Yankees a Leg Up on Braves

ATLANTA —  Past experience with the New York Yankees taught the Atlanta Braves that things truly aren’t over against them until, well, as the saying goes.

The Yankees reinforced the painful lesson Saturday night.

Following a pattern, the Yankees rallied behind another strong postseason outing by starter Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, scoring four runs in the eighth inning to overcome a one-run deficit during a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of the World Series at Turner Field.

Hernandez gave up only one hit--Chipper Jones’ fourth-inning solo home run--and established a playoff career high with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. Atlanta fill-in starter Greg Maddux also pitched well while preserving the 1-0 lead, until the defending World Series champions finally did what they do best on a chilly and windy Atlanta night.

They chased the four-time Cy Young Award winner and loser--pitching because scheduled starter Tom Glavine had flulike symptoms--during the eighth, loading the bases on the first of first baseman Brian Hunter’s two errors during the inning. Derek Jeter’s single tied the score, and Paul O’Neill’s two-run single against John Rocker gave the Yankees breathing room.

Jim Leyritz capped another Yankee comeback, walking with the bases loaded after facing a 0-and-2 count against Rocker to force in the final run.

The dominant Yankee bullpen did the rest while securing Hernandez’s fifth career playoff victory in six starts.

With two out and runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Greg Myers fouled out against New York closer Mariano Rivera to complete another Yankee victory before a stunned sellout crowd of 51,342. Rivera earned the save and the Braves finished with only two hits.

The Yankees took the lead in the best-of-seven series, winning their ninth consecutive Series game spanning three seasons.

“We’re used to this,” said designated hitter Darryl Strawberry, who walked while pinch-hitting for Hernandez during the eighth. “This is a very experienced group of guys, and we always feel we can win a close game no matter what the situation is.

“We’re a very experienced ballclub and we just don’t panic. We feel like we can get the gate open at any time, and keep it open, if we just do what we’re capable of doing.”

The Yankees kicked the gate opened in the eighth.

They sent 10 batters to the plate and silenced the crowd.

“We always have confidence that even if we give up a lead, we have what it takes to stay in the game and make something happen,” said third baseman Scott Brosius, who singled to start the eighth. “Call it whatever you want, we know we’ve got the pitching, all we have to do is find a way to get on base. Our pitching takes care of everything else.”

Brosius led off the inning with his third single in as many at-bats against Maddux. Strawberry walked, stirring activity in the Braves’ bullpen.

Chad Curtis ran for Strawberry, and then Hunter committed the first of his two costly errors.

Hunter entered the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement for Ryan Klesko. Chuck Knoblauch bunted and the ball went between Maddux and Hunter, Hunter took the wrong angle and couldn’t get a handle on the ball.

The bases were loaded with Jeter on deck and Maddux was in trouble. Maddux quickly worked an 0-and-2 count against Jeter, but Jeter singled to left on a 1-and-2 pitch to drive in Brosius, tie the score, 1-1, and chase Maddux.

“Straw’s at-bat was the big one because that got us going,” Brosius said. “Maddux obviously was throwing the ball great too, and we needed to get something going right there.”

With Rocker pitching and a drawn-in infield, the left-handed O’Neill singled past diving second basemen Bret Boone, driving in two runs and putting the Yankees ahead, 3-1.

Jeter advanced to third and O’Neill to second on Hunter’s second error, marking the fourth time a first baseman committed two errors in one World Series inning.

After switch-hitter Bernie Williams was walked intentionally, Leyritz hit for Ricky Ledee. Leyritz, added to the postseason roster for this Series, hit the momentum-shifting homer in Game 4 of the Yankees’ Series victory over the Braves in ’96.

His at-bat against Rocker wasn’t as dramatic--but it was effective.

Leyritz battled from a 0-and-2 count, walking to force in the Yankees’ fourth run. Rocker struck out Brosius, the 10th batter, to end the inning, but the Braves had been knocked out.

“This isn’t an unusual game for us,” said O’Neill, playing despite a broken rib. “We’re used to playing close games. We’re used to being in one-run games. When you win enough of them, you feel like you’re going to win it again, somehow.

“And you can’t say enough about what El Duque did tonight. He pitched great again.”

Hernandez had a 0.97 earned-run average in his previous postseason work, and the Cuban defector wasn’t bothered by the cold weather. The game-time temperature was 49 degrees--but El Duque was sizzling.

The right-hander struck out the side in the first and third, and retired five consecutive batters on strikeouts before Jones homered just inside the right-field foul poll in the fourth. That was the last hit the Braves would get until Boone’s one-out single in the ninth.

“El Duque was great,” Jeter said. “We could tell he had his stuff working for him because he struck out the side in the first. We’ve seen that from him a lot, and it was another great job.

“Fortunately, we finally got some runs. We knew it was a situation where we weren’t going to win unless we made something happen, and that’s what this team does. The bottom line is that we never feel like we’re out of a game because of our pitching and our approach [at the plate].”

The Braves won’t argue.