| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- The way Blake Stein pitches against the Yankees,
it's surprising playoff contenders didn't trade for him.
"It looked like we were reaching for the ball," Yankees
manager Joe Torre said after Stein limited New York to two hits in
eight innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 4-1 win
Wednesday that gave Denny Neagle his first loss since mid-June.
|  | | It wasn't a pretty two-hitter, but Blake Stein wasn't complaining. |
Stein (2-3) gave up only a third-inning single by Chuck
Knoblauch and an eighth-inning single to Derek Jeter that was
followed by Paul O'Neill's sacrifice fly.
He lowered his ERA from 7.28 to 5.97 but walked six, hit a
batter and threw just 62 of 122 pitches for strikes.
"I threw more fastballs than I usually do because I was behind
so much." Stein said. "When you do that, mostly you're not going
to be successful. But I made good pitches, and that's why I had so
many fly balls to left. I was trying to make them hit it out there,
because there's a lot of room."
Stein, who retired the side in order just twice, got six flyouts
to left and only five outs on infield grounders.
New York didn't get a runner past second for the first seven
innings.
"Something didn't click," said O'Neill, who twice flied to
left. "That's where you want to keep the ball in Yankee Stadium.
It's Death Valley out there, and the ball wasn't carrying today."
Jeter was 1-for-4, leaving his slump at 3-for-22, and Bernie
Williams was 0-for-3, extending his slide to 4-for-22.
"It is frustrating when you are patient, draw some walks, get a
couple of guys on base," Jeter said.
New York's batters maintained they got good pitches but hit the
ball right at fielders.
"It certainly wasn't a dominating two-hitter," Scott Brosius
said.
In his only other appearance against the Yankees, Stein allowed
one run and three hits in eight innings last Aug. 19.
"When I came in here last year, it was the first time I pitched
in Yankee Stadium. I was a little nervous. so I took the feelings I
had last year and tried to use that today," he said. "Any time
you play the Yankees, they're going to bring out the best in a
team. If you don't play your best, they're going to beat you."
Ricky Bottalico finished with a hitless ninth for for his ninth
save in 15 chances. Kansas City beat New York for the first time in
five games this year and also stopped a five-game losing streak.
"We kind of found ways to lose," Royals manager Tony Muser
said. "Today, we found ways to win."
Still, Stein's performance was surprising given the trouble he
pitched himself into. Todd Dunwoody, playing center field, helped
him in the second with a diving catch on Chris Turner with two outs
and a man on.
"When you walk six, I think you are fortunate," Muser said.
Neagle (2-1) lost for the first time in eight starts since June
14 at San Francisco.
He had been dominating in his first three outings for New York,
which acquired him from Cincinnati on July 12, but against the
Twins he allowed the leadoff runner to reach in seven of eight
innings, and didn't have a 1-2-3 inning all day.
"It was one of those days I battled myself," said Neagle, who
had trouble locating his cut fastball and slider, giving up four
runs -- three earned -- and 11 hits in seven-plus innings.
New York (57-45) began the day 13 games over .500 and with a
four-game lead in the AL East, the Yankees' bests since May 9.
While Neagle escaped a first-and-second, no-outs jam in the first,
he knew he was in trouble.
"I looked at Rocket," he said, referring to Roger Clemens,
"and said you hate to battle like that in the first inning --
usually, you like to save it for the sixth or the seventh, to get
out of a jam."
Kansas City came right back and took a 3-0 lead in the second.
Dave McCarty doubled over Williams' head in center, went to third
on a single by Hector Ortiz Jr. and scored when Dunwoody doubled
high off the center-field fence, ending an 0-for-11 slide.
Luis Ordaz's sacrifice fly brought in the second run and Johnny
Damon, who was 3-for-5, poked an outside pitch for an RBI double
over the third-base bag.
Joe Randa added an RBI grounder in the seventh after second
baseman Jose Vizcaino dropped the throw from Tino Martinez on a
sacrifice and Neagle moved up the runners with a balk.
Game notes
New York planned to sign OF Luis Polonia, released by
Detroit on Monday. ... Damon, selected AL player of the month for
July, extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Clemens, 5-0 with a
1.91 ERA, was selected AL pitcher of the month. ... Royals DH Mike
Sweeney, who bruised his right hand when hit by a pitch Sunday,
missed consecutive games for the first time since June 15-16, 1999.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
NY Yankees Clubhouse
RECAPS
Kansas City 4
NY Yankees 1
Minnesota 10
Baltimore 6
Oakland 5
Toronto 4
Detroit 5
Anaheim 3
Cleveland 5
Tampa Bay 3
Texas 7
Chi. White Sox 2
Boston 5
Seattle 2
NY Mets 2
Cincinnati 1
Los Angeles 11
Pittsburgh 5
Milwaukee 6
San Francisco 4
Chicago Cubs 3
Colorado 2
Florida 5
Houston 4
St. Louis 10
Montreal 7
Arizona 2
Atlanta 0
San Diego 5
Philadelphia 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mike MacFarlane breaks down Blake Stein's pitching performance.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Joe Torre gave credit to pitcher Blake Stein and the Royals for keeping the Yanks off-balance.
wav: 176 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
