NEW YORK -- It was awfully breezy during Game 3 of the World Series, and it wasn't because of the jets flying over Shea Stadium on their way from LaGuardia Airport.
No, check (swing) this out: The New York Mets and Yankees tied a World Series record by combining for 25 strikeouts during the Mets' 4-2 victory in Game 3.
Previously, the Yankees (15) and Los Angeles (10) had combined for 25 in a nine-inning Game 1 of the 1963 World Series and the Mets (10) and Oakland (15) combined for 25 in a 12-inning Game 2 of the 1973 World Series.
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| Orlando Hernandez sets a Yankees World Series record with 12 strikeouts in Game 3 against the Mets. (AP) | |
Yankees starter Orlando Hernandez struck out the side in the first, then allowed a home run to Robin Ventura to lead off the second before striking out the next three Mets in order.
Mets starter Rick Reed, meanwhile, who had fanned more than seven batters only twice all season, struck out eight in his six innings of work.
Why all the K's Tuesday?
"I don't know," Reed said. "I really don't know. I'm not a strikeout pitcher. I can't say I overpowered them.
"I think I was just using all of my pitches."
Said Yankees manager Joe Torre: "He had a great moving fastball. We know that he throws strikes, but he made quality pitches, there was no question."
It wasn't just Reed. During one unique stretch in the seventh and eighth innings against Mets relievers Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook, six consecutive Yankees batted without putting the ball in play.
Wendell struck out Hernandez and Jose Vizcaino to start the seventh inning and then walked Derek Jeter. In relief, Cook hit David Justice with a pitch before striking out Bernie Williams to end the seventh. Then Cook walked Tino Martinez to open the eighth before John Franco relieved and finally got a Yankee to put a ball in play -- catcher Jorge Posada grounded into a double play.
Hernandez, meanwhile, struck out 12 Mets in 7 1/3 innings, the most ever by a Yankee pitcher in the World Series. Previously, Bob Turley had struck out 11 Brooklyn Dodgers on Oct. 9, 1956.
It was a career postseason high for Hernandez.
"It doesn't get much better than that," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He has the heart of a lion.
"After seven innings, I was willing to say, 'Let's try something else.' He wasn't into that. He's something. I mean, both sides pitched their tails off, but his getting out of that bases-loaded jam (in the sixth inning) the way he did, he deserved the right to get a decision in this one. I thought he was great."
Said Mets slugger Mike Piazza: "The guy was good. Both guys. Their guy can flat-out pitch. He has tremendous command -- for a right-hander, especially.
"What else can you say? There's nothing else to it. Sometimes someone makes you look like a fish out of water. I can see why he is where he is -- he's tough."
