Tony Overman/The Olympian
Chuck Knoblauch was 3-for-5 at the plate with two singles and a double as the Yankees beat the Mariners 4-2 in the ALCS opener.

O'Neill overcomes Seattle fans' hostile welcome

ELLIOTT SMITH, AND GAIL WOOD, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published October 18

SEATTLE -- The Yankee everyone loves to hate came through in a big way on Wednesday.

Paul O'Neill, the target of boos in every opposing stadium he travels to, delivered the crucial blow in New York's 4-2 victory over Seattle in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, drilling a two-run home run in the fourth inning off Aaron Sele.

After Jorge Posada led off the inning with a double, O'Neill followed by crushing a fastball right down Broadway over the wall in right to give New York a 3-0 advantage.

"Jorge leads off with a double, so obviously as a hitter, your job is to find a pitch to pull," said O'Neill, who was roundly booed during pre-game and each of his at-bats.

"There's no secret what the pitcher is trying to do and what the hitter is trying to do. You know I'm sure if you asked Sele he made a mistake."

That's exactly what the Seattle starter said.

"I was trying to get it out and down," he said.

"I knew he was going to hook it and I threw the two-seamer and it didn't move."

O'Neill, who was hobbled down the stretch by a foot injury, has shown that he is coming back into form, as the homer was his 10th postseason shot.

"It's good to be back in the lineup and back on the field," he said.

"I enjoy playing the game."

- JUST LIKE US: The Mariners and Yankees have reached the ALCS by using similar formulas -- solid pitching, clutch hitting, excellent speed and good defense -- a fact that's not lost on the players.

"We are so similar," Seattle's Mike Cameron said, before noting a major disparity.

"The only difference is that they have four or five more World Series rings than we do."

The fact that things are so close between the squads is a major reason why most feel like the series could go seven games.

"I think it will, without a doubt," Buhner said.

"They've got four quality starters, we've got four quality starters. It will be low-scoring and mistake-free."

- BOONE'S BAT: Every time Bret Boone went to bat against Andy Pettitte, the Mariner second baseman didn't know what to expect.

"He threw me something a little different the three different times I faced him," Boone said. "He threw a cutter, a curveball, a fastball. Each time he came at me a little different."

It worked.

The last time Pettitte faced the Mariners, they stung him for eight runs in six innings in a 10-2 defeat in August. Pettitte was in full control this time, allowing just three hits in eight shutout innings.

"The biggest difference was he was in control of his pitches," Mariners center fielder Mike Cameron said. "He was throwing strikes. He didn't make many mistakes. He didn't give us any chances."

Seattle was held to just three hits.

"Good hitting beats good pitching," Cameron said about his team's chances of turning it around today. "We'll get it going."

- GETTING SWING BACK: Boone singled in the seventh against Pettitte, giving him reason for hope that he's about to shake a hitting slump.

Prior to his seventh-inning hit, Boone was just 2-for-23 in the playoffs.

During the regular-season, Boone had an MVP-like year, batting .331 with 37 home runs and 141 RBI.

"I'm on a hot streak," Boone joked.

"But I felt better at the plate today. I had my body a little more under control. I went a long time without feeling that way. It's a positive sign."

On the web:

Mariners American League Championship Series Special Section (Oct. 17)

Seattle Mariners

Sound Off at TheOlympian.com: How do you feel about the Mariners playing the Yankees?

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