Twins trip up slow-starting Yankees

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 10/1/2003

NEW YORK -- We interrupt the much-anticipated, highly awaited, virtually guaranteed Yankees-Red Sox showdown in the ALCS with the following news bulletin: It might not happen.

Then again, looking at and listening to the Yankees after yesterday's 3-1 loss to Minnesota made you realize that the New Yorkers are not in any way, shape, or form panicking, distraught, nervous, or worried. The operative theme throughout the clubhouse: It's one game, we didn't hit, and life will still go on, specifically to Game 2 tomorrow night.

"We've lost one," shortstop Derek Jeter corrected a doom-and-gloom questioner who noted that the Yankees had lost six of their last seven postseason games. "That was in the past and has no bearing on the present. And I've always said that momentum is only as strong as your starting pitcher in the next game. And [Andy] Pettitte has been pitching very well for us."

So, basically, the Yankees filed their setback in Game 1 of the American League Division Series into the No Big Deal folder and promptly forgot about it. They know, for instance, that they beat the Angels in Game 1 last year and then got hammered in the next three games.

"The circumstances are such that we're not all that concerned about it," added Mike Mussina, who pitched seven strong innings and was a tough-luck loser thanks to sloppy fielding and a lack of timely hitting. "Those things just tend to magnify in a short series."

The Yankees get a day off to recover from their first loss to Minnesota since May 10, 2001, snapping a streak of 13 straight victories, including seven this season. Mussina entered the game with a 20-2 lifetime record against the Twins. He's now 20-3, as the Twins capitalized on some shoddy fielding for a two-run sixth inning and then sweated out a Yankee rally in the ninth.

Minnesota's bullpen provided five innings of nearly perfect relief, with flamethrower LaTroy Hawkins getting the win and "Everyday" Eddie Guardado getting a white-knuckle save.

Given the recent string of futility against New York, few gave the Twins much of a chance in this series. Few seemed to note that Minnesota had the best record in baseball since the All-Star break (46-23) and had everything come together in a sweet September, when it won 11 straight games.

This was different. This was the playoffs. This was Yankee Time.

Not quite. Minnesota starter Johan Santana held the Yankees scoreless for four innings before leaving with a leg cramp. And the Twins pushed across a single run in the third -- made possible by the speed of Cristian Guzman -- and two more in the aforementioned sloppy sixth to take a 3-0 lead. The Yankees got a run in the ninth -- and would have had more if not for a great catch by Shannon Stewart -- and Guardado got Nick Johnson to bounce to third with two runners on to end it.

"We'll enjoy this for maybe a couple hours," said Hawkins. "Then we'll forget about it. It's not over until the fat lady sings."

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third when Guzman beat out a roller to second that Alfonso Soriano couldn't handle. Then, running on a 3-and-2 pitch, Guzman went from first to third on a single to left by Stewart, barely beating the throw. He then scored on a bullet sacrifice fly to center by Luis Rivas.

"That's the only way we can play is to run hard around the bases," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "We don't hit the ball out of the ballpark often. That's how we play it. We expect that. It was a great play by Guzman."

It was still a 1-0 game in the sixth when Matthew LeCroy led off with a single. One out later, Torii Hunter hit a slicing liner to right center that skipped past the usually reliable Bernie Williams and went to the wall. (Williams was not given an error.) The miscue allowed the lead-footed McCroy to score from first. Hunter steamed into third, and when Soriano overthrew Aaron Boone at third, he darted home, getting credit for a triple. Just like that, it was 3-0.

"I looked first to home plate," said Soriano. "Then I saw him going to third and I tried to throw it there. I got the ball a little bit up."

A procession of Twins relievers kept the Yankees off balance. Rick Reed and J.C. Romero combined for two scoreless innings. Hawkins added two more, fanning four in the process. Then Guardado survived the shaky ninth, saved by Stewart's running catch in the left-field corner that robbed Hideki Matsui of a sure extra-base hit. The Yankees pushed across a run on a Soriano infield hit, but that was to be their quota for the afternoon.