Wright needs his best stuff

DETROIT -- Who thought the Yankees would have their backs against the wall heading into Game 4 of the American League Division Series this afternoon?

Certainly not the Yankees.

But they will turn to Jaret Wright in an attempt to send the series back to New York for Game 5 tomorrow. And before there's celebrating in the streets of Boston, Tigers manager Jim Leyland reminded one and all last night that Wright nearly foiled the 1997 World Series championship of Leyland's Marlins when Wright, as a 21-year-old, pitched 6 1/3 innings (two hits, one run) in a Game 7 won by Florida, 3-2.

``He was lights out then," said Leyland. ``We'll have our hands full and we know that. The big key for us will be [Jeremy] Bonderman's performance."

Bonderman is coming off a loss last Sunday in which he coughed up a 6-0 lead, costing the Tigers a chance to win the Central Division. He's been watching ever since, but will get his chance at redemption.

``It's tough," he said. ``But you know, I've been watching the hitters, trying to figure out stuff I can use in my game, and make sure I'm ready to go."

Bonderman was 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 34 starts this season. He was 8-4 with a 3.46 ERA prior to the All-Star break, and finished 6-4 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts after the break.

The 23-year-old Bonderman became the first Tiger since Jack Morris in 1987 to surpass 200 strikeouts in a season (202).

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was stunned by Kenny Rogers's 7 2/3 shutout innings last night.

``He was awesome," said A-Rod, who went 0 for 3 to drop his average to .091 in the series. ``That's not the Kenny Rogers I remember. I don't remember 93-mile-per-hour fastballs. I remember him more like a Jamie Moyer type. Give him a lot of credit, he was phenomenal."

Concerning the Yankees being on the brink of elimination, Rodriguez, who batted cleanup last night, said, ``I think there's a been a shift in momentum, [today's] the season, and we have to play better and match their energy or there won't be a tomorrow."

Rogers marveled at Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, saying, ``He hit a ball that was up and in for the double [in the first inning] and then he almost hit me, knocked my face off." That was in the sixth inning, when Jeter's blistering liner could have indeed hit Rogers in the face. But the lefthander got his glove up just in time, knocked the ball down, and recovered to make the play . . . Yankees manager Joe Torre tried to shake things up by using Bernie Williams as his designated hitter (and sitting Gary Sheffield and playing Jason Giambi at first base) because Williams had hit Rogers at a .353 clip with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 10 RBIs. Williams, however, went 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts . . . Torre said he left Game 1 starter Chien-Ming Wang in New York because there was no way he would pitch in either game in Detroit. ``Yeah, he wasn't too happy about it," said Torre. `` This youngster has pitched more innings this year than he's ever pitched. I'm certainly not going to take a chance with his future on short rest." . . . Last season, Wright would have pitched Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against the White Sox, but the Yankees were eliminated by the Angels in the Division Series. ``While they were playing the game I was flying to Chicago. To get another chance this year after last year went for me, I think it's exciting." . . . Tigers great Al Kaline threw out last night's first pitch . . . In the Athletics-Twins series, Michael Cuddyer had a seven-game postseason hitting streak snapped . . . Eric Chavez's homer ended an 0-for-12 playoff slump, which included eight at-bats in the series against the Twins . . . The Twins were hitless in 16 chances with runners in scoring position before Rondell White's run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.