<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3pmrIN_0w0LZBGB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3pmrIN_0w0LZBGB00" width="1210" height="806" ></figure>The 1999 postseason had begun about as well as possible for the Yankees. Game 1 saw them cruising behind a huge day from Bernie Williams and a gem from Orlando Hernández, while Game 2 was another smooth one behind a solid effort from Andy Pettitte. After a travel day, the Yanks found themselves in Arlington with a chance to wrap up a drama-free American League Division Series against the Rangers. It was Roger Clemens’ turn on the bump for Game 3, preparing for his playoff start since 1995. He must have taken notes from El Duque and Andy, as the Rocket blanked the Texas lineup once again to secure the sweep.October 9: Yankees 3, Rangers 0 (box score)Playoffs: Win ALDS 3-0 (101-64 overall)With their backs against the wall and the season on the line, the Rangers sent future forgettable Yankee Esteban Loaiza to the mound. The right-hander had a so-so ‘99 season featuring a 4.56 ERA in 120.1 innings, with just 15 of his 30 games being starts (though in that high-octane era of offense, it was still a 111 ERA+). He began his outing on a positive note, with a strikeout of Chuck Knoblauch, but the good times were short-lived for Loaiza.After the K, Derek Jeter fired up the offense with a triple into left field, before Bernie Williams followed with a walk. The Texas righty nearly got out of the jam with another strikeout of Tino Martinez, with an emphasis on “nearly”. With two outs, Darryl Strawberry took the second pitch he saw deep into the left-center field seats, giving the Yanks a 3-0 lead before they even had to take the field. The ‘99 campaign had been a tumultuous one for Strawberry. He had battled colon cancer at the end of the previous season, and the Yankees had to close out their phenomenal year with one of their leaders away from the team. Then, while getting game-ready for ‘99 at age-37, he was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and soliciting a prostitute. MLB suspended the 17-year veteran for 120 days and he only rejoined the Yankees in September after a long tune-up at Triple-A.And yet Strawberry’s legendary swing never left him. He hit .327/.500/.612 in 24 games during the final month, platooning at DH with Chili Davis. Joe Torre rostered him for the playoffs. The move paid dividends, as Strawberry's blast in ALDS Game 3 was New York’s only offense and helped them advance. In the Mets icon’s final games before another drug suspension finished his career for good, he still had it in October: 5-for-15 with three walks and two homers.With a multi-run lead now at his disposal, Roger Clemens could face this strong Texas lineup with some room to spare, even if he wouldn’t need it. He set them down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, tallying his first strikeout, and avoided any damage from a Rafael Palmeiro single in the second. The story was the same in the third inning, with Clemens inducing a trio of groundouts, and despite a pair of Rangers runners reaching base in the fourth, the inning ended with nary a run in Texas’ run column. After Strawberry’s huge homer, Loaiza also settled into a groove against the Yankee lineup. Bernie Williams singled in the second inning, and Strawberry got another knock in the fourth, but it was mostly quiet from the away dugout as well. The Rangers went down in order against Clemens again in the bottom of the fifth, and it began getting late early for Texas. They mustered just a lone walk in the sixth from Rusty Greer, to no avail, and were retired 1-2-3 once again in the seventh.Both Loaiza and the Rocket completed seven innings in this one, and both pitched fairly well, with the one mistake to Strawberry being the only highlight on offense for either squad. Clemens finished those seven innings with just three hits allowed, and a pair of strikeouts along the way. It was his best postseason start in nearly a decade, and the 37-year-old had hopeful eyes on later nailing down his first World Series title.Jeff Nelson was called upon first out of the New York bullpen, and the Torre gave him the hook just as quick, turning to Mariano Rivera after he allowed a leadoff single to Tom Goodwin. Mo quickly managed a line drive double play and ended the eighth with a strikeout of Iván Rodríguez to bring Game 3 to the ninth. After another quiet inning on offense, the Bombers headed into the bottom half up 3-0, three outs away from a trip to the ALCS. It did not come without a little action, with Greer singling and advancing on a wild pitch to start the inning, but Rivera kept his cool. After two quick outs in the air, Rivera induced a groundball from Todd Zeile to Jeter at short, who threw out a sliding Zeile at first, and put a bow on the 1999 ALDS.What is it about good pitching and three-run homers? Well, whatever the equation is, the Yankees coasted on it to wrap up the best-of-five series.It was as easy as they come for the Yankees in the Division Series, much as it was a year prior, allowing just one run in the three games, outscoring Texas in the rout, 14-1. Remarkably, it was the second year in a row they had swept away the mighty Rangers offense with only one Texas batter denting home plate. Dating back to the 1996 ALDS, it was their ninth consecutive playoff win against them, and this one sent the Rangers into a dark decade. They would not return to the playoffs until 2010, with a completely different group (though the franchise got to exact some vengeance against the Yankees during that go-around).With the Yankees’ ALCS ticket punched, they got to return to New York, sit back, and watch to see who they would face for the pennant. Up north, Boston took down Cleveland in their Game 3 to stave off their own ALDS sweep, so that series marched on. Either way, the Yankees could head into the next round knowing they were playing their best ball. <div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Jxt8sKpF9I?rel=0&amp;start=186" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>Read the full 1999 Yankees Diary series here.</div></body>

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1999 Yankees Diary, October 9: Strawberry’s blast powers Yanks to ALCS sweep

The 1999 postseason had begun about as well as possible for the Yankees. Game 1 saw them cruising behind a huge day from Bernie Williams and a gem from Orlando Hernández, while Game 2 was another smooth one behind a solid effort from Andy Pettitte. After a travel day,...