11 INNINGS: Yankees 5 – Blue Jays 4
Bernie Williams won it with his bat. Andy Pettitte’s arm put the Yankees in position for victory. Mariano Rivera was overpowering. Derek Jeter and Tino Martinez each had three hits.
So, the stars did what they get paid millions to do. However, without contributions from “B” list players such as Enrique Wilson, Jay Witasick and Chuck Knoblauch, the Yankees don’t leave for Boston with a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays in 11 innings yesterday at Yankee Stadium.
Wilson, who has displayed a lot more talent playing regularly than coming off the bench, homered in the seventh when the Yankees took a 4-3 lead. He also started the game-winning rally in the 11th inning with a single after fouling off several of lefty Scott Eyre’s pitches.
And Wilson, playing third base, made a sterling defensive play in the 11th to rob Homer Bush of a leadoff double.
Jeter, who went 3-for-6, doubled Wilson to third. Knoblauch was walked intentionally before williams lofted the first pitch to center field, where all Vernon Wells could do was catch it as Wilson scooted home in front of the remants of a crowd of 42,537.
“When you see a lot of pitches every day, you get your timing back, I think I can help the team,” said the switch-hitting Wilson, who is batting .333 (6-for-18) in the last five starts, four of which have been at third and one at second.
In the seventh, Knoblauch delivered a pinch-hit RBI single batting for Paul O’Neill. He stole two bases and scored the tying run on Felipe Lopez’s throwing error.
Witasick has been a puzzle for the Yankees since they acquired him from San Diego on June 23. The Yankees adore his electric stuff that includes a 96-mph fastball. However, he has been too inconsistent to trust.
Yesterday, with help from Wilson’s diving stop on Bush’s bullet over third, Witasick provided a glimpse of what the Yankees would love to see more often.
“Any time you take the mound in a late situation and help the team win, it helps your confidence,” said Witasick, who was Joe Torre’s choice over Mark Wohlers and Mike Stanton to start the 11th.
Pettitte, who went eight innings in which he allowed four runs and 10 hits, gave up a pinch-hit homer to Jose Cruz, Jr. in the eighth that flushed a 4-3 Yankees lead.
It was Cruz’ eighth homer and 15th RBI against the Yankees this year.
“I have a picture of him sitting on my lap, and I would have dropped him . . .” said Torre, a teammate of Cruz’ father in St. Louis. “He has been magic against us.”
Having been stripped of full-time duty in left field, Knoblauch could have lost interest. Yet, he is showing Torre an ability to come off the bench which would give the Yankees a key weapon in October. With three hits in six pinch-hit at-bats, Knoblauch leads the team.
“He has been in a good frame of mind,” Torre said of Knoblauch. “When you are used to playing, it’s not easy coming off the bench. He had a big at-bat, it was a huge win for us.”
