1995 ALDS: The Indians & Mariners Advance
1995 marked a pivot point in baseball’s postseason. It was the first year the Division Series became a permanent feature on the October landscape. While this round had been used in 1981, that was a temporary remedy to deal with the effects of a lengthy midseason strike. It had been scheduled for return in 1994 before another strike canceled the season. Thus, it would be 1995 that became a seminal year in the history of the MLB postseason.
The first ALDS matchups would be the Cleveland Indians facing the Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees taking on the Seattle Mariners. You can read more about each team’ s key players and their journey to the playoffs at the links below. This article focuses squarely on the games of the 1995 American League Division Series.
READ MORE ABOUT THE 1995 CLEVELAND INDIANS
READ MORE ABOUT THE 1995 SEATTLE MARINERS
READ MORE ABOUT THE 1995 BOSTON RED SOX
READ MORE ABOUT THE 1995 NEW YORK YANKEES
Homefield advantage was based on a predetermined divisional rotation, and the schedule was a 2-3 format, rather than the 2-2-1 of today. This round would open with two games in Cleveland and New York and then conclude in Boston and Seattle. All weekday games started in prime-time. Our format here will go day-by-day.
Tuesday, October 3
New York
David Cone took the mound for the Yankees in the first postseason game the Bronx had seen since 1981. Chris Bosio started for the Mariners. The first two innings went by quietly. Seattle put a couple runners on in the third, but nothing came of it. In the bottom of that same inning, New York got a one-out base hit from Randy Velarde. Wade Boggs followed with a home run. It was 2-0 Yanks.
Ken Griffey Jr. immediately got half of that back for the Mariners with a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth. A base hit and a walk put Seattle in business with no one out and power hitter Jay Buhner at the plate. Buhner hit one to deep right-center. But it stayed in the park for an out, and Cone wriggled out of the jam with the 2-1 lead intact.
Both pitchers stayed settled in until the top of the sixth when Seattle again threatened. Edgar Martinez singled. Tino Martinez walked. The Mariners ultimately loaded the bases with one out. Cone got a big strikeout of Mike Blowers and was poised to escape again. But the pitcher issued a walk to Dan Wilson, and the game was tied 2-2.
Bosio had been cruising since the Boggs home run, but the Yanks got after him in the bottom of the sixth. Bernie Williams singled to left. He moved up to second base on a fielder’s choice and stood there with two outs. Don Mattingly singled to drive in the go-ahead run. Dion James followed another base hit setting up runners on the corners. Seattle skipper Lou Piniella removed Bosio and called for Jeff Nelson. But Mike Stanley greeted Nelson with another base hit and the Yankees led 4-2.
Once again, Griffey had a rapid answer. After Joey Cora walked, Griffey homered to tie the game 4-4. The back-and-forth continued.
Velarde was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the seventh. Nelson was removed for Bobby Ayala. In rapid success, Boggs singled and Bernie doubled, putting the Yankees ahead 5-4 and leaving runners on second and third with no outs. Paul O’Neill picked up one run with a sac fly. And Ruben Sierra delivered the big blow, a two-run blast that extended New York’s lead to 8-4.
It might have gotten worse when Mattingly doubled, but Bill Risley came on in relief and finally ended the storm. Although the Yanks still added on in the eighth when Boggs ripped a two-out double and scored an ensuing single.
John Wetteland was the reliable New York closer, but he was erratic in the bottom of the ninth. He walked a man, surrendered three singles. Suddenly it was 9-6, there were two men aboard, just one out, and Seattle had two cracks at tying the game. But Buhner popped out, Blowers K’d, and that was the ballgame. The Yankees had Game 1.
Cleveland
The last time the Indians had played a postseason game was the 1954 World Series. This opening game marked the historic return of the playoffs to Cleveland. The Tribe sent Dennis Martinez out to face Boston’s ace Roger Clemens.
It was the Red Sox who struck first in the bottom of the third. Luis Alicea singled with one out. With two outs, John Valentin homered and Clemens was staked to a 2-0 lead. The Boston starter was perfect through three, carried that lead to the bottom of the sixth and retired the first two Indian batters.
