Yanks fail in the clutch in Game 1 loss

New York's batters were unable to drive in baserunners.
NEW YORK (AP) -- One inning after another, the New York Yankees put runners on base only to leave them out there.
Jason Giambi had his RBI chances. So did Nick Johnson and Alfonso Soriano. The Yankees usually get the big hits in the postseason, but not this time.
New York went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position Tuesday, losing to the Minnesota Twins 3-1 in the opener of the best-of-five AL division series.
"We've got to find ways to score runs, that's the bottom line," captain Derek Jeter said.
Runners stranded
The Yankees put at least one man on in every inning but the eighth. Stifled by young starter Johan Santana and the Minnesota bullpen, they stranded 10 runners in all.
"They were pitching real well and we didn't show up today," said Jorge Posada, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts following a 101-RBI season. "We've got to show up Thursday. We've got a must-win game on Thursday. You don't want to go there down 0-2."
Scoring is normally not a problem for the Yankees, who feature All-Star sluggers throughout the lineup and finished third in the league in runs this season with 877. Even in their first-round loss to Anaheim last October, it was mainly poor pitching that cost them -- not failures at the plate.
Not the same Yanks
But these aren't the same Yankees who rolled to five AL pennants and four World Series titles from 1996-01. Some of the best clutch hitters on those teams are long gone, namely Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius.
These Yankees are just as powerful and talented, they're simply having a hard time proving it in the playoffs.
"I don't know about pressing," Giambi said after going hitless in four trips and striking out twice. "I swung at some pitches that might have been out of the strike zone, but by no means do I feel like I'm the only guy that has to deliver in big situations. We have a lot of great players on this team."
Giambi fanned against Santana with two on to end the third. Reliever LaTroy Hawkins blew fastballs by Soriano and Johnson with runners at the corners to thwart a threat in the seventh.
Soriano's two-out infield single in the ninth drove in the only run, but Johnson grounded out weakly against closer Eddie Guardado with the potential tying runs on base.
Last of chances
That was the last of many chances for the Yankees, who were booed by the impatient home crowd.
"Just one of those days where we tried to do too much," Posada said. "They came right after us. They had the lead and they pitched like they had the lead. When you're down 3-0 and it doesn't seem like you're going to get a lot of runs on the board, there's a lot of tension. They made that pitch when they needed it."
Hawkins used high heat to strike out four in two scoreless innings and was rewarded with the win.
"That's what I do," Hawkins said. "I throw a lot of fastballs. My key is, I try to spot my fastball and I thought I did a good job of that."
Giambi comes up empty
Giambi, signed as a replacement for Martinez before last season, struggled for long stretches this year and came up empty in the cleanup spot Tuesday. His arrival was supposed to ensure the Yankees several more championships, but the 2000 AL MVP still hasn't won a playoff series with Oakland or New York.
"Well, the only thing you do is keep writing his name on the lineup and patting him on the rear end," manager Joe Torre said. "I sensed him trying a little hard, maybe a little too hard today."
Johnson, who ended the season in an 0-for-16 slump, batted in the No. 2 spot between Soriano and Jeter. Johnson went 0-for-4 with a walk and stranded five runners.
"I got some pitches to hit, I just didn't get it done," he said. "When those guys are out there you've got to get them in."