Tigers Even Series Behind Rogers’s Gem
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
DETROIT — Now you see it. Now you don’t.
Whatever was on Kenny Rogers’s hand, even after he cleaned it off, the St. Louis Cardinals couldn’t hit him.
Virtually untouchable this October, Rogers shut down the Cardinals on two hits over eight shutout innings, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 3–1 victory on a chilly last night that tied the World Series at one game apiece.
But the real substance of the matter was this: What was on the left-hander’s pitching hand that caused a first-inning flap? It appeared to be something dirty or dark, and umpires brought Cardinals manager Tony La Russa out to the field at the end of the first for a brief discussion.
In the middle of the second, Detroit manager Jim Leyland talked to three umps near the third-base line. Whatever was on the Tiger pitcher’s paw, it was gone when he came out for the second.
Rogers extended his scoreless streak to 23 postseason innings this year and 24.1 postseason innings overall, a streak that began in 2003 with Minnesota. It is the longest streak since Curt Schilling tossed 25 scoreless innings in 1993 and 2001.
Rogers struck out five and walked three.
Todd Jones came on in the ninth and allowed Scott Rolen’s two-out single, then misplayed Juan Encarnacion’s comebacker for an error that put runners on the corners. Jim Edmonds blooped a double down the left-field line that scored Rolen, then Jones hit Preston Wilson with a pitch, loading the bases.
After a visit from pitching coach Chuck Hernandez, Jones retired Yadier Molina on a forceout, preserving the shaky save.
Craig Monroe got the Tigers started by homering for the second straight night, a solo shot off Jeff Weaver in a two-run first, and Carlos Guillen and Sean Casey also drove in runs for Detroit. Guillen had three hits falling a home run short of the cycle.
He allowed an infield single by Rolen in the first that third baseman Brandon Inge could only knock down. He didn’t give up another hit until Molina singled to right leading off the eighth.
In a battle of starters who flopped with the Yankees, Weaver struggled and allowed at least two runners in every inning. He left after five, having allowed three runs and nine hits.
