October 9th, 1996
American League Championship Series,
Game 1
Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium, New York
In
1995, the New York Yankees won the American League’s first ever Wild Card,
clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 1981. They had taken a two
games to none lead over the Seattle Mariners in the best-of-five American
League Division Series, only to lose three straight. In fact, they had blown an
eleventh-inning lead in the fifth game thanks to a game-winning double by
Seattle’s Edgar Martinez.
As
the 1996 regular season came to a close, the Yankees had captured the American
League East Championship. As they attempted to win their first World Series
since 1978, they eliminated the Texas Rangers in the ALDS three games to one
and would now play the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS. Baltimore was making
their first postseason appearance since their last World Championship in 1983.
Baltimore,
who had finished four games behind New York in the A.L. East and had won the
wild card spot, would put Scott Erickson on the mound for the first game.
Erickson had been a member of the 1991 World Champion Minnesota Twins. The
Yankees would counter with Andy Pettitte, who had won 21 games during the
season.
While
this game would be remembered most for a controversial play in the eighth
inning, it was an exciting game from start to finish. In front of 56,495 fans
at The Stadium, the Yankees drew first blood in the bottom of the first.
Left-fielder Tim Raines led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out
by Wade Boggs and scored on a ground out by Bernie Williams.
In
the top of the second, an RBI groundout by Baltimore’s Eddie Murray tied the
score. And in keeping with the theme, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the bottom
of the second on (guess what?) an RBI groundout by Jim Leyritz. Finally,
Baltimore was the first team to score via the long ball as Brady Anderson
slammed a solo home run over the right field wall in the third inning. The
score was tied at two.
An
inning later, another solo shot, this time by Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro gave
the O’s the lead, 3-2. In the sixth, a sacrifice fly by B.J. Surhoff extended
the lead to 4-2.
In
the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees closed the gap to 4-3 when Darryl
Strawberry walked with the bases loaded. That set the stage for the most
controversial play of the postseason in the bottom of the eighth.
The
Orioles brought in relief pitcher Armando Benitez and he struck out Leyritz to
start the inning. Next up was rookie shortstop Derek Jeter. On the first pitch
of the at bat, Jeter hit a fly ball to the opposite field. As the crowd rose in
anticipation of the game-tying home run, Oriole outfielder Tony Tarasco glided
back to the wall and looked as if he would make the catch. But a fan reached
over the wall in an attempt to catch the ball. The ball deflected off the fan’s
glove and landed past the wall for a game-tying home run.
Baltimore
argued that fan interference should have been called and Jeter should be out.
But right field umpire, Rich Garcia, never saw the interference and the call
stood. If the same thing happened today with instant replay, Jeter would have
been called out as the video footage clearly showed the fan reaching over the
wall.
The
game remained tied at four as neither team managed to score in the ninth or the
tenth. Finally, leading off the bottom of the eleventh, Yankee centre-fielder
Bernie Williams smashed a 1-1 pitch from Oriole closer Randy Myers down the
left field line and over the fence for the game-winning, walk-off home run.
The
Yankees had taken advantage of a bad call and had won the first game of the
ALCS. They would go on to knock out Baltimore in five games and advance to
their first World Series in 15 years.
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