The Yankees came down the stretch in the 2000 season with a sizable lead in the AL East, and Joe Torre and his staff were most concerned with getting the roster across the line into the playoffs looking healthy and sharp. Though we know now that things would go haywire at the end, at this point in time 25 years ago, the Yankees were just looking to shape the edges of their playoff roster, and to get a few players who had dealt with injuries or slumps up to speed ahead of October.
They were successful
on those fronts on this day, with a few veterans looking like they were getting straightened out just in time.
September 12: Yankees 10, Blue Jays 2 (box score)
Record: 83-59 (8 GA in AL East)
This would prove to be a day for the Yankees’ midseason additions, with a trio of them leading the way to victory. First and foremost was Denny Neagle, the ace lefty acquired in July only to have an up-and-down introduction to the Bronx. Coming off a miserable August, Neagle was stabilizing in September, pitching eight excellent innings his last time out.
On this night, he would do almost as well, again pitching into the eighth. Neagle gave up just two runs over 7.2 innings, striking out seven, his second-highest total as a member of the Yankees. He only had two real jams all night: in the second, he put two on with two out, and Craig Grebeck doubled home a run, and in the fifth inning Neagle loaded the bases with nobody out. Alex Gonzalez notched an RBI single, but Neagle limited the damage there, getting the mighty Carlos Delgado to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
The Yankees led the whole way. They got on the board in the first against Joey Hamilton, David Justice doubling home a run to make it 1-0 as part of a 2-for-3 day. After Toronto tied things in the second, the Yankees struck again, José Canseco driving home a run with a single. Three batters later, Chuck Knoblauch, still re-establishing himself after missing time with an arm injury, laced a triple to right, scoring two and making it 4-1.
Hamilton worked into the fourth when the Yankees got to him again, Jorge Posada leading off with a single, and Canseco following with a high drive into the left-field seats:
The Yankees led 6-1, and once Neagle escaped his fifth-inning jam, they were home clear. Neagle was in cruise control, getting the Blue Jays to swing over his nasty changeup time and again. He exited with two out in the eighth to a standing ovation, leading 7-2, and the Yankees would run the score up a bit more in the home half. Reliever Pedro Borbón would walk Paul O’Neill, Justice, and Canseco (Canseco reached base five times on the day, scoring three times and driving in three) to load the bases. With two out, manager Jim Fregosi went to a young Roy Halladay, the starter pitching out of the bullpen after spending most of the season getting crushed as a starter. He reached a full count on Ryan Thompson, and Thompson lined one to center to clear the bases with a double and make it 10-2.
It was a comprehensive victory, one that had to leave the Yankees feeling good. All of their veteran pickups, Neagle, Canseco, and Justice, showed out and looked like they’d be key pieces in the postseason, Neagle in particular seemingly clinching a spot in the team’s playoff rotation. Even Knoblauch looked solid, after struggling with injuries and throwing issues most of the year. For at least one more day, it was all systems go in the Bronx.
Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.