A walk and an infield hit opened the door. Cleveland’s great power hitter Albert Belle came to the plate and got to hi with a double that tied the game. Eddie Murray followed with another base hit and the Tribe led 3-2.
By the top of the eighth, Julian Tavarez was on in relief of Martinez. Alicea homered to make it a 3-3 game. We were settling into what would be a long night at Jacobs Field.
Boston threatened in the top of the ninth, when Mike Greenwell led off with a single and was bunted into scoring position. Cleveland reliever Eric Plunk pitched out of it. In the top of the 10th, Indians closer Jose Mesa pitched himself into trouble by walking the first two batters. Boston first baseman Mo Vaughn, soon to be named AL MVP, came to the plate and lined out to center. Jose Canseco hit a line drive to second, but that was caught and turned into an inning-ending double play.
In the top of the 11th, the Red Sox finally broke through. Tim Naehring homered for a 4-3 lead. The ball was handed to reliever Rick Aguilera to close it out. Belle promptly answered with a home run of his own. It was 4-4 and the night went on.
Alicea continued his good night with a lead off double in the 12th that had the Red Sox in business. But Vaughn struck out and the rally died.
Cleveland got their first really sustained threat of extra innings in the bottom of the 12th against Boston reliever Mike Maddux. A hit batsman and an error put runners on the corners with none out. The end of the game was surely near, especially with the meat of the order coming up.
Baerga popped out. After Belle was intentionally walked to load the bases, lefty Zane Smith came out of the Red Sox pen. He induced a ground ball off the bat of Murray which turned into a forceout at home. Jim Thome grounded out. And the night went on.
Smith was still in the game in the bottom of the 13th. Veteran catcher Tony Pena was at the plate with two outs. Pena homered. The long night was finally over. Cleveland had won 5-4.
Wednesday, October 4
New York
A rookie lefthander named Andy Pettite started Game 2 for the Yankees. Andy Benes was tasked with trying to even up the series for the Mariners.
Seattle got an early threat going in the top of the second, but two walks and a single went for naught primarily because Buhner was cut down on the bases. The Mariners did get a run in the top of the third when Vince Coleman hit a sole home run. It stayed 1-0 through four.
In the bottom of the fifth, Boggs worked a one-out walk, setting up Bernie to drill an RBI double that tied the game. Seattle clapped back in the top of the sixth. Edgar Martinez opened the inning with a double. With two outs, Tino Martinez knocked a single to left to put the Mariners back in front 2-1.
Just like in Game 1, the immediate response pattern continued both ways. Sierra and Mattingly hit back-to-back jacks to open the home half of the sixth and put New York ahead 3-2. Benes was gone, and Risley came on in relief.
Ready for another immediate clapback? Cora slashed a one-out double in the top of the seventh. After the speedy Coleman legged out an infield hit, Luis Sojo’s single tied the game 3-3. With runners still on the corners and only one out, Griffey gave his team a 4-3 lead with a sac fly.
Norm Charlton, the Seattle closer was summoned by the seventh inning in a game that was close to must-win. Charlton had pitched for Piniella in Cincinnati when they won the World Series together in 1990. Also on that time was O’Neill, who came to the plate here. This reunion of ’90 Reds players went badly for the Mariners. O’Neill homered and the game was tied again.
A long evening in the Bronx ensued. Charlton pitched through the 10th inning. Wetteland came out of the Yankee pen in the ninth, worked through the 11th and almost got through the 12th. That’s when Griffey got him for a two-out home run. It was 5-4 and Seattle was on the threshold of tying the series.
But just like the previous night in Cleveland, there would be an extra-innings answer by the home team. Facing Nelson in relief, Boggs drew a one-out walk. Tim Belcher came in for Seattle. He walked Bernie. Belcher got O’Neill and was on the verge of closing the game.
Instead, Sierra doubled to left. Boggs scored the tying run. Bernie came wheeling around third, looking to end the game…he was thrown out at the plate. It was 5-5 and there was more baseball to be played.
An unknown rookie in Mariano Rivera was now pitching for New York. He and Belcher battled into the 15th. Rivera escaped a two-on/one-out jam in the top of that inning. In the home half of the frame, Belcher issued a one-out walk. Then Jim Leyritz homered.
The night was finally over after 15 innings with a 7-5 Yankee win. And so, at least it seemed, was the Mariner season, as they headed home needing three straight wins.
