1999 American League Division Series
Teams
Team (Wins) Manager Season New York Yankees (3) Joe Torre 98–64, .605, GA: 4 Texas Rangers (0) Johnny Oates 95–67, .586, GA: 8
Dates	October 5 – 9
Television	NBC (Games 1, 3) Fox (Game 2)
TV announcers	Bob Costas andJoe Morgan (Games 1, 3) Thom Brennaman andBob Brenly (Game 2)
Radio	ESPN
Teams
Team (Wins) Manager Season Boston Red Sox (3) Jimy Williams 94–68, .580, GB: 4 Cleveland Indians (2) Mike Hargrove 97–65, .599, GA:21+1⁄2
Dates	October 6 – 11
Television	Fox (Games 1, 3-5) ESPN (Game 2)
TV announcers	Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Games 1, 5), andBob Brenly (Game 5) Jon Miller andJoe Morgan (Game 2) Thom Brennaman andBob Brenly (in Boston)
Radio	ESPN
Radio announcers	Ernie Harwell andDave Campbell
Umpires	Jim Joyce,Chuck Meriwether,Tim Welke,Jim McKean,John Shulock,Durwood Merrill (Yankees–Rangers, Games 1–2; Indians–Red Sox, Games 3–5) Rocky Roe,Larry Young,John Hirschbeck,Joe Brinkman,Mike Reilly,Derryl Cousins (Indians–Red Sox, Games 1–2; Yankees–Rangers, Game 3)
← 1998 ALDS 2000 →

The1999 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of theAmerican League side inMajor League Baseball’s (MLB)1999 postseason, began on Tuesday, October 5, and ended on Monday, October 11, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. The teams, which were identical to those qualifying in1998, were:

• (1)New York Yankees (Eastern Division champion, 98–64) vs. (3)Texas Rangers (Western Division champion, 95–67): Yankees win the series, 3–0.
• (2)Cleveland Indians (Central Division champion, 97–65) vs. (4)Boston Red Sox (Wild Card, 94–68): Red Sox win the series, 3–2.

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The Yankees rolled over the Rangers, who scored 945 runs in 1999, for the second straight year three games to none, conceding only one run total in the series also for the second year in a row. The Red Sox battled back down two games to none against a Cleveland Indians team that was the first to score 1,000 runs in a season in nearly 50 years and won the Series three games to two, thanks toPedro Martínez. The Yankees would go on to defeat the Red Sox four games to one in their first-ever meeting in the postseason in theAL Championship Series, and would then go on to sweep theNational League championAtlanta Braves in the1999 World Series.

New York won the series, 3–0.

Boston won the series, 3–2.

Yankee Stadium (I) inBronx, New York

The Yankees once again swept the Rangers and held them to one run through three games. In Game 1,Aaron Sele went againstOrlando Hernández.Ricky Ledee's RBI double in the second innings put the Yankees up 1–0. In the fifth, inningsDerek Jeter andPaul O'Neill hit back-to-back two-out doubles before both scored on theBernie Williams's double. Next inning, Ledee and Jeter walked off Sele and the relieverTim Crabtree respectively before Texas third basemanTodd Zeile's error on O'Neill's ground ball allowed Ledee to score offMike Venafro before Williams's three-run home run made it 7–0. Williams got his sixth innings RBI of this game with a single in the eighth offJeff Fassero that scoredChuck Knoblauch.Jeff Nelson relieved Hernandez in the ninth.inning and pitched a scoreless inning to seal the Yankees' 8–0 win.

Yankee Stadium (I) inBronx, New York

In Game 2,Rick Helling went againstAndy Pettitte.Juan González gave the Rangers the lead with a home run in the fourth. This would be the lone run in the series for the Rangers, who scored 945 runs in 1999.Scott Brosius's double tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.Ricky Ledée's RBI double gave the Yankees the lead in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, the Yanks got an insurance run whenMike Venafro walkedJim Leyritz with the bases loaded, scoringChad Curtis.Mariano Rivera retired the side in order for the Game 2 save.

The Ballpark in Arlington inArlington, Texas

In Game 3, the Yankees took an early lead whenDarryl Strawberry hit a three-run home run offEsteban Loaiza in the first inning.Roger Clemens pitched seven innings and allowed only three hits. Mariano Rivera got the series-winning save in the ninth inning. For the second consecutive year, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Rangers while holding them to one run of offense in the series.

