With the benefit of hindsight, the matchup between the Yankees and Mets on the 9th of June represents the first act in a three-part saga that ends with the first World Series matchup between two New York teams since the Dodgers and Giants abandoned the city for the West Coast. On that day, though, it was simply the first time the Yankees and Mets faced off that year — an important game for bragging rights in the city, but for both squads, simply another interleague game.

Little did they know that, as the Mets delivered Roger Clemens one of the worst shellackings of his career, this game would begin to set the stage for some of the most iconic moments in the intercity rivalry.

June 9: Yankees 2, Mets 12 (box score)

Record: 32-24 (1st place in AL East, 0.5 games ahead)

The Mets lineup had Clemens’ number right from the jump, as Jason Tyner led off the game with a line drive double. While the Yankees’ ace was able to escape the first unscathed, courtesy of a pair of strikeouts, this set the tone for the night. His second inning likewise showed cracks in Clemens’ game, as he allowed a two-out single to Jay Payton, and then balked him over to second. He had kept the Mets off the board, but it was clear that he was not at the top of his game.

Finally, Clemens unraveled in the third. Tyner reached on an E2 to lead off the frame, then both Derek Bell and Edgardo Alfonzo worked walks to load the bases (with a passed ball thrown in there for good measure). That brought to the plate Mets cleanup hitter Mike Piazza, who deposited his 11th career grand slam over the 408 sign in center field to give the Queens-based squad an early 4-0 lead.

Although Piazza had gotten to the Rocket in seasons past, this slam in particular marked the unofficial beginning of Clemens’ long feud with Piazza, which had immediate aftershocks throughout the 2000 campaign and beyond. But more on that later.

The Yankees lineup attempted to cut into the deficit against Al Leiter in the bottom of the frame, as Derek Jeter led off the inning with a single. Bernie Williams followed that up with a looping line drive to left for a surefire single to give them first and second with nobody out… except Tyner made a diving catch in left for the first out of the inning. Paul O’Neill and Shane Spencer were quickly retired, stranding Jeter on the bases.

Meanwhile, the Mets added onto their lead in the fourth. After Payton grounded out to second for the first out, Melvin Mora worked a walk and then stole second. This put him in position to score when Bell singled to left, extending the Mets’ lead to 5-0.

The Yankees finally scraped a run across against Leiter in the fourth. With one away, Tino Martinez lined a double to right. He advanced to third on a Jim Leyritz groundout, and came around to score a Scott Brosius single for the Bombers’ first run of the game.

Both lineups added a pair of runs in the fifth, courtesy of a pair of singles. Piazza led off the inning with a single, coming around to score two batters later on a Todd Zeile single up the middle. Jeter likewise led off the bottom of the inning with a single. He advanced to second a Bernie Williams single, to third on an O’Neill fly ball, and scored on a Shane Spencer sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, Clemens gave that run right back — and then some. Tyner, who had given the right-hander trouble all night, led off with a single, and then advanced to second when Clemens made an error trying to pick him off at first. That put him in position to score on Bell’s double. Alonzo then followed that up with a monster home run to center. At long last, Joe Torre mercifully pulled Clemens. His final line — nine runs on 10 hits, with four strikeouts and three walks in five-plus innings.

The Mets tacked onto their lead in the seventh, as reliever Todd Erdos allowed singles to Payton and Mora and a three-run homer to Bell to extend the Mets’ lead to 12-2. That is, mercifully, where it would stay. Both teams emptied their bench in the eighth and ninth, both teams’ relievers kept the lineups quiet, and the Yankees went home with the loss in the first matchup against their future World Series opponents.

Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.