Cleveland
Orel Hershiser, a postseason legend from his days as a Dodger, started Game 2 for the Indians. The Red Sox turned to Erik Hanson to try and avoid an 0-2 hole.
Cleveland tried to help Boston get started in the first with a pair of errors, but the Red Sox ran themselves out of the inning. Hanson pitched around an error in the home half of the first, as sloppy defense combined with unopportunistic offense to start the game.
Each team missed another opportunity in the early going. Boston loaded the bases with two outs in the second but couldn’t get the key hit. Cleveland wasted a one-out triple from Murray in the fourth. Zeroes were still on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth.
Hanson issued a leadoff walk that was followed by a sacrifice bunt, a passed ball, and another walk. This very soft rally had runners on first and third with one out. Vizquel came through with a double that scored both runs and put the Tribe up 2-zip.
Hershiser was thoroughly settled in and still led 2-0 with two outs in the eighth. He was lifted for lefty Paul Assenmacher who would face the left-handed hitting Vaughn. Assenmacher got the strikeout.
Hanson, pitching an excellent game himself, was still on in the bottom of the eighth. He walked Belle. Murray homered. It was 4-0 . For all practical purposes that was the ballgame. The Red Sox mustered just three singles on the night. For their part, the Indians only had four hits, but with three of them going for extra bases, they got the offense they needed to take a commanding series lead up to New England.
Friday, October 6
Boston
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield looked to save the Red Sox season on Friday night at the Fens. Charles Nagy got the ball to try and close out the sweep for the Indians.
Cleveland put early pressure on in the second. Murray worked a one-out walk, and Thome homered past the Pesky Pole to make it 2-0. In the third, after two men were out, Baerga singled, then Belle, Murray, and Thome all walked. It was 3-0.
Vaughn had another chance to put his imprint on the series when he came up in the bottom of the third with runners on second and third and one out. He struck out and the Red Sox didn’t score.
Boston did get a run back in the bottom of the fourth. Reggie Jefferson, Naehring, and Alicea all hit consecutive singles to load the bases and Mike Macfarlane picked up a run to make it 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Red Sox again put two runners on with one out. Greenwell struck out and the inning died there. For three straight innings, Boston had plenty of traffic on the bases and only a run to show for it.
Cleveland would have no such trouble cashing in chances. Murray singled to open the sixth. A young Manny Ramirez worked a one-out walk. Paul Sorrento singled to make it 4-1. Sandy Alomar doubled. It was 5-1, there were runners on second and third and the entire Red Sox season was teetering.
Rheal Cormier came on for Wakefield. He struck out Kenny Lofton. But Vizquel delivered a big two-out single that scored both runs. Baerga added on with a double. It was 8-1 and the rout was on.
Nagy worked through seven. Boston got a meaningless run in the eighth to make it 8-2. That’s where it ended, when Assenmacher got Greenwell to fly out to Belle in left.
This special Cleveland Indians season wasn’t over yet. They were going to the American League Championship Series.
Seattle
The Mariners’ drive to the AL West title had taken them to a one-game tiebreaker playoff, which necessitated their ace, the future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, to pitch to the very end. As a result, this must-have Game 3 was Johnson’s first start of the playoffs—and on three days’ rest no less. The Yankees handed the ball to Jack McDowell to try and close the sweep.
Both pitchers dominated the first three innings. Bernie got the first Yankee hit in the top of the fourth—a home run that gave New York a 1-0 lead. Seattle’s answer game in the bottom of the fifth, when Edgar Martinez walked, and Tino Martinez followed with a two-run blast that gave the Mariners the lead.
The Yankees wasted a great opportunity in the sixth. Two walks and two singles produced zero runs, thanks to losing a runner on the basepaths and Johnson striking out Mattingly with the bases loaded and two outs.
And the Mariners made that missed chance hurt. Coleman led off the home half of the sixth with a triple. While McDowell was able to get a key strikeout of Griffey, he also issued two walks to load up the bases with one down. Tino Martinez’s single to left made it 3-1 and put the Yankees into their bullpen. Buhner and Blowers both singled to score two more runs. Sojo’s sac fly gave Seattle a comfortable 6-1 lead.
