The 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the American League side in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 1995 postseason, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Sunday, October 8, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. This was the first ALDS held in the postseason since 1981. As a result of both leagues realigning into three divisions in 1994, it marked the first time in major league history that a team could qualify for postseason play without finishing in first place in its league or division. The teams were:
Seattle Mariners (Western Division champion, 79–66) vs. New York Yankees (Wild Card, 79–65): Mariners win series, 3–2. Boston Red Sox (Eastern Division champion, 86–58) vs. Cleveland Indians (Central Division champion, 100–44): Indians win series, 3–0.The higher seed (in parentheses) had the home field advantage, which was not tied to playing record but was predetermined—an arrangement which was discontinued after the 1997 playoffs. Also, the team with home field advantage played the first two games on the road, with potentially the last three at home, in order to reduce travel. The Red Sox played the Indians, rather than the wild card Yankees, because the Red Sox and Yankees are in the same division. Had the 1995 ALDS been played under the 1998-2011 arrangement, then Cleveland (1) would've played against New York (4) and Boston (2) would've faced Seattle (3). Under the format adopted in 2012, which removed the prohibition against teams from the same division playing in the Division Series, the matchups would also have been Cleveland-New York and Boston-Seattle.
The format of this series and the NLDS was the same as the League Championship Series prior to 1985, a five-game set wherein the first two games were played at one stadium and the last three at the other. This format was later changed in 1998 for the present 2–2–1 format, which has been used in the Division Series since except for 2012, when the 2–3 format was used again due to the addition of the Wild Card Game. Because of realignment, this was the first time that both the Yankees and the Red Sox reached the playoffs in the same year.
The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Indians became the American League champion and lost to the National League champion Atlanta Braves in the 1995 World Series.
Matchups
Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians
Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees
Boston vs. Cleveland
Game 1 Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio
After a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. Playing in its first playoff game since Game 4 of the 1954 World Series, the Indians trailed early as the Red Sox jumped in front first in the third when Dwayne Hosey walked and John Valentin hit a two-run home run. The Indians, however, rallied against Clemens in the sixth with two two-out singles followed by a two-run double by Albert Belle that tied the game and a single by Eddie Murray that scored Belle. But Luis Alicea's eighth inning home run off Julián Tavárez sent the game into extra innings. Tim Naehring would give the Red Sox the lead in the 11th with a home run off Jim Poole, but Belle's leadoff home run off Red Sox closer Rick Aguilera tied the game in the bottom half. The Indians would put the winning run in scoring position later in the inning but failed to come through. In the bottom of the 13th, 15-year veteran Tony Peña hit the game winning homer with two outs. It was the Indians' first postseason win since the clinching Game 6 in the 1948 World Series.
Game 2 Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio
Game 2 featured an unlikely matchup between Erik Hanson and Orel Hershiser. Both pitchers were on even turns until the Indians broke through in the fifth with Omar Vizquel's two-run double after two walks. It remained 2–0 until the eighth when the Indians put the game away on Eddie Murray's two-run home run after a walk. That gave the Indian bullpen a comfortable 4–0 lead in the ninth. Hanson pitched a complete game in a losing effort. Hershiser struck out seven and allowed only three hits in innings.
Game 3 Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
Charles Nagy faced Tim Wakefield in the potential clincher. In the top of the second, with a man on first, Jim Thome gave the Indians the lead with a two-run home run just inside the Pesky Pole. Thome later drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to make it 3–0. In the fourth, the Red Sox loaded the bases on three singles with one out, but scored only one run on Mike Macfarlane's sacrifice fly. The Indians blew the game open in the sixth. After a single and walk, Paul Sorrento's single and Sandy Alomar's double scored a run each and knocked Wakefield out of the game. Rhéal Cormier in relief struck out Kenny Lofton, but Omar Vizquel's singled scored two and Carlos Baerga's double scored another. In the eighth, the Red Sox again loaded the bases on three one-out singles, but again only scored once on Willie McGee's fielder's choice off Julián Tavárez. Paul Assenmacher would pitch a scoreless ninth to end the series. The loss was the Red Sox's 13th consecutive postseason loss dating back to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
Composite box 1995 ALDS (3–0): Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox
Seattle vs. New York Both teams finished the strike-shortened 1995 season with 79 wins. The Seattle Mariners were making their postseason debut on the strength of an amazing divisional comeback. The New York Yankees made it to the postseason for the first time since losing in the 1981 World Series, and the only time with Don Mattingly on their roster, as the AL Wild Card. The series featured at least ten runs per game and two extra-inning games. Ken Griffey Jr. was the star, hitting five home runs. The total number of home runs from both teams at the end of the series was 22, a record for a postseason series despite only having five games.
