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D-Backs take Game 1 handily
By Carrie Muskat
MLB.com
PHOENIX -- The New York Yankees found out quickly that the ball does carry in the desert air.
Luis Gonzalez belted a two-run homer and Craig Counsell hit a key solo shot to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-1 victory Saturday night over the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.
Curt Schilling (4-0) remained unbeaten in four postseason starts, striking out eight and holding the Yankees to three hits over seven innings.
More on Game 1
» D-Backs take Game 1 handily
» Game preview
» Series preview
» LCS coverage
» Division Series coverage
» Get your playoff gear
"That's a good night's work for him," Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said of Schilling, who could start Game 4.
If the three-time World Champion Yankees are to make it four in a row, it won't get any easier Sunday in Game 2 when Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.18 ERA) squares off against the Big Unit, Randy Johnson (2-1, 1.88 ERA).
Pettitte may be the only left-handed bat in the Yankee lineup.
"I'm looking forward to facing Andy Pettitte," Johnson said, chuckling.
If the infant Diamondbacks were nervous playing in their first World Series, they didn't show it. All week, they've listened to talk about the Yankees mystique, the 26 World Championships, the power of the pinstripes.
"We didn't buy into all that hype stuff," Brenly said. "It's out there and it's talked about a lot but our guys have maintained that we have to go out and play the game. The history of that great franchise doesn't enter into it, only the present."
The Diamondbacks, the youngest expansion franchise in to ever reach the World Series, are rewriting their history daily.
This is, obviously, the first World Series game in Arizona and also the first time a World Series has started so late, delayed because of the one-week postponement following the Sept. 11 tragedy.
There was the proper pregame red, white and blue fanfare for the 49,646 at Bank One Ballpark, the park's largest crowd ever, including a giant American flag that covered almost the entire outfield. But the primary colors at the BOB were purple and teal.
And the D-Backs' primary goal -- avoid closer Mariano Rivera -- was accomplished. Every position player except Arizona leadoff hitter Tony Womack got a hit.
"It really was the epitome of a team effort tonight," Brenly said.
It was a tough night for the Yankees. New York starter Mike Mussina (2-1) lasted just three innings.
"I was just awful," Mussina said. "Every ball I threw was in the middle of the plate. You just can't go out there with that."
The new addition to the Yankees rotation this year, Mussina gave up five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and one walk. The right-hander, who served up 20 homers in 34 starts, gave up a pair in Game 1 and departed after 63 pitches.
"I'm always surprised when something like that happens," Yankees Manager Joe Torre said. "He could not locate the pitches the way he wanted to and we paid the price, basically."
It was even tougher for David Justice, whom Torre selected over Paul O'Neill to start in right. He struck out three times against Schilling and misplayed Steve Finley's fly ball for an error in the D-Backs' four-run third inning, although it could've been because of his unfamiliarity with the BOB.
It got worse. Third baseman Scott Brosius misplayed Matt Williams' ground ball in the fourth, allowing a run to score. And Derek Jeter was hitless in a World Series for the first time since Game 5 in 1996, ending his string at 14 games.
"We've got a long way to go before we're thinking about winning four World Championships," Torre said. "There's a lot of real estate out there before we can think about that. I don't allow it."
Johnson won't give them much time to breathe, let alone think.
"I just want to keep doing what we've been doing all year, grinding and going out there and playing the game hard," Brenly said.
Expect a few more broadcasters to submit their resumes to Major League teams seeking managerial candidates.
Schilling made Brenly look good, allowing a RBI double to Bernie Williams in the first, a double to Brosius with two out in the second and a two-out single to Jorge Posada in the fourth. It was the fewest hits by a team in a World Series game since Atlanta totaled two Oct. 24, 1999, in Game 2 against the Yankees.
"We knew going in that we would like to be patient," Torre said, "but we can't make the pitches hurt us by having him get ahead in the count like he can because he has too many weapons to push you away."
This postseason, Schilling has allowed just three earned runs over 34 innings for a 0.79 ERA. Brenly pulled the right-hander after 102 pitches. Does that mean Schilling might start Game 4 instead of Miguel Batista?
"It might," Brenly said.
