The 2000 Yankees famously slumped in September, letting things get way too close in the AL East, considering that they led by nine games halfway through the month. September 2000 actually started perfectly fine, as the Yankees won their first two games of the month.
However, the third game showed a sign of the concerning struggles that were ahead, as they couldn’t hold a lead against the Minnesota Twins of all teams.
September 3: Yankees 1, Twins 2 – 10 innings (box score)
Record: 76-57 (6 GA in AL
East)
As the Yankees were wrapping up a series against their future playoff punching bag, they sent Roger Clemens to the mound, and “The Rocket” mostly dominated. Clemens retired the first nine batters he faced and 17 of the first 21. Plus one of the ones that did reach in that time came on an error from Scott Brosius. It was a performance that should have given the Yankees plenty of breathing room. The issue was the offense wasn’t holding up their end of the bargain.
Things started all right on that front as Tino Martinez hit a solo homer in the second inning to give the Yankees the lead. However, Clemens found himself in an unexpected pitchers’ duel with Matt Kinney after that.
Following up Martinez’s homer, the Yankees loaded the bases in the third inning only to leave all three runners stranded. It also followed Paul O’Neill hitting into an inning-ending double play in the first inning, and then O’Neill getting left in scoring position in the sixth. The failure to capitalize on any of those chances left the Yankees in a close game, and that came back to haunt them.
The only blemish on Clemens’ otherwise good day came in the top of the seventh. Twins’ first baseman Ron Coomer led off the inning with a home run, tying the game up. Clemens fully bounced back after that and retired the next six hitters he faced, to get through eight strong innings. In that time, he allowed just three hits and a walk, while striking out eight. It was a game that would get him a win a lot of days, but this one would be a no decision.
The Yankees’ offense had another decent chance in the bottom of the eighth when Minnesota reliever Eddie Guardado walked two, but David Justice struck out to end the inning. After Mariano Rivera came in and threw a perfect ninth, a lead-off Martinez single in the bottom of the ninth came to nothing when he was thrown out as part of a strike ‘em out/throw ‘em out double play.
That sent the game to extra innings, where Rivera was sent back out for another frame, but he couldn’t repeat the feat of an easy couple outs. While Rivera retired the first two hitters of the inning on just five combined pitches, he walked Torii Hunter after being just a strike away. In the next at-bat, Hunter stole second after Rivera completely lost track of Hunter at first base and allowed him to fairly easily steal second. The Yankees then opted to walk Jacque Jones to get to the then-rookie — and below par hitter at that time — catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Instead, Twins’ manager Tom Kelly countered by sending up a pinch-hitter in Denny Hocking. The intentional walk backfired for the Yankees as Hocking dropped in a single, scoring Hunter to give Minnesota the lead.
Once again, the Yankees had a golden opportunity in the bottom half of the inning. Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada both hit singles off LaTroy Hawkins, putting the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. However, neither pinch-hitter José Canseco nor Bernie Williams could do anything with that, as Hawkins retired them both to give the Twins the rare victory.
For the game, the Yankees’ offense went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. It was bad, but was only a sign of what was to come as the Yankees nearly cost themselves a lot in September 2000.
Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.
