Andy Pettitte vs Ralph Branca
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| Dixie Walker scores game winning run |
Coming off just 1 day of rest after their down to the wire series vs the '47 Yankees the 1998 Bombers sent veteran post season performer Andy Pettitte to the mound. Brooklyn had 3 days rest as a result of dispatching the '53 Dodgers in 5 games went to ace Ralph Branca. Pettitte served up 3 hits to the first 4 Dodger batters that he face, then walked in a run when Pee Wee Reese earned a free pass. Pettitte found his stride quickly and fanned Bruce Edwards and Arky Vaughn to prevent any further damage. The '98 Yanks, who won 114 regular season games, showed that they could strike at just about any moment. Bernie Williams led off the top of the 2nd with a double to left and scored immediately on a line shot single to right by Tino Martinez. After Scott Brosius grounded weakly to short, catcher Joe Girardi hit a humped backed liner to right center to make it 2-1. The score would stay that way until Dixie Walker doubled home Carl Furillo with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th to tie the game at 2-2. Brooklyn was not finished that inning as Walker would score easily on an RBI single to left by Reese. Brooklyn would make it 4-2 in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a Derek Jeter error with 2 outs that prolonged the inning an allowed "The Brat" Eddie Stanky to drop a dunker in over Knoblauch's head at second to score Arky Vaughn who led off the innng with a walk. By the 8th inning Branca was laboring. A poor fielding play of his own would allow Jeter to reach 1st with one out. Back to back singles by Paul O'Neill and "Burn Baby Burn" Bernie Williams made it a 4-3 ballgame. A wild pitch would allow O'Neill to score and tie the game up at 4. Mike Stanton would come on board and keep Brooklyn off the board in the 7th. Ramiro Mendoza would do the same in the 8th and return for more action in the bottom of the 9th. Mendoza would walk Dixie Walker on 5 pitches to start the inning. Reese would easily bunt "The People's Cherce" over to second. Bruce Edwards' hit was kept in the infield by the great Jeter to hold the winning run up at third. This would only prolong the agony as Walker would score on the next play where Vaughn grounded sharply to Knoblaugh on what looked like a sure fire DP ball. Knobby double clutched his throw and decided to go to the plate to get Walker, who slid in just under Girardi's tag. When the dust cleared Brooklyn had themselves a 5-4 victory.
Brookyn leads series 1-0
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