Hernandez, Posada Stabilize Nervous Yankees
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The scoreboard was reset to zero, all the runs and hits from the previous day wiped away. Orlando Hernandez and Jorge Posada then went out and restored some order at Yankee Stadium. A night after Cleveland’s offense set records, El Duque limited the Indians to three hits in seven innings and Posada hit a go-ahead, two run homer that led the Yankees over the Indians 5-3 yesterday.
When Travis Hafner hit an RBI single in the first inning, the Yankees left the bases loaded in the bottom half and Boston spurted to a four-run lead against Anaheim at Fenway Park, New York’s AL East lead over the Red Sox looked to be in danger of shrinking to 2 1 /2 games.
But the Yankees, sent to their most lopsided loss ever in a 22-0 rout Tuesday night, rallied when Posada homered off C.C. Sabathia (10-9) in the fourth. John Olerud added a solo homer later in the inning, and Miguel Cairo hit another in the seventh off David Riske for a 4-1 lead.
Hernandez (6-0), becoming the Yankees’ ace at age 38, was just the second New York starter to win in 17 games since August 13. He struck out seven and didn’t allow a runner past second base after the first inning.
Tom Gordon allowed a walk, bloop single, run-scoring wild pitch, and an RBI bloop double to Victor Martinez in the eighth as Cleveland closed to 4-3, then left the field to boos. Mariano Rivera retired Hafner on an inning ending grounder.
Derek Jeter then hit a wicked-hop grounder off the glove of third baseman Casey Blake in the bottom half as Ruben Sierra scored on the tough error, and Rivera finished for his major league-leading 46th save in 49 chances.
The Yankees, trying to overcome their shakiest pitching staff in years, improved to 9-1 in El Duque’s starts this season.
Rodriguez, who went 0-for-3 with a walk, was booed by the crowd of 41,448 when he struck out in the sixth inning.