The two teams traded runs in the seventh. New York added two more in the eighth, but Seattle brought Charlton out of the bullpen and the closer got the last four outs. The 7-4 win was the first postseason victory in the history of the Mariners’ franchise. And they were alive to fight another day.
Saturday, October 7
Seattle
Seattle went back to Bosio on short rest to try and stay alive in Game 4. New York gave fourth starter Scott Kamiencki the chance to try and send them to the American League Championship Series.
The Yankees looked ready to put their foot down tonight, coming out of the gate firing. Boggs opened the game with a double. Bernie’s single, followed by a walk loaded up the bases with none out. Sierra’s sac fly scored one run and moved two more runners into scoring position. Mattingly picked them up with a base hit. It was 3-zip New York.
In the top of the third, O’Neill followed a walk with two-run homer. Bosio was gone. It was 5-0 and America could not be blamed if it started mentally prepping for a Yankees-Indians ALCS.
But Seattle wasted no time in getting off the mat. Cora beat out a bunt single to start the bottom of the third. Griffey singled. And Edgar Martinez homered. It was 5-3 and in the blink of an eye, the Mariners were back in the game. Nor were they done. Tino Martinez singled, Buhner walked, both were bunted up and Sojo’s sac fly cut the lead to 5-4.
Jeff Nelson was on in relief for the Mariners and was keeping the Yankee lineup in check when the bottom of the fifth came. Buhner singled to center. Sojo knocked a one-out base hit. With runners on first and second and one out, Wilson grounded out. Mattingly, on making the putout at first, made an aggressive move to try and get another out on the base paths. He threw the ball away and the tying run came in.
Sterling Hitchcock was on out of the New York bullpen, but he couldn’t stem the tide. Griffey homered in the sixth to make it 6-5. Seattle had the lead.
Belcher was on in relief of Nelson in the top of the eighth. After a one-out walk, Boggs singled. With runners on the corners and two outs, Belcher threw a wild pitch. The Yankees had scored for the first time since the early outburst and we were tied 6-6.
Wetteland came out of the New York bullpen, with manager Buck Showalter going for a kill shot in the series using his closer. But Wetteland didn’t have it. A walk and hit batsman, surrounding a Cora single, loaded up the bases with no outs. And Edgar Martinez delivered another mighty blow—a grand slam, giving him seven RBIs on the night. Before the inning was out, Buhner homered. It was 11-6 and Seattle was home free.
At least as home free as either team could be in this series. New York scored a run and loaded the bases. It was 11-7, there was one out and the Yankees had a couple shots with the tying run at the plate against Bobby Ayala, who had to come on in relief of Charlton. Boggs grounded out, which scored one run. Bernie flied to center. The final was 11-8 and this ALDS was going to a decisive Game 5.
Sunday, October 8
Seattle
New York had Cone ready on full rest for Sunday night’s finale. Benes was coming back on three days’ rest for Seattle.
The Mariners had a good opportunity in the second, when Edgar and Tino led off with singles and were on second and third with one out. Cone bore down and struck out Sojo and kept Seattle off the board.
In the bottom of the third, Cora homered with two outs for the game’s first run. The answer, as was so often the case in this series both ways, came immediately in the top of the fourth. O’Neill hit a two-run blast. The Mariners promptly replied in the bottom of the fourth. A Tino Martinez double was followed by Buhner’s RBI single. It was a 2-2 ballgame and stayed that way to the sixth.
Benes lost his control in the top of that sixth inning. He walked the bases full with one out. Mattingly exacted the price with a two-run double that gave New York the lead. Piniella stuck with Benes with runners on second and third and the game ready to get blown open. Benes rewarded his manager’s faith—he got Mike Stanley to pop out and kept the score at 4-2.
A leadoff double by Edgar Martinez had Seattle ready to continue the pattern of the prompt clapback, but Cone struck out the next three batters. New York’s 4-2 lead persisted into the eighth inning.
With one out, Griffey homered to make it a one-run game. Tino Martinez worked a two-out walk. Buhner singled. Another walk loaded the bases. Showalter, like Piniella, stayed with his starting pitcher. Unlike Piniella, Showalter’s confidence wasn’t rewarded. Cone walked light-hitting Doug Strange to force in the tying run and bring Rivera in from the bullpen.
