The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is one that lives in infamy and will continue to do so. The two teams are rarely fond of each other, but during the late-’90s and early-2000s, when both teams were vying for the top of the American League East and World Series championships, every series was under an even larger magnifying glass.

The Yankees took to the field after a 4-1 loss the previous night against the Red Sox, looking to move back into a tie for the lead in the AL East, but with a little bit of a ripple before the game even began.

May 27: Yankees 8, Red Sox 3 (box score)

Record: 27-18 (Tied for first in AL East)

In the 2000 season, Jason Grimsley started four games and pitched in 63. Beyond 2000, he did not start a single game, despite doing so early in his career. And against the Red Sox, he was thrust into being the starter after Orlando “El Duque” Hernández was warming up but felt tightness in his upper back, forcing him to sit out for the start.

Despite both teams being quiet in the first two innings, the Red Sox capitalized early and put Grimsley in a tough situation in the top of the third. John Valentin smacked a leadoff home run to deep left field to put the first run of the game on the board for the visitors. Jason Varitek followed that up with a single before being out at second on a force. Jeff Frye doubled to left off Grimsley, putting runners in scoring position. Grimsley then sent a pitch to the backstop, bringing home another run and putting Boston up 2-0. Then, a sacrifice bunt by Trot Nixon brought home another runner, putting the Yankees in a tough spot after the half-inning eventually finished with the Red Sox up by three runs.

In the bottom of the third, the Yankees began to chip away. Two straight outs put them in a tough spot, but Ricky Ledée was hit by a pitch, giving way for Derek Jeter, who singled and put Paul O’Neill in an RBI spot, which he converted on, scoring Ledée and putting the Yankees down only two runs.

Grimsley worked through a one-two-three top of the fourth, and the Yankees came back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from Shane Spencer, making the deficit only one, and the same thing repeated in the fifth. Grimsley was clinical against the ninth, leadoff, and second hitters in the Red Sox order, and Ledée smoked a leadoff home run to tie the game at three runs apiece.

The Yankees’ bullpen kept the Red Sox at bay before the Bombers showed up in the bottom of the sixth. Jorge Posada got in on the action with a leadoff solo home run to give New York the lead before Spencer and Scott Brosius both grounded out. John Wasdin, the Red Sox reliever, was on the cusp of limiting the damage. But Clay Bellinger extended the inning with a single and stole second base before Ledée walked, bringing up Jeter in a spot to extend the lead. Naturally, the future captain did just that. A line drive single to center brought home Bellinger and put Ledée on third, forcing Wasdin out of the game for Tim Young.

O’Neill stepped into the batter’s box and watched four pitches from the new reliever. he finally saw the pitch he wanted and sent it over the outfield wall for a three-run home run. With the Yankees up 8-3, all the bullpen had to do was keep doing what they had been doing already, and they did, with Mike Stanton pitching two more innings after replacing Grimsley and Mariano Rivera closing the game out.

Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.