -- the result of a rare, middle-of-the-plate fastball from the Yankees right-hander. Jones didn't just hit it, he devastated the ball, lofted the ball deep into the right field seats.
It was only a solo homer, only one run, and it was only the fourth inning.
But that didn't stop Hernandez from exploding in anger in the dugout, cursing
in Spanish, telling his teammates, "No more mistakes. No more mistakes."
As David Cone put it, "You could see that Duque was determined not to
give up any more runs at the point. It's like he made up his mind, 'That's it.' "
Call it bravery or fierceness. Or simply, late-October talent. Whatever
name we choose, it's exactly why the Yankees beat the Braves 4-1 in
Game 1 of the World Series, and why Hernandez was able to
outperform Greg Maddux, one of the greatest pitchers of this generation.
To say Hernandez was brilliant is mere understatement. He smothered the
Braves, allowing just one hit in seven innings, striking out 10, and forcing
Atlanta's hitters to join the army of the converted in the American League --- all those hitters who still haven't figured out the mystery of his massive
leg-kick or that freakish side-arm delivery.
One American League scout who attended Saturday's game said, "You could
tell the Braves just weren't used to the way Hernandez throws. There isn't
anyone in the National League with that kind of delivery."
The scout went on to describe the phenomenon of "throwing uphill," which
is exactly the illusion Hernandez creates when he's delivering the ball
sidearm. Unlike most pitchers, who rely on an arsenal of pitches that break
downward in the strike zone, Hernandez actually throws a 90-mph fastball that
works its way upwards, from the knees to the belt. No one in either league
can create that kind of voodoo.
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MR. OCTOBER
|
|
In six career postseason starts, Orlando Hernandez is 5-0:
|
|
Year
|
Opp.
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
BB
|
SO
|
|
'98
|
Cle.
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
|
'98
|
S.D.
|
7
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
7
|
|
'99
|
Tex.
|
8
|
2
|
0
|
6
|
4 |
|
'99 |
Bos. |
8 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
'99 |
Bos. |
7 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
|
'99 |
Atl. |
7 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
Of course, it sure helps that Hernandez' concentration is as sharp and
focused as a laser. El Duque, who is 5-0 in his postseason career with the
Yankees, likes to say "nothing makes me nervous." And considering the
circumstances of his personal and political life, who could argue? Going through
the Braves' lineup was nothing compared to the danger of escaping from Cuba.
Make no mistake. The Yankees are beginning to lean on Hernandez, who
little by little, has assumed the role of the Bronx ace. David Cone may or
may not be back in 2000, and at 37, it's possible Roger Clemens has turned
into a mere mortal, destined to be a 14-game winner for the rest of his
career. Hernandez' excellence is allowing the Yankees to imagine
ending this Series in as little as five games.
After all, if the Braves couldn't win on a night when Maddux was this
good, when will they ever? To a man, the Yankees praised the Braves'
right-hander, who, as usual, had them chasing his cutting, sailing, darting
and diving fastballs.
"Man, he made me look bad," said Paul O'Neill, who was 0-for-3 before a
critical, two-run single off John Rocker in the eighth inning. "The thing
about Maddux is that he always speeds up the game, he's always ahead of you
in the count. You try to step out, and the very next pitch he throws is a
strike. You're right back where you started."
Still, Maddux wasn't perfect. He never did contain Scott Brosius, who was
3-for-3, including a leadoff single in that decisive eighth inning. And
Maddux mysteriously lost his feel for the strike zone against pinch-hitter
Darryl Strawberry, who, despite a 7-for-40 career mark against Maddux, was able to draw a
five-pitch walk, putting runners on first and second.
That, according to Bobby Cox, "was the biggest play in the game."
Joe Torre agreed, citing Strawberry's impact, even when the bat doesn't leave
his shoulder during a plate appearance.
"He turns the game around," Torre said of the slugger. "He's going to hit
a ball. He can turn it around to 2-1 in a heartbeat. Darryl makes an impact."
Were the Braves rattled? That might be a stretch, but Maddux and first
baseman Brian Hunter were unable to field Chuck Knoblauch's perfect bunt to
the right of the mound, and with the bases loaded, Maddux left a two-seam
fastball up in the strike zone to Derek Jeter.
Calmly, and with the efficiency that he displayed all summer, Jeter
punched an RBI single to left, tying the game at 1-1, setting the stage for
O'Neill's dramatic at-bat against Rocker.
For all the sound and fury of Rocker's 98-mph fastball, O'Neill was still
able to pull the ball and punch a two-run single to right. And just like
that, the Yankees -- with that cold, machine-like efficiency -- had taken Game
1 from the National League champions.
This Series is far from over, obviously. But the Braves sure learned a
lesson about the Bombers, who year after year, keep renewing their lease on
the month of October.
Bob Klapisch of the Bergen (N.J.) Record covers baseball for ESPN.com.
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Walt Weiss says Orlando Hernandez was very effective in Game 1.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
 Yankees postgame news conference
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