1996 American League Division Series

Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees

Game 1, October 1

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...

in Baltimore, Maryland
It was Baltimore's first playoff game since the clinching Game 5 of the 1983 World Series

1983 World Series

-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....

. For the Indians, it was their second consecutive division title. Charles Nagy

Charles Nagy

Charles Harrison Nagy is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from to , mostly with the Cleveland Indians, and currently serves as the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Early life and amateur career:Nagy...

and David Wells

David Wells

David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...

matched each other, but in the wrong way. Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

's leadoff homer in the bottom of the first gave the Orioles a 1–0 lead. In the top of the second, Manny Ramírez

Manny Ramírez

Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...

led off with a homer of his own to tie the game. Then B.J. Surhoff

B.J. Surhoff

William James "B. J." Surhoff is a former catcher, outfielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except pitcher...

's one-out homer gave the Orioles the lead back. In the third, the Orioles added two more runs on an RBI double by Rafael Palmeiro

Rafael Palmeiro

Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...

and an RBI single by Cal Ripken Jr. But Sandy Alomar Jr. would single home a run and Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel

Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...

would follow with a sac fly that made it a one-run game in the fourth. That made it 4–3 and the Orioles needed to put the game away. With one out in the sixth, the Orioles loaded the bases and chased Nagy out of the game. But his reliever, Alan Embree

Alan Embree

Alan Duane Embree is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Previously, Embree played with the Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , Arizona Diamondbacks , San Francisco Giants , Chicago White Sox , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox , New York...

, made things worse for Cleveland. He allowed a sac fly that made it 5–3, then hit Palmeiro. With the bases loaded, Bobby Bonilla

Bobby Bonilla

Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:...

got his only hit of the game: a grand slam which made it 9–3 Orioles. The Indians would threaten in the next two innings but it was all too late. Surhoff would hit another homer in the seventh to seal the deal and the Orioles won their first postseason game in thirteen years.

Game 2, October 2

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

in Baltimore, Maryland
After a 37 minute rain delay, Game 2 commensed. Veterans Orel Hershiser

Orel Hershiser

Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...

and Scott Erickson

Scott Erickson

Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...

met in this crucial game for the Indians. In the bottom of the first, Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Lee Seitzer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians.-Career:...

's error gave the Orioles the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, a Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

homer, a Cal Ripken Jr. single, and an Eddie Murray

Eddie Murray

Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...

double made it 4–0. But the Indians rallied for three runs in the sixth on a groundout by Seitzer and a two-out, two-run homer by Albert Belle

Albert Belle

Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...

. In the eighth, a misjudged fly ball by Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

led to the Indians tying the game at four. But in the bottom of the eighth, the Orioles got three runs on a groundout, a sac fly, and an RBI hit by Roberto Alomar

Roberto Alomar

Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...

. In the ninth, Randy Myers

Randy Myers

Randall Kirk Myers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-1998 for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Career:Myers first began his major league career with...

had a 1–2–3 inning for the save.

Game 3, October 4

Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

Game 3 was critical with Cleveland facing elimination. Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina

Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....

was sent to the mound against Jack McDowell

Jack McDowell

Jack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."...

to try to end the series in Cleveland. The Indians scored first thanks to an error by Bobby Bonilla

Bobby Bonilla

. In the top of the second, the Orioles managed to load the bases and force home a run when McDowell hit Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

with a pitch. But a Manny Ramírez

Manny Ramírez

homer and an RBI double by Jose Vizcaino

José Vizcaíno

José Luis Vizcaíno Pimental is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a backup infielder for most of his MLB career. In , he played a significant role with the Chicago Cubs, having 551 at-bats and being 9th in the National League with 131 singles as well as second in the NL with 9 sacrifice...

made it 3–1 in the bottom half. In the top of the fourth, B.J. Surhoff

B.J. Surhoff

silenced the crowd with a towering three-run homer that gave the Orioles their first lead of the night. But Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Lee Seitzer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians.-Career:...

would deliver the game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the seventh when Albert Belle

Albert Belle

Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...

unleashed a grand slam that broke the game wide open. The Indians added another run on another RBI hit by Seitzer to ensure a Game 4.

