The 1998 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

side in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

’s (MLB) 1998 postseason, began on Tuesday, September 29, and ended on Saturday, October 3, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. The teams were: *(1)

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

(Eastern Division champion, 114–48) vs. (3) Texas Rangers (Western Division champion, 88–74): Yankees win series, 3–0. *(2)

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

(Central Division champion, 89–73) vs. (4)

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

(Wild Card, 92–70): Indians win series, 3–1. The New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Yankees became the American League champion and defeated the National League champion

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

in the

1998 World Series The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National ...

Matchups

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers

Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox

New York vs. Texas

Game 1

Yankee Stadium (I) in

Bronx, New York The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Scott Brosius Scott David Brosius (born August 15, 1966) is an American former professional baseball third baseman for the Oakland Athletics (–) and the New York Yankees (–) of Major League Baseball (MLB) who is the athletic director at Linfield U ...

was the hero of Game 1, as

Todd Stottlemyre Todd Vernon Stottlemyre (born May 20, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a starting pitcher from to , most notably as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays with whom he won ...

faced

David Wells David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Boomer", Wells was considered on ...

. In the bottom of the second, innings Stottlemyre yielded two runs when Brosius singled in

Jorge Posada Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...

after

Chad Curtis Chad David Curtis (born November 6, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Curtis played in Major League Baseball from 1992 to 2001 for the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New Yor ...

doubled and Curtis scored when

Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles Knoblauch (; born July 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 through 2002, for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He playe ...

struck out and Brosius was caught stealing. Stottlemyre pitched a complete game in a losing effort. David Wells and

Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...

limited the loaded Texas lineup, which had scored 940 runs in 1998, to only five hits.

Game 2

Yankee Stadium (I) in

Rick Helling Ricky Allen Helling (born December 15, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. Early life and college Helling attended Lakota High School in Lakota, North Dakota for three years, before graduating from Shanley High School in ...

went against

Andy Pettitte Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...

in Game 2.

Shane Spencer Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played a total of 538 games in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, a ...

started the scoring when he homered in the bottom of the second. Brosius then hit a two-run homer in the Yankees fourth. Texas scored their only run of the series when Juan González doubled and later scored on an

Iván Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 27, 1971), nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Ran ...

single in the fifth inning. Once again, the Rangers were limited to five hits by Pettitte, Jeff Nelson, and Rivera.

Game 3

The Ballpark in Arlington in

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...

The Rangers were once again stymied by the Yankees pitching staff. Twenty-game winner

David Cone David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, and current color commentator for the New York Yankees on the YES Network and Amazon Prime as well as for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball.

faced

Aaron Sele Aaron Helmer Sele (born June 25, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed pitcher. Sele debuted with the Boston Red Sox in 1993. He was traded to the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers after the 1997 season and wa ...

, and both were matching each other pitch-for-pitch into the sixth. Paul O'Neill put the Yankees on top by hitting a home run with one out in the Yankees sixth. Then, with two runners on and two out,

slammed his second home run of the series to make it 4–0. Cone left after a rain delay, but the Yankees' bullpen held Texas in check the rest of the way.

Will Clark William Nuschler Clark Jr. (born March 13, 1964) is an American professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 through 2000. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and ...

grounded out to end the series.

Composite box

1998 ALDS (3–0):

over Texas Rangers

Cleveland vs. Boston

Game 1

Jacobs Field Progressive Field is a baseball stadium in the downtown Cleveland, downtown area of Cleveland, Ohio. It is the ballpark of the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball and, together with Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Rocket Arena, is part of ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

The first of many rough starts for Cleveland pitcher

Jaret Wright Jaret Samuel Wright (born December 29, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of 11 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and Ba ...

in the 1998 postseason was in Game 1. Wright faced

Pedro Martínez Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to . As of 2023, M ...

, and Pedro would get all the run support in the world. After leadoff hits in the first by

Darren Lewis Darren Joel Lewis (born August 28, 1967) is an American former professional baseball player who played center field in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (1990), San Francisco Giants (1991–1995), Cincinnati Reds (1995), Ch ...

and

John Valentin John William Valentin (born February 18, 1967) is an American former shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox from 1992 to 2001, and spent a final season with the New York Mets in 2002. He later ...

