A Look Back At This Date In Cleveland Indians Playoff History; Oct. 5

October 5

1920 World Series Game 1, Ebbets Field: Indians 3, Robins 1

Twenty seasons into their membership of the AL, the Indians faced off in their first postseason matchup. Continuing the precedent set in 1919, this series was a best of nine, instead of the best of seven played from 1905 to 1918 and from 1922 to the present. The Tribe finished the season at 98-56, just two games up on the Chicago Black Sox and three up on the New York Yankees. They were slated to face the Brooklyn Robins (they did not become the Dodgers until 1932 although the name was evident from 1911-1912 as well), who were making their second trip in five seasons to the Series. They finished 93-61, seven games ahead of their cross town rival New York Giants.

After a perfect first inning from Rube Marquard, George Burns led off the second with a pop fly behind the first base bag. It fell in for a hit and first baseman Ed Konetchy tried throwing out Burns advancing to second. He threw wildly and Burns came all the way around to score. With one out, Smoky Joe Wood walked and Joe Sewell singled him to third. Steve O'Neill cranked a double to left and the Tribe was up 2-0. Stan Coveleski finished each of his first three frames in 1-2-3 fashion. The Tribe tacked on a third run on doubles by Wood and O'Neill. Ivy Olson singled to lead off the fourth and a single by Tommy Griffith had runners at first and second. But both Zach Wheat and Hi Myers flew out to end the inning.

Neither team did much in the fifth or sixth with the only baserunner a single by Olson in the sixth. The Tribe went 1-2-3 in the seventh as well, but this time against Al Mamaux. Wheat led off the bottom half with the double, and after two grounders by Myers and Konetchy, scored the Robins first run. The Tribe continued to flail against Mamaux in the eighth, 1-2-3 once more. With one out in the bottom half, pinch hitter Clarence Mitchell singled off Coveleski. Bernie Neis pinch ran for him and Olson walked. But Jimmy Johnston popped to third and Griffith hit a grounder ending the threat. Leon Cadore took over for Mamaux, and the Indians had their fifth straight 1-2-3 inning. Coveleski finished off the complete game by retiring Wheat, Myers and Konetchy in order. The Indians had won their first ever postseason game, 3-1.

1996 ALDS Game 4, Jacobs Field: Orioles 4, Indians 3, 12 innings

In a rematch of Game 1 starters, Charles Nagy faced off against David Wells. In the top of the first Nagy walked Brady Anderson to start the game but got Todd Zeile on a foul popup and Robbie Alomar on a flyball to center. Sandy Alomar threw out Anderson stealing second to end the inning. The Indians got Omar Vizquel on base via a walk and he also stole second when Kevin Seitzer struck out. Not wanting to risk it, Wells intentionally walked Albert Belle and struck out Julie Franco to end the inning.

Back to back long balls by Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla to lead off the second, and the Orioles led again, early in the game. The Indians tied things up in the bottom of the fourth when Franco singled to right, Manny Ramirez doubled to left and Sandy Alomar drove them both on a single to left. The Tribe took the lead in the fifth on some small ball. A leadoff single by Jose Vizcaino, a sacrifice by Lofton and a single to left by Vizquel.

Nursing a 3-2 lead, Mike Hargrove went to the pen in the seventh. Alan Embree struck out Brady Anderson. Paul Shuey gave up a double to center and Paul Assenmacher struck out both Robbie Alomar and Palmeiro. Eric Plunk took over in the eighth and retired Bonilla, Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray in order. Wells left in the eighth, but the Tribe couldn't get an insurance run off Terry Mathews as Seitzer, Belle and Franco also went in order. Jose Mesa came in to get the Indians to a fifth and deciding game at home. Pete Incaviglia struck out looking. So far so good. But pinch hitter BJ Surhoff singled to center. Manny Alexander pinch ran and went to second when Anderson also singled to center. Todd Zeile popped out in foul territory and the Mesa was one out away. He got Robbie Alomar down 1-2 in the count, before he also singled to center, tying the game at three.

Ramirez led off with a walk in the bottom half and was sacrificed over by Jeff Kent. Sandy Alomar reached on a Zeile error but Manny couldn't advance. Jesse Orosco relieved and got Vizcaino to ground out and struck out Kenny Lofton. Both teams got a baserunner in the tenth but each was stranded. Both teams went in order in the eleventh. Jose Mesa came back out for his fourth inning of work and promptly served up a gopher ball to Robbie Alomar. He retired Palmeiro and Bonilla, but Ripken doubled to the wall in left-center. Chad Ogea intentionally walked Murray and Mike Devereaux flew out to end the inning. Vizcaino, Lofton and Vizquel went quietly in the bottom of the twelfth against closer Randy Myers and the AL's best record during the regular season was done for this postseason.

