A Look Back At This Date In Cleveland Indians Playoff History; Oct. 3

October 3

1995 ALDS Game 1, Jacobs Field: Indians 5, Red Sox 4, 13 innings

The juggernaut Tribe squad from 1995 opened their pursuit of a long awaited title with the AL East champion Red Sox. That strike shortened season still resulted in the Indians finishing with 100 wins and just 44 losses, winning the division in Secretariat style, by 30 games. Extrapolated over a full 162 games, they would have finished with 112 wins and surpassed the 1954 team's win total. The Red Sox won the east by a full seven games, but still finished fourteen games behind the Tribe, but snagged the second best record in the AL. How the #1 and #2 seeds ended up playing in the first round is a mystery to me.

With the whole month of September to prepare for the playoffs, Dennis Martinez would face Roger Clemens in the opener. The only offense generated in the first two innings was a Mike Greenwell single in the second. In the third, Luis Alicea had a one out single but was forced by Dwayne Hosey. John Valentin crushed one to deep right and the Red Sox drew first blood, 2-0. The Indians broke Clemens (early) bid for a perfecto in the fourth when Kenny Lofton singled and one out later, Carlos Baerga did the same. But Clemens struck out Albert Belle and Eddie Murray grounded out.

After the Valentin homer, the Red Sox scraped together two hits over the next three inings, a Tim Naehring single in the fourth and an Alicea single in the fifth. Clemens was strolling along retired the side in order of the fifth and the first two in the sixth. Omar Vizquel walked and Baerga singled, sending Omar to third. Belle doubled to deep left-center scoring both and taking third on Mike Macfarlane's error. Murray singled him home and in just four batters, the Indians led 3-2. Blessed with the lead, Mike Hargrove went to the dominant Tribe pen. Julian Tavarez had a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. After Clemens had a perfect seventh, the home run threat that is Alicea, tied the game leading off the eighth on a full count pitch from Tavarez. A one out single by Valentin brought in Paul Assemacher to strike out Mo Vaughn. Eric Plunk picked off Valentin but Sorrento threw it into center where Lofton muffed it, sending Valentin to third. But Jose Canseco flew out to end the threat.

Rheal Cormier took over from Clemens in the eighth. After striking out Lofton, he walked Vizquel and hit Baerga. Stan Belinda and Mike Stanton retired Belle and Murray respectively. Greenwell singled off Plunk and was sacrificed over. Lee Tinsely was intentionally walked but Plunk struck out pinch hitter Matt Stairs and Alicea finally made an out, lining to center. Stanton struck out two of the three batters in the ninth and we were headed to extras.

Jose Mesa walked both Hosey and Valentin in the tenth but Vaughn lined to center and Canseco lined into a double play. A Sandy Alomar single eventually led to Vizquel stealing second, but Stanton struck out Baerga. Jim Poole took over in the eleventh and it looked bad for the Tribe after Naehring homered down the left field line. But Belle immediately tied it up in the bottom half, homering off Rick Aguilera. After two more singles by Thome and Sorrento, Mike Maddux got Tony Pena to ground into a force play.

Poole tried to give up the lead run again in the twelfth, a leadoff double by Alicea, striking out Hosey, intentionally walking Valentin and striking out Vaughn. Ken Hill struck out Canseco to end the inning. Maddux almost gave up the game in the twelfth as well. He hit Lofton with a pitch and an error by Alicea made it first and third. Baerga popped up and Belle was intentionally passed with first base not open to load the bases. Zane Smith entered and Murray grounded to Naehring, who threw out Lofton at home. Thome grounded to Vaughn to end the inning. In the thirteenth, a leadoff single by Greenwell didn't blossom. Smith retired Manny on a grounder and Herb Perry and a deep flyball to right. He went 3-0 to Pena, who crushed one to deep left on a walk off and the Tribe survived, taking a 1-0 series lead.

1998 ALDS Game 4, Fenway Park: Indians 2, Red Sox 1

After taking the series lead the day before, Bartolo Colon was called upon to win the Division Series while Pete Schourek was hoping to stave off elimination so Pedro Martinez could pitch the Sox to a Game 5 series win. After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Darren Lewis doubled to right and John Valentin coaxed a walk. But Colon settled down and retired Mo Vaughn, Nomar Garciaparra and Mike Stanley in order. The tribe threatened in the second on a one out double by Travis Fryman who stole third after Jim Thome walked. But Richie Sexson struck out and Sandy Alomar grounded out to end the inning.

Colon issued a one out walk in the second to Scott Hatteberg and a single to Vaentin, but Valentin was erased on a double play. Garciaparra led off the fourth with a solo shot, drawing first blood. The Indians only offense against lefty Schorek was three walks: Fryman in the fourth and Sexson and Alomar in the fifth, but none of them scored. After a one out double by David Justice in the sixth (only the second Tribe hit), Jimy Williams did not want to risk Schourek against Manny Ramirez. In came Derek Lowe who retired Ramirez and Fryman.

In the bottom of the sixth, Valentin doubled and after Vaughn popped to center, Colon intentionally passed Nomar. Stanley hit a single to left, but Valentin was cut down at the plate on Justice's throw, which turned out to be very important. Jim Poole struck out Troy O'Leary to end the inning. Lowe retired the side in order in the seventh. Poole issued a leadoff walk to Hattebuerg and Mike Benjamin sacrificed him to second. Poole struck out Darren Bragg and Steve Reed got Lewis to pop out to Fryman.

Williams called upon his top setup guy, Tom Gordon for the eighth. Clinging to the 1-0 lead, he retired pinch hitter Joey Cora on a flyball. Kenny Lofton singled to center and Omar Vizquel singled to right, giving the Tribe a chance. After Lofton stole third, Justice doubled to center scoring both Lofton and Vizquel. Mike Hargrove did his bullpen thing in the eighth. Reed struck out Valentin and Paul Assenmacher was called upon to get Vaughn. Vaughn doubled to left and Donnie Sadler pinch ran for him. Paul Shuey got Nomar to groundout, but Sadler moved to third. Shuey then walked Mike Stanley on a full count, but got O'Leary to fly out to Lofton. Closer Mike Jackson retired the side in order in the ninth, sending the Tribe back to the ALCS.