25 years ago today, the Yankees’ West Coast trip was on the upswing. After a pair of good wins closed out their series in Oakland, the Bombers made their way up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the first place Mariners. Behind a very good Roger Clemens outing and some vintage José Canseco, the Yankees coasted to victory in Seattle to grow their lead in the East.
August 28: Yankees 9, Mariners 1 (box score)
Record: 73-55 (5.0 GA in AL East)
The Yankees got to work right out of the gate against Paul
Abbott and the M’s, firing up the scoreboard in the top half of the first. The inning began with a pair of walks and a single from Derek Jeter which loaded the bases. David Justice put a pause on the rally, but also scored the Yankees’ first run with a 4-6-3 double play ball. With just a single runner on now, José Canseco saved their chance at a big first frame when he pummeled a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field wall to put the Yanks up 3-0 — his fourth homer in pinstripes.
Clemens started his outing on a sour note, allowing a walk to famed Mariner Rickey Henderson, but The Rocket followed by striking out the side, all of them swinging. It would be the start of a rock solid outing for Clemens, who worked around a bases loaded jam in the second inning and a leadoff knock in the third, before striking out a pair in his 1-2-3 fourth frame.
In the top half of the fifth, the Yankees’ “Luis” tandem manufactured another run. Luis Sojo walked with one out, before putting himself in scoring position by stealing second base. With two outs in the inning, Luis Polonia delivered an RBI single up the middle to put New York up 4-0. With a four-run lead in place, and Clemens working his way through a scoreless outing, the Yankees were taking control of this one.
The Mariners loaded the bases against Clemens yet again in the fifth, but he was able to avert any damage after recording back-to-back outs off the bats of Edgar Martinez and John Olerud. Clemens found his footing as the outing hit its later stages, as he worked spotless innings in the sixth and seventh innings. Clemens even pitched into the eighth inning, but Alex Rodriguez singled off of him to lead things off, before the righty left the game with leg soreness. He finished with seven complete innings, and although he allowed nine baserunners, he kept Seattle out of the run column and struck out seven batters.
In the top half of the eighth, the Yankees began hammering nails into the coffin, as a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. A double off the bat of David Justice made use of the opportunity by scoring a pair of runs, before Canseco plated another with a sacrifice fly. A pair of two-out walks preceded a knock from Sojo, which plated one before the inning was over. After eight innings, the Yankees were now up by a commanding 8-0 score.
Justice managed another RBI in the ninth, and the Mariners were able to tally their first run in their half thanks to a Henderson sac fly, but it was far too little too late. Jason Grimsley closed things out for New York in the ninth, as they cruised to a 9-1 victory in this game. They had now begun this three-game set on a high note, and won four of their last five games. The win also grew their lead to a more comfortable five games in the East, as the later stages of the season grew nearer.
Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.
