Marlins snap Yankees' 10-game home streak

NEW YORK (AP) -- Maybe the New York Yankees were still recovering from the AL championship series against the Boston Red Sox.
After a dramatic 11-inning victory to win the American League pennant, the Yankees looked sluggish in Saturday's World Series opener, losing 3-2 to the Florida Marlins. The loss ended New York's 10-game home winning streak in the World Series.
Starter David Wells came into the game with the best postseason record of any pitcher in baseball history and the Yankees had not lost a World Series game at home since 1996.
None of it mattered much in a subdued ballpark that lacked the electricity of Thursday night's ALCS Game 7 against Boston.
It was a night of wasted opportunities for New York. The Yankees had runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings but came away with just one run. Then, in the eighth, with runners at first and third and two out, Florida closer Ugueth Urbina struck out Jorge Posada, ending the inning.
The Yankees threatened again in the ninth when Urbina walked Jason Giambi and Ruben Sierra, but the reliever got out of the jam, getting Nick Johnson to pop out to end the game.
Wells did his part, limiting the Marlins to just six singles in seven innings and only two after the second inning. But he came away with his third postseason loss.
His 10-2 postseason record and .833 winning percentage going in was the best in major league history, just ahead of Atlanta's John Smoltz, who is 13-4, .765.
His mistake was a leadoff walk to Jeff Conine in the fifth inning that the Marlins converted into a two-run lead with the last two hits he allowed, to Juan Encarnacion and Juan Pierre.
The Yankees might have limited that rally to one run but third baseman Aaron Boone, the hero against Boston, cut off Hideki Matsui's throw, allowing Encarnacion to score what turned out to be the winning run.
Home cooking
That was enough to end the Yankees' streak. New York lost the first two games of the 1996 World Series at home against Atlanta but swept the next four for the first championship under manager Joe Torre.
They had not lost a Series game at home since then. They pulled off two comebacks with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 on dramatic home runs by Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius.
The Yankees wasted three golden scoring opportunities early against Florida starter Brad Penny.
Alfonso Soriano led off the first inning with an infield single and stole second, giving New York a runner in scoring position with no outs. But Penny retired the next three hitters in order.
After tying the score on an RBI single by Derek Jeter in the third inning, New York put runners on first and third. Bernie Williams flied out with the runners holding and then Marlins catcher Ivan Rodriguez picked Johnson off third base to end the inning.
In the fourth, the Yankees had another opportunity when Hideki Matsui opened with a single and Posada walked. But Giambi hit into a double play and Boone grounded out, leaving Matsui at third base.
New York knocked out Penny with one out in the sixth when Williams homered and Matsui followed with a single. Posada hit into a force play against reliever Dontrelle Willis and then stole second, just the 10th stolen base of his career. That put the tying run in scoring position but Willis retired Giambi for the third out.