Game 4, October 5

Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Game 4 saw a rematch of Game 1: David Wells

David Wells

vs. Charles Nagy

Charles Nagy

. In the top of the second, back-to-back homers by Rafael Palmeiro

Rafael Palmeiro

and Bobby Bonilla

Bobby Bonilla

to lead off the inning gave the Orioles a 2–0 lead. But Sandy Alomar Jr.'s two-run single tied the game in the fourth. In the fifth, the Indians broke the tie with an RBI hit by Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel

. The bats on both sides were now silenced for the first time in the series. In the top of the ninth, Jose Mesa

José Mesa

José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....

came on in a save situation and looked to extend the series to a deciding Game 5. However, the Orioles threatened and managed to tie the game with one out left to go. The score was tied 3–3 and it looked like the Indians might win the game in the bottom half with two runners in scoring position and two out for Kenny Lofton

Kenny Lofton

Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...

. But he struck out to force extra innings. In the top of the twelfth, the Orioles recaptured the lead when Roberto Alomar

Roberto Alomar

(who ironically would play for Cleveland later in his career) hit the go-ahead home run. Randy Myers

Randy Myers

would finish off the Indians and send the Orioles to the 1996 American League Championship Series

1996 American League Championship Series

-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...

Composite box

1996 ALDS (3–1): Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

over Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

Game 1, October 1

Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
This was the Rangers' first ever postseason game. And in their first playoff game, John Burkett

John Burkett

John David Burkett is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He compiled 166 wins, 1,766 strikeouts, and a 4.31 earned run average. He pitched from 1987–2003, with the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. His best season came in 1993 when he...

faced David Cone

David Cone

David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...

. The Yankees would get a run in the first on a groundout by Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams

Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...

. But the Yankees' luck would run out in the fourth. Juan González smashed a three-run homer to give the Rangers a 3–1 lead. Later in the inning, Dean Palmer

Dean Palmer

Dean William Palmer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1989 to 2003...

's two-run shot made it 5–1. The Yankees would get a run in the bottom half on Mariano Duncan

Mariano Duncan

Mariano Duncan Nalasco is a retired second baseman and shortstop who played for several Major League Baseball teams during his 12 year career. He was the infield coach and 1st base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers under Managers Grady Little and Joe Torre...

's RBI hit but they would get no more. The Rangers added an insurance run in the sixth on Mark McLemore

Mark McLemore

Mark Tremell McLemore is a former second baseman and utility player in Major League Baseball....

's RBI single. Burkett would go the distance for the win. He would allow only two runs despite giving up ten hits.

The Rangers' win in Game 1 was their first postseason win in franchise history. They proceeded to lose the rest of the series to the Yankees, and did not win another postseason game until their pennant season of 2010

2010 American League Championship Series

The 2010 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven game series pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The American League wild card-winning New York Yankees faced the American League Western Division champions Texas...

, when they won Game 1 of the ALDS

2010 American League Division Series

The 2010 American League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team played in two series from October 6 to October 12...

Game 2, October 2

Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
Game 2 proved memorable as Ken Hill

Ken Hill (baseball)

Kenneth Wade Hill is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 14-year career, he pitched from 1988-2001 for seven different teams. He pitched in the 1995 World Series as a member of the Cleveland Indians. He also appeared in the 1994 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers...

faced 21-game winner Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte

Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...

. In the top of the second, Juan González's second homer of the series gave the Rangers a 1–0 edge. But a pair of defensive double clutches allowed the Yankees to tie the game in the bottom half on Jim Leyritz

Jim Leyritz

James Joseph Leyritz is a former catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball.-Early years:Leyritz attended Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Middle Georgia Jr...