1999 ALDS(3–0):New York Yankees overTexas Rangers

Jacobs Field inCleveland, Ohio

Boston jumped out to an early 1–0 lead with a lead-off home run byNomar Garciaparra in the second inning off Indians' starterBartolo Colón. Garciaparra set up the second run for the Red Sox when he led off the fourth inning with a double and then scored on an RBI single byMike Stanley. Facing Cy Young Award winnerPedro Martínez, the Indians looked to be in serious trouble, but the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff left the game due to injury in the bottom of the fifth inning and was replaced byDerek Lowe. The Indians would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run byJim Thome, and Colón settled down and dominated the Red Sox hitters the rest of the way, striking out 11 in eight innings pitched. In the bottom of the ninth, the Indians handed Lowe a "L", walking the game off whenTravis Fryman hit a game-winning single offRich Garces with the bases loaded.

Jacobs Field inCleveland, Ohio

In Game 2, the Red Sox blew another lead. BehindBret Saberhagen, the Red Sox built a 1–0 lead whenJosé Offerman singled homeTrot Nixon in the third off Indians starterCharles Nagy. Nagy allowed only this run over seven strong innings. The Indians struck back and essentially put the game away in the bottom half.Omar Vizquel gave the Indians the lead when he tripled homeSandy Alomar Jr. andKenny Lofton.Roberto Alomar doubled Vizquel home, and, after an out and aJim Thome walk,Harold Baines hit a three-run home run to make it 6–1. That marked the end for Saberhagen. Next inning, the Indians loaded the bases offJohn Wasdin on two walks and a hit when Alomar's sacrifice fly scoredTravis Fryman. After a walk re-loaded the bases, Thome's grand slam capped the scoring at 11–1 Indians, who were now one win away from the ALCS for the third straight year.

Fenway Park inBoston, Massachusetts

When the series shifted toFenway Park, so did the momentum. The Indians, too, would lose a starting pitcher to injury and blow a lead in Game 3. They struck first on aDavid Justice sacrifice fly offRamón Martínez in the fourth, but, after shutting out the Red Sox for four innings, starting pitcherDave Burba left with a strained forearm. Mike Hargrove chose to insert projected Game 4 starterJaret Wright instead of rookie middle relieverSean DePaula. The Red Sox quickly took the lead off Wright in the fifth on aDarren Lewis single andTrot Nixon sacrifice fly.Harold Baines's force out with runners on the corners tied the game in the sixth for the Indians. A lead-off home run byJohn Valentin untied the score for the Red Sox in the bottom of the sixth, but his error onManny Ramirez's groundout with runners on first and third tied it back 3–3 in the top of the seventh. After Wright walked Merloni and hitJason Varitek,Ricardo Rincón came on and got two outs, then Offerman walked to load the bases, John Valentin became the hero again with a double that scored Varitek and Lewis.Brian Daubach then hit a three-run home run to make it 8–3.Sean DePaula relieved Rincon and allowed a walk and single beforeLou Merloni's RBI single made it 9–3.Derek Lowe earned the win2+1⁄3 innings of relief whileRod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory.

Fenway Park inBoston, Massachusetts

Because presumed starter Jaret Wright had been used in relief the previous day, and no emergency starter had been included on the playoff roster, the Indians felt forced to start Bartolo Colón on three days' rest for the first time in his career, even though he had gone eight innings in cold weather in the first game. This time, he was not up to the challenge. Neither he nor the thin bullpen behind him could stop the barrage of Red Sox runs. Colón himself was hammered for seven runs in one-plus innings pitched, and relieverSteve Reed was tagged for eight. The Indians struck in the top of the first:Kenny Lofton hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored onRoberto Alomar's groundout off Red Sox starterKent Mercker, but in the bottom of the inning,John Valentin's two-run home run after a leadoff walk put the Red Sox up 2–1. The Indians tied the game in the second onSandy Alomar's sacrifice fly off Mercker, who was taken out after just1+2⁄3 innings and relieved byRich Garces. In the bottom of the inning, three consecutive singles put the Red Sox back in front, thenTrot Nixon's double scored two.José Offerman's two-run home run knocked Colón out of the game. Next inning, Nixon's sacrifice fly with runners on first and third put the Red Sox up 8–2, then Valentine's second home run of the game increased the lead to 10–2. Next inning,Jason Varitek's RBI double with two on made it 11–2 Red Sox. After Nixon walked with two outs to load the bases, Offerman's single scored one, then Valentin's double cleared the bases, making the score 15–2. Valentine went 4 for 5 with 7 RBIs. In the top of the fifth, Cleveland responded against Tim Wakefield. With runners on first and third,Wil Cordero andRichie Sexson hit back-to-back RBI singles; afterJim Thome walked to load the bases,John Wasdin relieved Wakefield, who faced 4 hitters and retired none, and allowed a sacrifice fly toTravis Fryman, then walked Sandy Alomar to reload the bases.Rhéal Cormier relieved Wasdin and walked Lofton to force in another run before striking outOmar Vizquel andRoberto Alomar to end the inning, the score now 15–6. In the bottom half,Mike Stanley hit an RBI triple before Varitek's two-run home run made it 18–6. In the seventh, Nixon's double offPaul Assenmacher scored two before Nixon scored on Offerman's single. In the eighth, pitcherPaul Shuey allowed a walk and subsequent double beforeScott Hatteberg's RBI single made it 22–6 Red Sox, Shuey then walked two to force in the Red Sox's last run while the Indians scored their last run of the game on aWil Cordero home run in the ninth offTom Gordon. The Red Sox's 23–7 blowout forced a Game 5 in Cleveland. The 23 runs scored by the Red Sox were, and still remain, an MLB record for most runs scored by one team in a single postseason game.

