Johnny Oates is more than a little bewildered.
Isn’t his lineup supposed to be the most lethal in baseball? Maybe during the first 162 games, but it has now gone into such a prolonged playoff funk against Yankee pitching, it can no longer be deemed a slump. In last night’s 8-0 loss in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, the middle of the lineup once again failed to produce.
“It’s mind boggling,” said Oates after his Nos. 3 through 7 hitters went a combined 0-for-14 last night. “Just through pure luck we should do more offensively.”
Oates’ attitude was understandable. His Rangers have incredibly scored just one run during the last 42 innings against the Yankees in the last two Division Series.
“I don’t care what park we’re in, if it’s Yellowstone,” Oates said. “We should score more runs just by accident.”
It seems to be less and less an accident that Texas can’t score in these series. Oates is starting to realize that there is something seriously wrong with his team that has made a habit out of collapsing in the postseason. The Rangers themselves don’t seem as concerned. They were more impressed with Yankee starter Orlando Hernandez.
“He was good all game,” Rusty Greer said. “He spotted the ball well and worked his pitches in and out.”
Hernandez did pitch carefully to the heart of the lineup, but still allowed them no production.
Although Rafael Palmeiro had one of the best hit balls off of Hernandez, a liner that Tino Martinez snared and turned into a double play in the sixth, he took much of the blame for Texas’ failure.
“He’s real tough from the right side,” the left- hander said of Hernandez. “The lefties need to take advantage of him. He gives you all those different angles. He just comes after you.”