1999 American League Division Series

The 1999 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 1999 American League playoffs, 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 in 1998, were:


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

''The higher seed (in parentheses) had the home field advantage (Games 1, 2 and 5 at home), which was determined by playing record. The Yankees played the Rangers, rather than the wild card Red Sox, because the Yankees and Red Sox are in the same division.''

The Yankees rolled over the Rangers, who scored 945 runs in 1999, for the second straight year three games to none. 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 to Pedro Martínez. The Yankees would go on to defeat the Red Sox four games to one in their first-ever meeting in the postseason in the AL Championship Series, and would then go on to sweep the National League champion Atlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series.

Game 1, October 5
Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York

The Yankees once again swept the Rangers and held them to one run through three games. In Game 1, Aaron Sele went against Orlando Hernández. Bernie Williams was the center of attention in Game 1, doubling in two runs in the fifth and hitting a three-run home run in the sixth.

Game 2, October 7
Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York

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

Game 3, October 9
The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas

In Game 3, the Yankees took an early lead when Darryl Strawberry hit a three-run home run off Esteban 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.

Composite box
1999 ALDS (3–0): New York Yankees over Texas Rangers

Game 1, October 6
Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Boston jumped out to an early 1–0 lead with a lead off home run by Nomar Garciaparra in the second inning off Indians' starter Bartolo Colón. Garciaparra helped score the second run for the Red Sox when he led off the fourth inning with a double and then scored on an RBI single by Mike Stanley. Facing Cy Young award winner Pedro 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 by Derek Lowe. The Indians would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run by Jim Thome, and Colon settled down and dominated the Red Sox hitters the rest of the way, striking out eleven in eight innings pitched. In the bottom of the ninth, the Indians walked the game off when Travis Fryman hit the game-winning single off Rich Garces with the bases loaded.

Game 2, October 7
Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

In Game 2, the Red Sox blew another lead. Behind Bret Saberhagen, the Red Sox built a 1–0 lead by singling home Trot Nixon in the third off Indians starter Charles Nagy. But the Indians struck back and put the game away in the bottom half. Omar Vizquel gave the Indians the lead when he tripled home Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Kenny Lofton. Roberto Alomar doubled Vizquel home, and, after an out and a Jim Thome walk, Harold Baines hit a three-run home run to make it 6–1 Indians. That marked the end for Saberhagen. The Indians added five more in the fourth with a Roberto Alomar sac fly and a Jim Thome grand slam to give the Indians an 11–1 victory in Game 2.

Game 3, October 9
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts

When the series shifted to Fenway 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 a David Justice sac fly off Ramón Martínez in the fourth. But after shutting out the Red Sox for four innings, starting pitcher Dave Burba left with a strained forearm. Mike Hargrove chose to insert presumed Game 4 starter Jaret Wright instead of rookie middle reliever Sean DePaula. The Red Sox quickly took the lead off Wright in the fifth on a single and sac fly. A force out with runners on the corners tied the game in the sixth for the Indians. But a lead off home run by John Valentin untied the score for the Red Sox in the bottom of the sixth. An error by Valentin, who gave the Red Sox the lead in the inning prior, made the score 3–3 in the top of the seventh. After Wright walked Merloni and hit Jason Varitek, Ricardo Rincón came on to stem the tide. When 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 Red Sox. The Red Sox would add one more run to give themselves a 9–3 victory.

Game 4, October 10
Fenway Park in Boston, 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 had forced themselves 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 reliever Steve Reed was tagged for eight. The Sox drove in 23 runs total in the game, and it was never close after the second inning.

Game 5, October 11
Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

In Game 5, Charles Nagy started for Cleveland and Bret Saberhagen started for Boston, both on only three days rest. Boston jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the top of the first inning, but Cleveland responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the innings. The hitting would continue impressively, knocking Saberhagen out of the game after only one inning pitched and five runs allowed, and Nagy out of the game after only three innings pitched and eight runs allowed.

Going into the fourth inning, manager Jimy Williams opted to replace Derek Lowe with the ailing Pedro Martínez, who had left Game 1 with a back injury. This decision would prove to be wise, as Pedro pitched spectacularly, throwing six hitless innings, striking out eight and walking three. Rookie reliever Sean 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. Despite his mastery of the Sox, which since the middle of Game 3 had been rare for Cleveland pitchers, Hargrove removed him and opted to use inconsistent set-up man Paul Shuey for the seventh inning. The Red Sox would then take the lead on the back of a Troy O'Leary three-run home run after an intentional walk of Nomar Garciaparra, and the Red Sox went on to win the game 12–8, and the series three games to two. Mike Hargrove was dismissed as Cleveland manager following the conclusion of the series.

Composite box
1999 ALDS (3–2): Boston Red Sox over Cleveland Indians

Series quotes
"Down two games to none the Boston Red Sox have come STORMING BACK! AND THEY ARE IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES! NO HITS ALLOWED BY PEDRO MARTINEZ!"

- Joe Buck, calling the final out.