<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3vlXs9_0w6Iqbcp00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3vlXs9_0w6Iqbcp00" width="1210" height="806" ></figure>Jeff Middleton has been a writer at Pinstripe Alley since July 2022. He is a journalism and sport leadership &amp; management student at Miami University, where he contributes baseball and hockey articles to the school newspaper as well. He also covers hockey at various other sites. Following a sweep of the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series and a walk-off win in Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, the Yankees looked to stay undefeated in postseason play before heading to Boston for Games 3 and 4. By the time the final out was recorded, they had won their 12th consecutive postseason game, dating back to the middle of the 1998 ALCS.October 14: Yankees 3, Red Sox 2 (box score)Playoffs: Up 2-0 in ALCS (103-64 overall)Just as it was in the first game of this series, the two pitching staffs of the longtime rivals earned their paychecks. Ramón Martínez, the Red Sox starter (and Pedro’s older brother), and David Cone, the Yankees starter, threw back-and-forth punches up and down the opposing lineups. The first inning was quiet, but the Red Sox threatened against Cone early, thanks to a Jason Varitek triple to right field in the top of the second (it nearly went out, too). The bottom of the lineup couldn’t cash him in though, as Darren Lewis popped up and Trot Nixon flew out to right. Incidentally, that triple from Varitek was one of only two that the catcher would hit in his 63-game postseason career.Cone gave up another hit to Varitek in the top of the fourth inning, a double to center field. Again, though, Lewis and Nixon let him down, the former on a K and the latter on a fly ball to center. That gave the always-threatening Yankees offense a chance to take the lead after being held to a mere few singles in the first few frames.After Bernie Williams lined out to start the fourth, Tino Martinez stepped up to the plate and crushed a towering fly to the short porch in right field, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.A 1-0 lead through the halfway mark of a critical ALCS game is good, but against a team like the 1999 Red Sox, it was merely a start.In the top of the fifth inning, Cone struggled. He gave up a leadoff single to José Offerman, who promptly stole second base. Then, he worked two outs — a strikeout and a pop out — but Nomar Garciaparra, the Red Sox stud shortstop, responded to Tino’s blast with one of his own, putting Boston up 2-1.The Red Sox threatened again after Cone allowed another single and a passed ball allowed the runner to move into scoring position, but he struck out former batterymate Mike Stanley to end the half-inning.Cone worked through the seventh inning, not allowing a hit in the top of the sixth or the seventh. He also only gave up one walk. And in the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees finally destroyed the armor of the elder Martínez.Ledée walked to lead off the home half of the inning, and a bunt by Scott Brosius moved him to second base. A Joe Girardi pop fly left the man on second with two outs in the inning. Fortunately, the top of the Yankees order did not consider the matter finished. Chuck Knoblauch smacked a double to left field, scoring Ledée from second, tying the game, and knocking out Martínez. Tom Gordon came in to replace him, and Knoblauch promptly swiped third. Derek Jeter then walked, and Red Sox skipper Jimy Williams had the quick hook, removing Gordon in favor of Rheal Cormier.Paul O’Neill was the first batter Cormier faced, and the man who would one day have a plaque in Monument Park demonstrated why, jumping on the new pitcher and dropping a ball to center despite the lefty/lefty matchup. That scored Knoblauch, put Jeter at third, and gave his team the 3-2 lead with two outs.<div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kHdSlvra754?rel=0&amp;start=138&amp;end=158" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>Bernie walked following the O’Neill hit, loading the bases, but Martinez grounded out to first, ending the inning.The Yankees bullpen didn’t make it easy on themselves in the eighth. Troy O’Leary greeted Mike Stanton with a long drive to right-center field that nearly tied the game. O’Leary had to settle for a leadoff double off the top of the wall, and Joe Torre removed Stanton after just one hitter faced. Torre would end up wearing out the path between the dugout and the mound during this half-inning.Jeff Nelson relieved Stanton and on a 2-2 pitch, he plunked Stanley on the wrist. He was in pain and removed for pinch-runner Damon Buford. Varitek bunted the runners over to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Some managerial chess began, as Jimy Williams pinch-hit future Moneyball hero Scott Hatteberg for Darren Lewis, and following a first-pitch ball from Nelson, Torre cut the showdown short by bringing in lefty Allen Watson. Williams then removed Hatteberg, pinch-hitting Lou Merloni. Torre responded by having Watson intentionally walk Merloni, which is kind of bizarre in hindsight since while Merloni (61 OPS+ in ‘99) technically had a platoon advantage, he couldn’t hit lefties either.Butch Huskey pinch-hit for Nixon, and Torre made one more trip to the mound, tapping in Ramiro Mendoza. A fly ball or soft grounder would’ve tied the game, but “El Brujo” was up to the task. He got ahead of Huskey 1-2 and struck him out, freezing the runners. Offerman then flew out to end the chaotic-but-scoreless inning.Got all that? Ah, managing.Mariano Rivera entered to close out the high-stress one-run game. He retired John Valentin and Brian Daubach before Garciaparra and O’Leary registered consecutive singles to keep the game alive. At this point, Jimy Williams’ bench moves came back to bite him, as there was no one left to pinch-hit for the man who pinch-ran for Stanley, Buford — a 65 OPS+ hitter in ‘99. Buford was no match for Mo, and went down swinging to hand the Yankees a second tightly contested game. They would take a 2-0 lead and command of this ALCS up to Fenway Park in Boston, where Roger Clemens would face Pedro Martínez.Read the full 1999 Yankees Diary series here.</div></body>

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1999 Yankees Diary, October 14: Cone’s seven strong help Bombers to 2-0 ALCS lead

Jeff Middleton has been a writer at Pinstripe Alley since July 2022. He is a journalism and sport leadership & management student at Miami University, where he contributes baseball and hockey articles to the school newspaper as well. He also covers hockey at various other sites. Following a sweep of...