Rays/MLB

Yankees put hope in an ailing Big Unit

By MARC TOPKIN
Published October 6, 2006

NEW YORK - The series tied and their homefield advantage negated, the Yankees are hoping the Big Unit can come up huge.

But they won't know what they are going to get until Randy Johnson steps on the mound tonight and tests the herniated disc in his back that has sidelined him since Sept. 23, when he pitched against the Devil Rays and gave up five runs and seven hits over six innings.

Johnson went through a private workout early Wednesday afternoon - which the Yankees said went well - then flew ahead of the team to Detroit.

"We hope he's okay," first baseman Gary Sheffield said. "Nobody knows. We haven't seen him."

Johnson received an epidural injection Sept. 29, then threw lightly Saturday and more aggressively Sunday. Wednesday's bullpen session lasted 30-35 pitches, manager Joe Torre said, and went well.

With the unimpressive Jaret Wright scheduled for Game 4 on Saturday afternoon, there is some urgency to Johnson's performance tonight.

"We're counting on him big," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told the Associated Press.

K-ROD: Alex Rodriguez had another tough day, going 0-for-4 while striking out three times.

As bad as that was, worse was what Steinbrenner said to the AP about him: "I didn't like him that well."

INSIDE JOB: Conspiracy theories continued to abound Thursday as to how the Yankees knew Wednesday night's game was going to be postponed well before the Tigers did.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland - who said he realized something was amiss when his players, including starting pitcher Justin Verlander, went out to loosen up for the supposed 10 p.m. start but no Yankees were on the field - said he considered it a miscommunication and absolved the home team of blame.

Sort of.

"I've got to give Joe Torre credit," Leyland said. "This is the first time in my life I was ever outmanaged on an off day."

THE WANDERERS: Having planned to fly home after Wednesday's game, the Tigers had to scramble to find a hotel with room for them to stay over. Leyland said it worked out fine.

"At our first hotel, my suite got messed up, and I had a room about this big (like a small box)," he said. "Then last night, when we were only going to stay in this place for six hours, my room was big enough that the president could have had his State of the Union address: cheese, wine and everything."

MISCELLANY: Tonight is the first postseason game in Detroit since Oct. 12, 1987. ... Leyland made the unorthodox move of taking starter Verlander out with a 1-1 count on Robinson Cano in the sixth, but it worked perfectly as reliever Jamie Walker got an inning-ending double play. ... Sheffield's wife, DeLeon, sang the national anthem.

[Last modified October 6, 2006, 01:35:56]