See if this makes sense.
Seattle’s Freddy Garcia couldn’t last four innings against the White Sox last week in Game 1 of the American League division series. The Sox battered him for six hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings but were helpless against every other pitcher in the series.
Fast-forward to Tuesday night.
Garcia, pressed into duty because of an injury to left-hander Jamie Moyer, looked like a different pitcher. Garcia shut out the Yankees for 6 2/3 innings, leading the Mariners to a 2-0 victory in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.
Former Cub Glenallen Hill had a chance to help the Yankees late in the game. Hill batted for Paul O’Neill with a runner aboard in the eighth inning but was frozen on Arthur Rhodes’ 1-2 changeup.
The triumph was huge for the Mariners, who went 44-37 on the road this season but were 1-11 in the first game of their 12 road swings.
Denny Neagle pitched valiantly for the Yankees but was saddled with the loss. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
Of all the scenarios that could have unfolded, a pitchers’ duel was the least likely.
Seattle manager Lou Piniella planned to use Moyer until he suffered a broken left kneecap after getting hit by a ground ball Saturday in a simulated game.
The Yankees called on Neagle even though he hadn’t been used in the division series against Oakland. Neagle faltered so badly down the stretch, giving up 19 runs over his final 10 2/3 innings, manager Joe Torre bypassed him in favor of Roger Clemens and Orlando Hernandez each on three days’ rest.
Neagle insisted he had not been insulted by the snub. He pointed out that in 1997, he won 20 games for Atlanta but didn’t start in the first round of the playoffs. Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine did.
“Who are you going to bump from those three?” Neagle asked. “It’s the same thing here.”
No, it wasn’t. But Torre was hoping the snub wouldn’t affect him.
“If he has a lack of confidence,” Torre said, “it’s only because he has not pitched in a while and the few starts before were inconsistent.”
Torre said he was concerned with the effect of the 12-day layoff on Neagle.
“I think the start of the game will be a big indicator of how he will do,” Torre said before the game.
It did not start well for Neagle. He walked leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson on five pitches, then almost fired a pickoff attempt past Tino Martinez. Neagle also walked Rodriguez and drew a visit from pitching coach Billy Connors after he fell behind Edgar Martinez 2-0.
But he escaped the inning after a double play and flyout.
Neagle walked Jay Buhner to start the second, but shortstop Derek Jeter’s stunning over-the-head grab on David Bell’s popup ended the threat.
Neagle’s no-hit bid ended with two outs in the fifth when Mark McLemore lined his 0-1 pitch down the left-field line for a double. Henderson then punched a single to right, giving O’Neill an excellent chance to cut down McLemore at the plate.
But O’Neill took his time, allowing McLemore to beat his one-hopper with a head-first slide.
Alex Rodriguez supplied Seattle’s second run with a monumental blast in the sixth. After launching the towering fly ball, Rodriguez stood near home plate, waiting to see if it would land fair.
When it hit the netting about three-quarters the way up the left-field foul pole, Rodriguez started circling the bases. And the Yankee Stadium crowd of 54,481 went silent.