Jacobs Field inCleveland, Ohio

In Game 5,Charles Nagy started for Cleveland andBret Saberhagen started for Boston, both on only three days' rest. In the top of the first inning,Brian Daubach singled with two outs beforeNomar Garciaparra homered to put the Red Sox up 2–0, but in the bottom of the inning,Kenny Lofton drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and scored onOmar Vizquel's double. Two outs later,Jim Thome's home run put the Indians up 3–2. Next inning,Wil Cordero hit a leadoff single beforeTravis Fryman's two-run home run made it 5–2 Indians and knocked Saberhagen out of the game. In the third, however, the Red Sox struck back.Trot Nixon walked to lead off and went to third onJose Offerman's single.John Valentin's force-out cut the Indians' lead to 5–3 with Offerman out at second. After Nagy allowed a double from Daubach and intentionally walked Garciaparra to load the bases,Troy O'Leary's grand slam put the Red Sox up 7–5. In the bottom of the inning,Roberto Alomar andManny Ramirez hit back-to-back leadoff doubles offDerek Lowe before Thome's second home run of the game put the Indians back on top 8–7. The Red Sox, though, tied the game in the fourth on Valentin's sacrifice fly offSean DePaula with the run charged to Nagy.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Red Sox manager Jimy Williams opted to replace Derek Lowe with the ailingPedro Martínez, who had left Game 1 with a back injury. This decision proved wise, as Pedro pitched spectacularly, throwing six hitless innings, striking out eight and walking three. Rookie relieverSean DePaula, whom Hargrove had refused to use in Game 3 when it mattered and compromised his rotation as a result, matched Pedro for three innings and also holding the Red Sox hitless with two walks. Despite his mastery of the Sox, which since the middle of Game 3 had not been achieved by Cleveland pitchers, Hargrove removed him and opted to use inconsistent setup manPaul Shuey for the seventh inning. Shuey had won Game 1, but allowed two runs in the previous night's blowout loss in a 39-pitch effort. The Red Sox would then take the lead when Valentin hit an infield single and advanced to second on a Daubach groundout. the Indians then decided to intentionally walkNomar Garciaparra, and then took the lead for good when the next batter, O'Leary, crushed a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw off Shuey. The Sox added another run in the ninth offMichael Jackson when Daubach and Garciaparra hit back-to-back one-out doubles to score pinch runnerDonnie Sadler, who ran for Daubach. They won the game 12–8 to clinch the series, after the conclusion of which Mike Hargrove was dismissed as Cleveland manager.

With the win, the Red Sox won their first playoff series since the1986 ALCS.

1999 ALDS(3–2):Boston Red Sox overCleveland Indians

• 2007 American League Championship Series – a similar collapse by the Indians against the Red Sox
• 2016 World Series – a collapse by the Indians against the Cubs
• 2017 American League Division Series – another 0–2 collapse by the Indians, against the Yankees

• Doyle, Ricky (August 14, 2014)."Pedro Martinez: 'I Put My Career In Jeopardy' In Game 5 Of 1999 ALDS".NESN. RetrievedOctober 11, 2018.
• Garro, Adrian (October 9, 2018)."Tough-as-nails Pedro Martinez shook off a back injury and fired six no-hit innings in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS".MLB.com. RetrievedOctober 11, 2018.

• NYY vs. TEX at Baseball-Reference
• BOS vs. CLE at Baseball-Reference
• 1999 Boston Red Sox Division Series Program

• American League Division Series
• 1999 Major League Baseball season
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