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Mess with Texas Yankees rally, continue to hex Rangers
Posted: Tuesday April 18, 2000 10:14 AM
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers can't seem to catch a break against the New York Yankees. Tino Martinez delivered two key RBI singles and the Yankees got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 11th with the help of an umpire's call to beat Texas 5-4 Monday night. Martinez tied the game with an RBI single in the ninth off John Wetteland and won it with RBI single in the 11th. The Yankees, who were held hitless into the seventh inning, blew a lead in the 10th and nearly did again in the 11th before getting a favorable call from home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg to win their sixth straight. "We knew it would take a miracle to get out of this one, and I guess it happened, we sort of escaped that one," Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams said. With the bases loaded and no outs, Luis Alicea appeared to foul a ball off his foot. The ball rolled in front of the plate and Kellogg ruled it a fair ball. Catcher Jorge Posada picked it up, stepped on home and tagged Alicea for a double play. Kellogg said he saw the ball roll foul and then spin into fair territory. He said he never saw Posada tag the plate, but got help from his fellow umpires who confirmed the tag. "Our objective is to get it right. If the ball hits foul and rolls fair, it's a fair ball," Kellogg said. Like the umpires, New York manager Joe Torre said he never saw the ball hit Alicea in the batter's box, which would have made it a dead ball. Television replays showed conclusively otherwise. "I'm glad it's over, you don't want to replay that sucker," Torre said. Texas manager Johnny Oates was predictably annoyed. "Go ask the umpire. I saw a replay and the ball did hit him," he said. Alicea admits he didn't feel the ball, but knew it had to hit something or someone to bound forward like it did. After the wild play, Erdos got Scott Sheldon to ground out to end the game and earn his first career save. The Yankees, who swept a two-game series against the Rangers last week, have won 34 of the last 45 games against the Rangers since the opening game of their 1996 playoff series. The Yankees also swept the Rangers out of the AL playoffs the last two seasons, allowing only two runs in the six games. Martinez's single to right field with one out in the 11th scored Derek Jeter, who led off the inning with a single off Tim Crabtree (0-1). Martinez had tied the game in the ninth off Wetteland, who blew his second straight save after converting 18 straight. Posada led off the 10th inning for the Yankees with a solo home run off Crabtree. Texas got the run back in the bottom half against Mariano Rivera (1-0). Royce Clayton led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Ivan Rodriguez.
Rangers starter Darren Oliver pitched 6 1-3 no-hit innings before Paul O'Neill's bloop single to left with one out in the seventh. Bernie Williams followed with his third homer to tie the game at 2. Oliver struck out six and walked one in eight innings, but ended with his third straight no-decision. Rafael Palmeiro's two-out homer off Mike Stanton broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning. Yankees starter David Cone got his second straight no decision against the Rangers, leaving after allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings. The Rangers got three of the hits off Cone in the third inning when they scored twice. Tom Evans, 3-for-19 in his previous seven games, had a one-out double and scored on a double by former Yankee Chad Curtis. With the bases loaded, David Segui had an infield hit on a bouncer up the middle that shortstop Jeter stabbed to prevent any more runs. Notes: Williams home run was his 17th against the Rangers, the most he has against any team. He also has 17 career homers against Minnesota. ... There has not been a no-hitter thrown against the Yankees since Baltimore knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm on Sept. 20, 1958, a span of 6,501 games. ... The Rangers wore their "primary" home white uniforms with red trim for only the third time. They had already worn their new blue 'alternate' jersey for five home games and four of six road games.
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