How does Schilling do it?
"Focus," he said. "Just being focused on the task at hand. It's one inning, one out, one pitch at a time. In these situations, it's easier to do when it's the end of the year. This is it. You're playing for all the marbles."
The Yankees did continue their postseason trademark of scoring early. Schilling hit Jeter on the right hand with one out in the first and then struck out Justice. Williams tapped the ball into the left field corner for a double to drive in Jeter for his 11th postseason RBI.
But the D-Backs answered immediately and that may have been the difference.
Counsell, the only D-Back with a World Series ring, quickly swung the momentum southwest with his second postseason homer with one out in the first to tie the game. Counsell missed the right field swimming pool by a few feet, driving a 2-1 pitch from Mussina into the right field seats.
"I think that was the turning point of the ballgame," Brenly said. "We all know how the Yankees like to get the lead."
Counsell then bunted in his next at-bat in the third to advance Womack who was hit by a pitch. The sacrifice wasn't necessary. Gonzalez hit his third postseason homer this year off a 1-2 pitch from Mussina to go ahead 3-1.
Add Gonzalez's career-high 57 regular season homers and his current postseason numbers and he's in the elite 60-homer group.
Reggie Sanders singled and reached third when Finley was safe on an error by Justice, who had trouble tracking down Finley's fly ball. Williams hit a sacrifice fly to score Sanders and make it 4-1 and Mark Grace was intentionally walked. Damian Miller responded with a double down the left field line, scoring Finley.
The Diamondbacks batted around in the third, then sent eight to the plate in a four-run fourth against left-hander Randy Choate who was added to the roster Saturday. He may want to reconsider his options.
Finley hit a RBI single, another run scored on a fielding error by Brosius and Grace added a two-run double to go ahead 9-1.
The Diamondbacks are young in World Series experience only. The Yankees have retired 14 uniform numbers -- and 15 players -- and Arizona has none. For the next week, that doesn't matter.
"You know, the Yankees are who they are," Schilling said. "They've got [38] championship banners and I think, what, 26 World Series ... but that does not mean that they are going to beat us."
Not this time.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com.
By Carrie Muskat
MLB.com
PHOENIX -- The New York Yankees found out quickly that the ball does carry in the desert air.
Luis Gonzalez belted a two-run homer and Craig Counsell hit a key solo shot to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-1 victory Saturday night over the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.
Curt Schilling (4-0) remained unbeaten in four postseason starts, striking out eight and holding the Yankees to three hits over seven innings.
More on Game 1
» D-Backs take Game 1 handily
» Game preview
» Series preview
» LCS coverage
» Division Series coverage
» Get your playoff gear
"That's a good night's work for him," Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said of Schilling, who could start Game 4.
If the three-time World Champion Yankees are to make it four in a row, it won't get any easier Sunday in Game 2 when Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.18 ERA) squares off against the Big Unit, Randy Johnson (2-1, 1.88 ERA).
Pettitte may be the only left-handed bat in the Yankee lineup.
"I'm looking forward to facing Andy Pettitte," Johnson said, chuckling.
If the infant Diamondbacks were nervous playing in their first World Series, they didn't show it. All week, they've listened to talk about the Yankees mystique, the 26 World Championships, the power of the pinstripes.
"We didn't buy into all that hype stuff," Brenly said. "It's out there and it's talked about a lot but our guys have maintained that we have to go out and play the game. The history of that great franchise doesn't enter into it, only the present."
The Diamondbacks, the youngest expansion franchise in to ever reach the World Series, are rewriting their history daily.
This is, obviously, the first World Series game in Arizona and also the first time a World Series has started so late, delayed because of the one-week postponement following the Sept. 11 tragedy.
There was the proper pregame red, white and blue fanfare for the 49,646 at Bank One Ballpark, the park's largest crowd ever, including a giant American flag that covered almost the entire outfield. But the primary colors at the BOB were purple and teal.
And the D-Backs' primary goal -- avoid closer Mariano Rivera -- was accomplished. Every position player except Arizona leadoff hitter Tony Womack got a hit.
"It really was the epitome of a team effort tonight," Brenly said.