In the 4-4 game, both teams had chances in the ninth. Charlton, who had been pitching since the seventh, allowed a leadoff double to Tony Fernandez. Verlarde drew a walk. Now, Piniella rolled the dice—he called in Randy Johnson, on a single day’s rest. The “Big Unit” came through, striking out Boggs, then retiring Bernie and O’Neill to preserve the tie game.
A similar pattern went down in the bottom of the ninth. Coleman singled and was bunted up. Showalter called for McDowell to return after pitching on Friday. And McDowell delivered, getting both Edgar Martinez and a young, unproven Alex Rodriguez. This series, already filled with so much back and forth, would be decided in extra innings.
Johnson and McDowell dug deep, and both were still pitching in the 11th. In the top of that inning, Mike Stanley singled and was bunted up. Velarde’s base hit gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead.
McDowell stayed on to try and finally close this series. Cora immediately made it interesting by dropping a bunt and beating it out. Griffey singled. There were runners on first and third, no one was out and the old Seattle Kingdome was alive.
That life turned into an eruption moments later. Edgar Martinez doubled into the leftfield corner. Cora trotted in with the tying run. Griffey raced around first and was sent home. He was safe. A series that had seen so many twists of fate, had finally ended with an epic 6-5 win for Seattle.
DIVISION SERIES MVPS
Major League Baseball doesn’t properly honor the Division Series with an individual MVP award. We’ll fill in that historical gap here.
Cleveland – Boston
Eddie Murray was a clear standout in this series, going 5-for-13 with a home run over the three games and consistently being in the middle of the most important rallies. Hershiser and Nagy deserve a nod for their brilliant starts that prevented the Red Sox from ever getting off the mat after the Game 1 thriller.
On the Red Sox side, Alicea had six hits and two walks and was the losing side’s most impactful player. But the more noteworthy performance—or non-performance as it were—came from Vaughn. The man who would soon win a controversial AL MVP award went 0-for-14 and struck out seven times.
Seattle – New York
This series also has a clear winner. Edgar Martinez was 12-for-21 with 10 RBIs. His biggest moments came at his team’s lowest point in the must-win Game 4 and then with the game-winning hit that ended it. That’s as good a definition of a series MVP as there is, but there were plenty of worthwhile performances on both sides.
Buhner, after a slow start to the series, followed the path of his team and gained steam when the series returned to Seattle. He finished with 11 hits over the five games. Griffey had nine hits, drove in five runs, and scored nine more, including the series-clinching run. Tino Martinez added nine hits of his own. And lest we overlook pitching, Randy Johnson pitched ten innings over the final weekend and allowed just three runs.
For New York, Mattingly came through in what would be his only postseason appearance, with 10 hits and six ribbies. Bernie Williams knocked out nine hits, including two homers and scored eight times. O’Neill hit three homers. Boggs’ final stat line of 5-for-19 with three walks doesn’t jump out, but it seems like every hit was an impactful one. And for pitchers—if only Showalter knew what he had in his bullpen. Rivera’s 5.2 innings of shutout relief ball spread over three games was the prologue to an extraordinary October career.
AFTERMATH FOR THE VANQUISHED
Boston stepped back into mediocrity for a couple of seasons, before the free-agent signing of Pedro Martinez prior to the 1998 season rejuvenated the franchise and put them back in the postseason.
New York had, to put it mildly, a brighter future. While Showalter did not survive the wrath of owner George Steinbrenner for this October failing, the Yankees hired Joe Torre. Derek Jeter was called up. Rivera grew into a more prominent role. And New York would win four of the next five World Series.
AFTERMATH FOR THE VICTORS
Seattle briefly kept the momentum off their dramatic weekend rolling into the ALCS, taking two of the first three games against Cleveland. But the Indians, the best team in baseball all year long, turned it around and ultimately won the pennant in six games. Cleveland fell short against Atlanta in the World Series but was just starting a stretch of excellence that would produce six postseason appearances in seven years.
The Mariners, after a temporary step-back in ’96, returned to the playoffs in 1997. This part of a nine-year stretch where Seattle was typically competitive, occasionally excellent and reached the postseason four times.