1997 ALDS Game 4, Jacobs Field: Indians 3, Yankees 2

Facing elimination, the Tribe took the field against Dwight Gooden, with Orel Hershiser coming back for his second start. The Yankees struck early again, with two runs in the first. Back to back one out doubles by Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill netted the first. After a grounder by Bernie Williams back to the box, O'Neill moved to third. Hershiser hit Tino Martinez with a pitch to make it first and third. Cecil Fielder singled to center to net the second run. Charlie Hayes also singled, but Brian Giles cut down Martinez at the plate, keeping the score 2-0. Hershiser dodges a first and third in the second as well before setting down and retiring fifteen of the next seventeen batters, getting through the seventh.

The Indians managed a one out single by Omar Vizquel in the first but nothing materialized. After David Justice homered to deep right to lead off the second, Matt Williams doubled and Marquis Grissom walked before Gooden retired Bip Roberts on a grounder to second. Omar got to second on a walk and stolen base in the third and Giles had a two out single in the fourth, but each was stranded. In the sixth Jim Thome struck out before Justice walked. Matt Wiliams flew out to deep center and Sandy Alomar singled back in the box. Joe Torre called upon Graeme Lloyd to face Tony Fernandez, who reached on a Hayes error, loading the bases. But Jeff Nelson induced Marquis Grissom to pop up, stranding all three runners.

In the seventh, after a one out single by Omar, lefty Mike Stanton came in to face Thome, who struck out to end the inning. Paul Assenmacher relieved for the Tribe in the eighth. Paul O'Neill opened with a single but he struck out both Bernie Williams and Martinez before Mike Jackson came in to get Fielder. Stanton struck out Justice leading off the eighth and then Torre called on Mariano Rivera for a five out save to clinch the series. Matt Williams flew out to right, but then Sandy Alomar came to the plate:

Alomar's home run tied the game, and after a 1-2-3 ninth by Jackson, Ramiro Mendoza came in for the bottom of the ninth. Grissom led off with a single and Bip Roberts sacrificed him to second. On the second pitch he saw (and only the fifth in the inning), Omar singled to Mendoza's right, with Grissom coming all the way around to score in walk-off fashion. The two teams were headed to a winner take all fifth game.

2007 ALDS Game 2, Jacobs Field: Indians 2, Yankees 1, 11 innings

After a barnburner of a Game 1, the Tribe tried to get a stranglehold of the best of five by sending Fausto Carmona out against Andy Pettitte on this hot, humid evening. Carmona was on his game early, pitching two perfect frames to start the game. The Tribe got a single in the first from Grady Sizemore, but Asdrubal Cabrera erased him on a double play and Travis Hafner struck out. In the second, Jhonny Peralta walked and stole second with two out. Kenny Lofton singled, but Peralta was thrown out by Melky Cabrera. Cabrera continued his run of good play by homering off Carmona in the third. A leadoff double by Jason Michaels was wasted, and after three, the Yankees led 1-0.

Derek Jeter and Travis Hafner were both stranded after a leadoff singles in the fourth. Carmona walked Jorge Posada in the fifth but he was erased on a Robinson Cano double play. Lofton then led off with a single and Michaels bunted him over. Casey Blake flew out and then Lofton was picked off by Pettitte. After a perfect sixth frame by Carmona, Grady Sizemore threatened to tie it up with a leadoff triple. But Pettitte was up to the task. Droobs grounded back to the box and Hafner and Victor Martinez both struck out and after 6, the score hadn't changed.

Droobs booted Abreu's grounder to start the seventh and Carmona struck out Alex Rodriguez, forced Abreu at second on Hideki Matsui's grounder and Jorge Posada lined out to left. The Tribe finally forced Pettitte from the game in the seventh after a Peralta double and Lofton walk with one out. Yankee sensation Joba Chamberlain came in to face pinch hitter Franklin Gutierrez, striking him out and Casey Blake flew out to right. Carmona kept his awesome night going, getting his second all ground out 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, but the Tribe was still losing 1-0.

But some entomological intervention was about to occur. As Chamberlain returned to the mound, the midges who had been around all night started feasting on him. Looking very distracted, he walked Sizemore to start the inning and wild pitched him to second. Droobs sacrificed him to third and it looked like he might get out of the inning after Hafner lined out to first. But with Victor Martinez up, he threw his second wild pitch, scoring Sizemore and tying the game at one. He then hit Martinez and walked Ryan Garko, but Jhonny struck out, leaving the game tied.

Carmona allowed a two out single by Abreu in the ninth but struck out Rodriguez after Abreu stole second. He finished his nine innings with just three hits allowed, two walks and five strikeouts. Mariano retired Lofton, Gutierrez and Blake in order in the bottom half. Rafael Perez had a perfect tenth. Rivera almost blew it in his next inning. Grady Sizemore reached first after a passed ball on his swinging strikeout. Cabrera bunted him over and he moved over to third on Hafner's ground ball. Victor was intentionally passed and then Garko was hit by a pitch loading the bases, but Jhonny struck out leaving them full.

Perez had another perfect inning and Luis Vizcaino entered for Rivera. Lofton walked and Gutierrez singled. Blake sacrificed them to second and third. Sizemore was walked to set up a force at each base. Cabrera popped up to Duncan, but Hafner drilled a walkoff single to right, giving the tribe a 2-1 victory and taking a 2-0 series lead.