ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 14, 1996 TAG: 9610150080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BALTIMORE
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Absent for 15 years, the Yankees are returning to what once was their traditional October stage.
Powered by a three-homer third inning and eight strong innings from Andy Pettitte, New York won its 34th American League pennant Sunday with a 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees took the ALCS 4-1 and head to the World Series for the first time since 1981.
New York closed out the best-of-7 series with a dominating performance reminiscent of the great Yankees teams of the 1950s and 60s featuring DiMaggio, Berra, Ford, Mantle and Maris.
This group, with names like Jeter, Williams, Pettitte, Fielder and Strawberry, will get a chance to make their own mark in the franchise's storied history when the World Series opens Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
The National League entrant - the St.Louis Cardinals or the Atlanta Braves - will have their hands full because the Yankees are playing their best ball of the season.
When Cal Ripken grounded out for the final out, the Yankees celebrated in a mob scene in the middle of the infield at Camden Yards where they went 9-0 this season.
Bernie Williams hit .474 (9-for-19) with two homers and six RBI and was named MVP of the series. The center fielder, along with rookie shortstop Derek Jeter, carried the Yankees offensively through the first three games of the series before New York's power hitters came around.
``I just feel very good right now,'' Williams said. ``I have no words to describe it. I was just trying to be myself.''
After winning Game 1 in New York with the help of a 12-year-old fan from New Jersey, and taking Game 3 at Camden Yards with a shocking four-run eighth inning, the Yankees wrapped up the series with two conventional wins.
They outslugged the Orioles, who set a major league record with 257 homers during the regular season. New York hit four homers in Game 4 and three more in Game 5.
The Orioles, meanwhile, ended their season in a miserable offensive funk. Baltimore was 5-for-31 with runners in scoring position in the series, including 0-for-14 with two outs.
Right fielder Bobby Bonilla finished the series 1-for-20 and the Orioles hit just nine home runs. By the sixth inning Sunday, many Baltimore fans realized the home team's season would conclude with another loss to the Yankees and headed for the exits.
Pettitte allowed only two hits - both to Todd Zeile - through the first seven innings before Eddie Murray opened the eighth with a homer to make it 6-2.
But Pettitte, who allowed three hits, finished the inning and John Wetteland, the AL saves leader, pitched the ninth, allowing a two-out, two-run homer to Bonilla.
Pettitte, the likely AL Cy Young winner after winning 21 games in the regular season, improved to 4-0 at Camden Yards with best outing of the playoffs.
With Sunday's win, the Yankees finished the year 14-4 against the Orioles. New York, which turned back a late-season charge by Baltimore to win the AL East, is only the second team to sweep a team on the road in a league championship.
The Yankees had made a habit of coming from behind to win this postseason, rallying five times for victories. This one was no white-knuckler, though.
The Yankees won the game in the third inning against Scott Erickson. New York hit three home runs, including consecutive shots by Cecil Fielder and Darryl Strawberry.
Jim Leyritz opened the third with an opposite-field home run to right, and Jeter and Wade Boggs hit one-out singles. Erickson looked like he might get out of the inning when Williams hit a slow grounder to second. But second baseman Roberto Alomar, anticipating a double play, came up early on the ball and let it go through his legs as Jeter scored from second.
Alomar atoned for the miscue by throwing out Boggs at the plate on Tino Martinez's grounder. Fielder, though, gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead with a three-run homer to left and Strawberry followed a 448-foot shot that landed in the Yankees bullpen in center.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. New York's Cecil Fielder (45) is met at the plateby CNBby teammates Tino Martinez (center) and Bernie Williams after
clubbing a three-run homer during the third inning Sunday in the
Yankees' 6-4 victory over Baltimore. color. KEYWORDS: BASEBALL