's forceout. In the third, González hit his third homer of the series, this time a towering three-run shot, to give the Rangers a 4–1 lead. With the Yankees behind once again and the Rangers looking like the better team, they would chip away at their lead. Cecil Fielder

Cecil Fielder

Cecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians...

's solo shot in the fourth gave the Yankees hope. With the score 4–2 until the seventh, time was running out. But Charlie Hayes

Charlie Hayes

Charles Dewayne Hayes is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , Colorado Rockies , Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros...

lifted a sac fly to make it a one-run game. In the eighth, the Yankees were five outs away from losing when Fielder tied the game with an RBI hit. The game moved to extra innings and the Rangers blew scoring opportunities in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth innings. They would put their leadoff men on but get nothing. In the twelfth, the Yankees put their first two men on when Hayes laid down a sacrifice bunt. But Dean Palmer

Dean Palmer

Dean William Palmer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1989 to 2003...

made an error on that bunt down the third base line and Jeter managed to score all the way from second base on it and the Yankees walked off in dramatic fashion.

Game 3, October 4

The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas

Arlington, Texas

Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...

Game 3 saw Jimmy Key

Jimmy Key

James Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...

face Darren Oliver

Darren Oliver

Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...

. In the first, Oliver gave up a solo shot to Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams

Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...

. That's all the Yankees would be able to muster as Oliver began to settle in. In the bottom of the fourth, Juan González's fourth homer in three games tied the game and earned him the reputation of "Señor October." Then in the fifth, Iván Rodríguez

Iván Rodríguez

Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...

's RBI double gave the Rangers a 2–1 edge. Oliver, along with the Rangers' bullpen, kept the Yankees scoreless until the ninth. The Yankees rallied to tie the game on Williams' sac fly and later in the inning they would take the lead on Mariano Duncan

Mariano Duncan

's RBI single. In the ninth, the Rangers put their leadoff man on with a walk. He would advance to third on a sacrifice and a groundout. That put the tying run 90 feet away and the winning run at the plate. But John Wetteland

John Wetteland

John Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who specialized as a closer. During a 12-year career , he pitched for four different teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.-Playing career:Wetteland was signed by the Dodgers as their second...

got Darryl Hamilton

Darryl Hamilton

Darryl Quinn Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants , Colorado Rockies and New York Mets . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

to strike out to end the game.

Game 4, October 5

The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas

Arlington, Texas

Kenny Rogers faced Bobby Witt

Bobby Witt

Robert Andrew Witt was a pitcher for the Major League Baseball Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks....

in the potential clincher. Rogers pitched a scoreless first but in the second the Rangers struck for two on RBI hits by Mickey Tettleton

Mickey Tettleton

Mickey Lee Tettleton , is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers...

and Iván Rodríguez

Iván Rodríguez

Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...

. In the third, Rogers was replaced by Brian Boehringer

Brian Boehringer

Brian Edward Boehringer is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , and Pittsburgh Pirates . He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was drafted in the tenth round of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros, but...

. Juan González led off the inning with his fifth homer of the series to make it 3–0. Then an error by Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter

Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...

led to another Texas run later in the inning. The Rangers had built a commanding 4–0 lead. But in the top of the fourth, the Yankees scored three runs on two RBI hits and a forceout. Witt's night was also through. In the fifth, the Yankees tied the game at four when Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams

Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...

hit a leadoff homer. In the seventh, the Yankees completed a four-run comeback by taking the lead on Cecil Fielder

Cecil Fielder

's RBI single. In the ninth, Williams once again provided insurance by hitting his second homer of the game. That made it 6–4 Yankees. In the bottom half, the Rangers put the tying runs on against John Wetteland

John Wetteland

. But he got Will Clark

Will Clark

William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"...

and Dean Palmer

Dean Palmer

Dean William Palmer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1989 to 2003...

, both potential home run threats, to fly out and strike out to end the game and the series.

Composite box

1996 ALDS (3–1): New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

over Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

External links

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