The top player who fled Cuba aboard a life-raft in search of freedom and riches, pitched the New York Yankees to victory over the San Diego Padres in game two of the World Series on Sunday night.
Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, the brother of last season's World Series most valuable player award, Livan Hernandez of the Florida Marlins, surrendered just one run on six hits in seven innings, striking out seven batters while walking three as the Bronx Bombers won 9-3.
America's most famous professional club now have a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series with the showdown shifting to San Diego for game three. The Yankees have won six consecutive World Series games.
"He (Hernandez) kept the hitters off balance. He's sneaky. He was impressive," said Yankees' catcher Jorge Posada. "He has a fastball that's sneaky. He has a lot of odd angles. He comes right at you. He throws strikes."
Bernie Williams and Posada each hit two-run home runs, in the second and fifth innings while Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius collected three singles apiece as New York raced to a 3-0 lead in the first, 6-0 in the second, 7-0 in the third, and 9-1 after five, finishing with a total of 16 hits.
Even if the Padres can solve the Yankees's pitching, they are going to have to score a lot of runs as New York has crossed home plate nine times in each of its last three games.
Many of the Yankee hits found holes in the infield as the Padres started out shakily in the field, and never recovered.
In the top of the first, Hernandez struck out Ken Caminiti on three pitches after Tony Gwynn singled and Greg Vaughn walked. One out later, Paul O'Neill made a nice, leaping backhand catch at the right-field wall off Wally Joyner's fly ball to avert the threat.
The Padres could not do the same in the bottom of the inning. Yankee lead-off man Chuck Knoblauch walked on eight pitches after falling behind 0-2 - the second strike, a foul pop that the catcher Greg Myers could not hold on to, falling to his knees at the fence behind home plate.
Knoblauch stole second and one out later, scored when Caminiti at third threw O'Neill's grounder high above Joyner's head at first. O'Neill took second on Williams's ground-out and scored on New York's first hit of the game; Chili Davis's grounder up the middle.
Martinez's single drew chalk from the right field line and Brosius singled through the left side, bringing home Davis.
Posada made the last out of the inning, but even that revealed San Diego's shakiness as second baseman Quil vio Veras could not hang on to his line drive, then made a poor throw that Joyner was just able to gather in.
The Yankees, after a record regular season, are in their 35th World Series seeking their 24th championship and second in three years.
Before the game the family of the late Roger Maris, whose single-season home run record of 61 was shattered this season by Mark McGwire (70), threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Kevin, Randy, Richard, Roger Jr, Sandra and Susan got a standing ovation from the crowd at the stadium where their father broke Babe Ruth's season home run record in 1961.