It was a tough night for the Yankees. New York starter Mike Mussina (2-1) lasted just three innings.
"I was just awful," Mussina said. "Every ball I threw was in the middle of the plate. You just can't go out there with that."
The new addition to the Yankees rotation this year, Mussina gave up five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and one walk. The right-hander, who served up 20 homers in 34 starts, gave up a pair in Game 1 and departed after 63 pitches.
"I'm always surprised when something like that happens," Yankees Manager Joe Torre said. "He could not locate the pitches the way he wanted to and we paid the price, basically."
It was even tougher for David Justice, whom Torre selected over Paul O'Neill to start in right. He struck out three times against Schilling and misplayed Steve Finley's fly ball for an error in the D-Backs' four-run third inning, although it could've been because of his unfamiliarity with the BOB.
It got worse. Third baseman Scott Brosius misplayed Matt Williams' ground ball in the fourth, allowing a run to score. And Derek Jeter was hitless in a World Series for the first time since Game 5 in 1996, ending his string at 14 games.
"We've got a long way to go before we're thinking about winning four World Championships," Torre said. "There's a lot of real estate out there before we can think about that. I don't allow it."
Johnson won't give them much time to breathe, let alone think.
"I just want to keep doing what we've been doing all year, grinding and going out there and playing the game hard," Brenly said.
Expect a few more broadcasters to submit their resumes to Major League teams seeking managerial candidates.
Schilling made Brenly look good, allowing a RBI double to Bernie Williams in the first, a double to Brosius with two out in the second and a two-out single to Jorge Posada in the fourth. It was the fewest hits by a team in a World Series game since Atlanta totaled two Oct. 24, 1999, in Game 2 against the Yankees.
"We knew going in that we would like to be patient," Torre said, "but we can't make the pitches hurt us by having him get ahead in the count like he can because he has too many weapons to push you away."
This postseason, Schilling has allowed just three earned runs over 34 innings for a 0.79 ERA. Brenly pulled the right-hander after 102 pitches. Does that mean Schilling might start Game 4 instead of Miguel Batista?
"It might," Brenly said.
How does Schilling do it?
"Focus," he said. "Just being focused on the task at hand. It's one inning, one out, one pitch at a time. In these situations, it's easier to do when it's the end of the year. This is it. You're playing for all the marbles."
The Yankees did continue their postseason trademark of scoring early. Schilling hit Jeter on the right hand with one out in the first and then struck out Justice. Williams tapped the ball into the left field corner for a double to drive in Jeter for his 11th postseason RBI.
But the D-Backs answered immediately and that may have been the difference.
Counsell, the only D-Back with a World Series ring, quickly swung the momentum southwest with his second postseason homer with one out in the first to tie the game. Counsell missed the right field swimming pool by a few feet, driving a 2-1 pitch from Mussina into the right field seats.
"I think that was the turning point of the ballgame," Brenly said. "We all know how the Yankees like to get the lead."
Counsell then bunted in his next at-bat in the third to advance Womack who was hit by a pitch. The sacrifice wasn't necessary. Gonzalez hit his third postseason homer this year off a 1-2 pitch from Mussina to go ahead 3-1.
Add Gonzalez's career-high 57 regular season homers and his current postseason numbers and he's in the elite 60-homer group.
Reggie Sanders singled and reached third when Finley was safe on an error by Justice, who had trouble tracking down Finley's fly ball. Williams hit a sacrifice fly to score Sanders and make it 4-1 and Mark Grace was intentionally walked. Damian Miller responded with a double down the left field line, scoring Finley.
The Diamondbacks batted around in the third, then sent eight to the plate in a four-run fourth against left-hander Randy Choate who was added to the roster Saturday. He may want to reconsider his options.
Finley hit a RBI single, another run scored on a fielding error by Brosius and Grace added a two-run double to go ahead 9-1.
The Diamondbacks are young in World Series experience only. The Yankees have retired 14 uniform numbers -- and 15 players -- and Arizona has none. For the next week, that doesn't matter.
"You know, the Yankees are who they are," Schilling said. "They've got [38] championship banners and I think, what, 26 World Series ... but that does not mean that they are going to beat us."
Not this time.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com.
