The 2000 New York Yankees entered their third game of a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox, looking to make the series interesting heading into the final matchup.
Having lost three of their last four games, the Bombers needed something to go their way against a White Sox team that was one of the best in the league at the time, a far cry from where they are today (and where they were in a sub-.500 ‘99). They were riding a nine-game winning streak, and with a 42-24 record coming into the game on June 17th, they held a 7.5-game lead in American League Central. In short: the Yankees had a big test after two losses already.
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June 17: Yankees 9, White Sox 10 (box score)
Record: 34-28 (2nd place in AL East, 0.5 games back)
Jake Westbrook started the game for the Yankees, marking the beginning of a 13-year career while tasked with having to face one of the strongest teams in the majors to this point. And he was thrown right into the fire in the top of the first, giving up a walk and a bunt single through his first two batters. A sacrifice fly moved leadoff hitter Ray Durham to third base, and another sacrifice fly brought him across to score. Westbrook gave up another hit, but made it out of the inning, giving up only one run.
White Sox starter Cal Eldred gave up one hit and left two on base before the White Sox came back up to bat and beat up on the rookie Yankees pitcher some more.
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Through the first three batters of the inning, the Yankees starter gave up only one run, but then saw men at first and third twice. Magglio Ordóñez came up with the score at 3-0 and two men on base and crushed a home run to the seats in deep left field, putting the White Sox up 6-0.
Westbrook gave up a walk following the home run, and that was enough for manager Joe Torre, who replaced him with Jason Grimsley after 1.2 innings pitched. Grimsley gave up a baserunner on an error by Derek Jeter, but struck out Carlos Lee swinging to close down the inning with five runs on five hits with an error and two men left on base.
The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second, and the White Sox added two more runs in the top of the third, one from a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Grimsley.
With the score at 8-0, the Yankees finally started to fight back. Two singles from Scott Brosius and Chuck Knoblauch to lead off the inning put the Yankees in a good spot with the top and middle of the order coming up to bat. Derek Jeter and Paul O’Neill were the next two up to bat but went right back to the dugout, giving Bernie Williams an RBI chance with two outs, and he converted, scoring both runners with a deep double. Then, a Tino Martinez single brought Williams across to score, chipping away at the eight-run deficit.
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However, Grimsley gave up another solo home run in the top of the fourth to make the score 9-3. The inning continued to get interesting, as Knoblauch was forced to make a throw from second base that ended up sailing far, far away from Martinez, hitting the mother of SportsCenter alum/news pundit Keith Olbermann (much to her amusement, at least).
Knoblauch’s ongoing yips saga that worsened with three errors in the series opener on June 15th somehow hit another low.
Following a short midgame rain delay, the scoreboard was quiet until the top of the sixth, when the White Sox struck again, this time against the Yankees reliever Todd Erdos. Carlos Lee doubled to deep right-center field and scored Chris Singleton, who made it on base as a result of a fielder’s choice.
With the score at 10-3, the Yankees’ bats woke up in the bottom half of the inning. The top of the order all found themselves on base with two outs against White Sox reliever Sean Lowe, and who else but Williams to bring all of them home with a bases-clearing double to right-center field. And it was Martinez again who brought Williams across to score for the third time in the game, making the score 10-7, and The Bronx Zoo was awake heading into the final few innings.
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The Yankees’ offense was not able to score any runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the top of the order once again came through in the bottom of the eighth, and it was the usual suspects. O’Neill hit a line drive single to get on base, and Williams, once again, stepped up into the batter’s box and smacked a home run to deep right field, making it a one-run game.
However, despite a two-out Ricky Ledée double in the bottom of the ninth, the White Sox were able to hold on to the 10-9 victory. Bernie finished the game going 4-for-4, scoring three runs and tallying seven RBI. One man can’t do it all.
Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.
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