The first game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park did not go the way the Yankees or their fans had imagined it. During his extensive career, it was rare to see Mariano Rivera blow a game, but, of course, no baseball player is perfect, and he fell victim to that curse in the first game of the three-game series. Just like that, the two-time defending champions were 0-5 on the season against the new team with the best record in baseball.
However, with a chance to redeem themselves, the Yankees came out swinging. The AL Central-leading Pale Hose made them sweat in the end, but New York got the W.
June 24: Yankees 12, White Sox 8 (box score)
Record: 37-32 (2nd place in AL East, 1.0 games back)
The top of the Yankees’ lineup found some fortune in the way of an error by White Sox starter Kip Wells on a throw to first base. With one out in the top of the first, Derek Jeter ended up making his way around the bases to third, giving Paul O’Neill the chance to drive in an unearned run early on, which he did on a groundball through the infield. And with the Yankees up one run, Bernie Williams began another one of his fantastic games against the White Sox with a single to right, advancing Paulie 180 feet to third. Tino Martinez grounded into a double play, but the run scored by O’Neill counted, putting the visitors up two runs heading into the bottom of the first.
Yankees starter Ramiro Mendoza worked through the White Sox one-two-three before New York came up to bat and added to their lead. Jorge Posada singled to right field and advanced on a wild pitch from Wells before Shane Spencer doubled into the left-center field gap, scoring the Yankees catcher.
After Mendoza worked another perfect inning, the Yankees found another run in the top of the third thanks to a second Williams single and a Martinez double.
With the Yankees up 4-0, it unfortunately couldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows on the south side. Mendoza gave up his first run after Carlos Lee (the previous night’s ninth-inning hero) and Herbert Perry both singled and a sacrifice bunt pushed them both into scoring position. From there, Ray Durham grounded out but drove in a run to make the score 4-1.
The fourth inning was quiet for both teams on the scoreboard, and the Yankees came back in the top of the fifth and the top of the sixth with a lot of noise, scoring six runs on seven hits to push the score to 10-1, with contributions coming from all across the lineup.
Of course, the 46-26 Pale Hose were not going to go down without a fight, pushing back to within six runs by the bottom of the seventh. And by the bottom of the eighth against three different Yankees relievers — Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, and Rivera himself — they had cut the deficit to three.
But the Yankees added insurance in the top of the ninth thanks to three straight batters finding their way on base — Williams with his fourth hit of the night, Martinez with another hit, and Posada with a walk — and Spencer was hit by a pitch, bringing in one run. The next was on a groundout by Scott Brosius, putting the score at 12-7 before the White Sox worked out of the jam.
Rivera stayed in the game, and despite throwing an uncharacteristic two wild pitches in the bottom of the ninth — including one that scored a run — he was able to shut down the game and avoid more last-minute White Sox heroics. Perry was caught looking and Brook Fordyce flew out to the man of the night to end it, Bernie Williams safely catching the final out in center.
Read the full 2000 Yankees Diary series here.