Griffey also was one of two key participants in one of the most iconic moments ever for Mariners fans, DH Edgar Martínez's two-run double in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 5, on which Griffey scored the winning run from first base. The result of the series, and what became known as "The Double", is considered a redemptive moment for long-suffering Mariners fans, and often credited with ensuring that Major League Baseball remained in Seattle.
Seattle's win marked the fourth time in history that an expansion team won its first postseason series, after the New York Mets in their first championship season, in 1969, Montreal in 1981, and San Diego in 1984. Florida in their first championship season, 1997 and Tampa Bay in 2008 have since accomplished it.
Even though the Yankees made it to the post-season for the first time since 1981, they were still reeling from having the best record in the American League taken away from them by the strike. Yankees Manager Buck Showalter sat in "admitted misery" throughout that fall, as he "ached for Mattingly, the one player he believed deserved a postseason more than anyone else in the game." Mattingly had led active players in both games played and at bats without ever appearing in the postseason then.
Game 1 Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
Don Mattingly finally made it to the postseason in what would be his final games. Chris Bosio faced David Cone in Game 1. In the third, Wade Boggs hit a home run with Randy Velarde on first to make it 2–0 Yankees, but Ken Griffey Jr. led the top of the fourth off with a home run of his own to cut the lead in half. Then in the sixth, the Mariners managed to load the bases against Cone. Facing Dan Wilson with the count 1–2, Wilson appeared to commit to Cone's next offering. However, on appeal, first base umpire Dale Scott signaled "no swing", continuing the inning and drawing the ire of Yankees fans, in particular Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who went on to say MLB should not allow rookies to umpire in the postseason, despite the fact that Scott had umpired in the postseason since 1986. Still alive, Wilson was walked, tying the game at two, but in the bottom of the inning, Bernie Williams hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Mattingly's RBI single to put the Yankees back in front 3–2. After a Dion James single, Jeff Nelson relieved Bosio and allowed an RBI single to Mike Stanley that made it 4–2 Yankees. After Joey Cora walked, Griffey's second home run of the game tied the score again in the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, Nelson hit Randy Verlade with a pitch to lead off. Bobby Ayala in relief allowed a single to Wade Boggs and RBI double to Williams. After Paul O'Neill's sacrifice fly made it 6–4 Yankees, a two-run home run by Rubén Sierra extended the lead to 8–4. Next inning, the Yankees added another run off Bob Wells when Boggs doubled with two outs and scored on Williams's single. In the top of the ninth, after a leadoff walk and one-out, back-to-back RBI singles by Edgar Martinez and future Yankee Tino Martinez cut New York's lead to 9–6 and put the tying run to the plate for the Mariners, but John Wetteland retired the next two batters to end the game.
Game 2 Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
In what was, at the time, the longest playoff game in terms of elapsed time, both teams battled back and forth. Andy Benes and Andy Pettitte started this classic playoff game. On the strength of a Vince Coleman home run, the Mariners jumped out in front in the third. With the game moving quickly, the Yankees responded with a Bernie Williams RBI double after Wade Boggs walked with two outs that tied the game in the fifth. Later, the Mariners would take their second lead of the night when Tino Martinez singled home Edgar Martínez, who doubled to lead off, in the top of the sixth. However, Benes allowed back-to-back homers to Rubén Sierra and Don Mattingly in the bottom half to end his night and put the Yankees up 3–2. However, the Mariners would reclaim the lead for the third time with a one-out double, subsequent single, RBI single by Luis Sojo, and sacrifice fly by Ken Griffey Jr. in the seventh, but Paul O'Neill's home run off Norm Charlton tied the game in the bottom half of the seventh. The game moved to extra innings and in the 12th the Mariners recaptured the lead once more with a home run by Griffey off John Wetteland, but, in the bottom of the inning, with two men on via two walks and two outs off Tim Belcher, Rubén Sierra hit a double that just missed being a game-winning home run by a couple of feet, scoring Jorge Posada with the tying run, but Williams was thrown out at the plate, ending the inning and forcing a 13th inning. Finally, in the bottom of the 15th, Jim Leyritz ended the game with a two-run home run after a walk off Belcher.
The game, which began at 8:10 P.M. Wednesday night, ended at 1:22 A.M. Thursday morning.October 4, 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 2, Mariners at Yankees
Game 3 Kingdome in Seattle, Washington