Mo Vaughn Maurice Samuel Vaughn (born December 15, 1967), nicknamed "the Hit Dog", is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. He was a three-time All-St ...

slugged a three-run home run to put Boston up for good. In the top of the fifth, with Lewis and Valentin on and one out,

Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, Third ...

also slugged a three-run home run. Jaret's night was done. A one-out single in the top of the sixth by Valentin led to Vaughn's second home run of the game to put Boston up 8–0. Cleveland responded with a two-run home run by

Kenny Lofton Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among ...

in the bottom half of the sixth and a Thome home run in the seventh. Vaughn doubled in two more runs in the eighth as the Red Sox scored three more runs to make the final score 11–3. The win ended a thirteen-game postseason losing streak for the Red Sox dating back to Game 6 of the

1986 World Series The 1986 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1986 Major League Baseball season, 1986 season. The 83rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National Lea ...

Game 2

Dwight Gooden Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), nicknamed "Dr. K" and "Doc", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden pitched from 1984 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2000 for the ...

faced

Tim Wakefield Timothy Stephen Wakefield (August 2, 1966 – October 1, 2023) was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher. Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year ...

in Game 2. The Red Sox scored two runs in a controversial first inning surrounding home plate

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...

Joe Brinkman Joseph Norbert Brinkman (born April 9, 1944) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the American League (AL) from 1972 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 se ...

. After calling all of the first three pitches balls, of which 2 were near the edge of the strike zone, Indians' manager

Mike Hargrove Dudley Michael Hargrove (born October 26, 1949) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and Manager (baseball), manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hargrov ...

expressed his disagreement and was promptly ejected from the game by Brinkman. Later that same inning, with two runners aboard,

doubled off the left-field wall. Darren Lewis scored as

tried to score on a slide.

Omar Vizquel Omar Enrique Vizquel González (; born April 24, 1967), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop. During his 24-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Vizquel played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indi ...

's relay throw appeared to be time to get Valentin, but Brinkman called him safe. Gooden had a meltdown at home plate and had to be restrained by his teammates as he also was ejected. Replays confirmed Valentin was out at the plate. Gooden was replaced by Dave Burba, who promptly retired the next two batters.

David Justice David Christopher Justice (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Ya ...

cut the lead in half by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored Lofton in the Indians first. Then the Indians tied it when

Sandy Alomar Jr. Santos Alomar Velázquez (, ; born June 18, 1966), known as Sandy Alomar Jr., is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher between 1988 and 2007, most notably as a me ...

doubled in

Brian Giles Brian Stephen Giles (born January 20, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star an ...

in the second. After Joey Cora walked, Lofton doubled in Alomar to give the Indians the lead. Wakefield left the game and, with two out, David Justice hit a three-run home run to put the Indians up for good. Garciaparra drove in a run for Boston in the third, but an Alomar double scored

Travis Fryman David Travis Fryman (born March 25, 1969) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians from 1990 to 2002. He is currently a hitting instructor for the C ...

to make it 7–3. The Red Sox came within two in the sixth, but the Indians scored one in the bottom half and one in the eighth on a wild pitch. That made the final score 9–5 Indians.

Game 3

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Charles Nagy Charles Harrison Nagy (born May 5, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from to . He played for the Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres. He served as t ...

faced

Bret Saberhagen Bret William Saberhagen (; born April 11, 1964) is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox fr ...

in the critical Game 3. The Red Sox struck first on an RBI-forceout in the fourth. It didn't take long to respond, as

Jim Thome James Howard Thome (; ; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). A prolific power hitter, Thome ...

led the Indians fifth off with a home run. In the sixth,

homered to put the Indians on top. Then

Manny Ramírez Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

homered in the seventh to give the Indians a 3–1 edge. Manny Ramírez would homer once again in the ninth, this time off

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

. The Red Sox wouldn't go quietly in the bottom of the ninth as Nomar Garciaparra hit a two-run home run to bring the game within one run. However, Mike Jackson retired the next two batters in succession to give the Indians a two games to one lead in the series.

Game 4

Bartolo Colón Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy", is a Dominican American professional baseball pitcher for the Karachi Monarchs of Baseball United. He previously played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland ...

went against Pete Schourek, looking to save the Red Sox. In the fourth,

homered to lead off to put the Red Sox up 1–0, but they would squander the lead for the third consecutive game. In the eighth, with

Tom Gordon Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967), nicknamed "Flash", is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher and current radio color commentator for the Boston Red Sox. Gordon played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kan ...

pitching for Boston,

and

both singled with one out. Justice then doubled to center which scored both Lofton and Vizquel to put the Indians out in front 2–1. Not much happened afterwards, as

Darren Bragg Darren William Bragg (born September 7, 1969) is an American former baseball outfielder who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Seattle Mariners (–), Boston Red Sox (1996–), St. Louis Cardinals (1999), Colorado ...

struck out swinging to end the series.

Composite box

1998 ALDS (3–1):

over

Notes

External links

NYY vs. TEX at Baseball-ReferenceCLE vs. BOS at Baseball-Reference
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