Yankees’ Pen Proves Mightier Than Rangers’ Sword

The New York Yankees are one step shy of their first World Series since 1981. And, as the Texas Rangers will attest, it’s almost impossible to beat their bullpen.

With big Cecil Fielder and Bernie Williams on their side and Texas’ relievers again helping them out, the Yankees pushed the Rangers right out of the playoffs Saturday.

Despite giving up another home run to Juan Gonzalez, the Yankees rallied for the third straight game to win 6-4 Satuday, taking the A.L. series 3-1 and reversing their history of failure in Texas.

New York starts the best-of-7 A.L. championship series Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Baltimore beat Cleveland 4-3 in 12 innings Saturday to win that series 3-1.

Williams homered from each side of the plate and Fielder, acquired in midseason to deliver big hits, had an RBI single in the seventh inning that broke a 4-4 tie.

Gonzalez homered in his fourth straight game and hit his fifth home run of the series, tying a pair of records. He helped Texas take an early 4-0 lead, but again the Rangers relievers could not protect the edge.

“The bullpen was the difference in this series,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “We won three close games and our relievers got them all. I’m just glad we don’t have to pitch to Gonzalez anymore. We’ll try to figure him out next spring.”

Texas threw seven relievers at the Yankees after starter Bobby Witt left, but couldn’t postpone the inevitable.

New York took a 5-4 lead in the seventh on singles by Tim Raines, Tino Martinez and Fielder off loser Roger Pavlik.

Said Fielder: “The difference in the series was the bullpen. Ours didn’t give up anything and we were able to get into theirs.”

David Weathers pitched three innings of one-hit relief for the win. Mariano Rivera pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings and John Wetteland worked the ninth for the save.

Yankees 6, Rangers 4

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New York IP H R ER BB SO Rogers 2 5 2 2 1 1 Boehringer 1 3 2 1 2 0 Wethrs W,1-0 3 1 0 0 0 3 MRivera 2 0 0 0 1 0 Wettelnd S,2 1 0 0 0 2 1 Texas IP H R ER BB SO BWitt 3 4 3 3 2 3 DPatterson 1 0 0 0 0 Cook 0 0 0 1 0 Pavlik L,0-1 2 4 2 2 0 1 Vosberg 0 1 0 0 0 0 Russell 1 0 0 0 1 Stanton 1 1 1 1 0 1 Henneman 0 0 0 0 1 Boehringer pitched to 2 batters in the 4th, Vosberg pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. WP-BWitt. T3:57. A-50,066 (49,178).