1999 ALDS
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Overview
Going into the 1999 postseason, The Red Sox had not won a post-season series since the 1986 ALCS. In fact, before a Game 1 win in the 1998 ALDS, the Red Sox had lost 13 consecutive post-season games. For the third time in five seasons, the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians squared off in the the divisional series.
- Managers: Jimy Williams (Boston) & Mike Hargrove (Cleveland)
- Venues: Fenway Park (Boston) & Jacobs Field (Cleveland)
Boxscores
Game 1: October 6, 1999 at Jacobs Field
Things looked bleak for Red Sox Nation after Game 1. Staff ace Pedro Martinez, who was coming off a season for the ages, would leave after just four innings due to a back injury. Derek Lowe pitched in relief, giving up 3 runs and was tagged for the loss.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Cleveland Indians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| W: Paul Shuey (1-0) L: Derek Lowe (0-1) S: None | ||||||||||||
| HR: BOS: Nomar Garciaparra (1) CLE: Jim Thome (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 2: October 7, 1999 at Jacobs Field
Starter Bret Saberhagen and the Red Sox took an early 1-0 on the Tribe in Game 2, only to have the Indians score 6 in the bottom of the inning, and another 5 in the following inning. The Indians cruised the rest of the way to a demoralizing 11-1 victory.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Cleveland Indians | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| W: Charles Nagy (1-0) L: Bret Saberhagen (0-1) S: None | ||||||||||||
| HR: BOS: None CLE: Harold Baines (1), Jim Thome (2) | ||||||||||||
Game 3: October 9, 1999 at Fenway Park
The Red Sox returned home to Fenway Park for Game 3, one game from elimination and their hopes resting on oft-injured Ramon Martinez, who hoped to give his brother another chance to pitch in the series. The Indians would strike first, but the Red Sox bats finally woke up in the late innings. The Red Sox would score 6 runs in the 7th, led by a Brian Daubach 3-run shot off Indians reliever Ricardo Rincon on their way to a 9-3 victory. The Red Sox were alive for another day.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Indians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| Boston Red Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | X | 9 | 11 | 2 |
| W: Derek Lowe (1-1) L: Jaret Wright (0-1) S: None | ||||||||||||
| HR: CLE: None BOS: Brian Daubach (1), John Valentin (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 4: October 10, 1999 at Fenway Park
Game 4 began with the Fenway Faithful hoping that a victory could send the series back to Cleveland for Game 5, and maybe ace Pedro Martinez might have a shot to return in Game 5. Though the mood may have been optimistic, fans certainly could not have forecast the drubbing the Sox would hand Cleveland ace Bartolo Colon. Cleveland would lead for the first and only time in the game, scoring a run in the top of the first. The Red Sox would score in all but one inning, and the Sox sent the series to a deciding 5th game with a record-setting 23-7 victory.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Indians | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
| Boston Red Sox | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | X | 23 | 24 | 0 |
| W: Rich Garces (1-0) L: Bartolo Colon (0-1) S: None | ||||||||||||
| HR: CLE: Wil Cordero (1) BOS: Jose Offerman (1), John Valentin 2 (3), Jason Varitek (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 5: October 11, 1999 at Jacobs Field
Game 5 would be epic. The Red Sox sent veteran Bret Saberhagen to the hill as ace Pedro Martinez was not healthy enough to start. With Mike Hargrove having rushed Bartolo Colon back on three days rest for Game 4, the Indians hopes rested on Charles Nagy. It would start out as a slugfest, with the Sox jumping out to a 2-0 lead on Nomar Garciaparra's second home run of the series. However, Cleveland's Jim Thome answered back with a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the inning, and the offensive fireworks began. Boston was trailing 5-2 going into the 3rd, when Troy O'Leary would turn in the most memorable performance of his career. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, the Indians chose to intentionally walk Garciaparra in order to pitch to O'Leary. With the bases loaded and 1 out, O'Leary would hit the first grand slam in Red Sox postseason history to put the Red Sox ahead. Thome would strike again, homering for the second time in the game to put Cleveland back on top. Boston would tie it in the top of the 4th, setting the stage for Pedro Martinez to become a legend (if he wasn't considered one already). Two days after being unable to throw at all, Martinez made a surprise relief appearance. Pedro came out of the bullpen trying to lead Boston to its first post-season series win in thirteen years. Martinez stifled the potent Indians lineup with 6 no-hit innings of relief. Troy O'Leary would homer for the second time in the game following an intentional walk to Nomar Garciaparra, this time a 3-run shot in the 7th to seal the victory and send the Red Sox to the 1999 ALCS against the New York Yankees.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 0 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| W: Pedro Martinez (1-0) L: Paul Shuey (1-1) S: None | ||||||||||||
| HR: BOS: Nomar Garciaparra (2), Troy O'Leary 2 (2) CLE: Jim Thome 2 (4), Travis Fryman (1) | ||||||||||||
Quotes
- "Once I got in. That's all I needed. I wouldn't come out. I wasn't going to let go. I wasn't going to." - Pedro Martinez
- "He couldn't even pick up a ball two days ago, and was almost in tears. He's just the most unbelievable pitcher I've ever seen." - Bret Saberhagen
