Schedule and 2000 Results
Regular Season Records: New York Yankees 87-74, Seattle 91-71
Game 1 on Tuesday, 10 October: Seattle wins in New York, 2-0
Game 2 on Wednesday, 11 October: Seattle loses in New York, 7-1
Game 3 on Friday, 13 October: New York Yankees win in Seattle, 8-2
Game 4 on Saturday, 14 October: New York Yankees win in Seattle, 5-0
Game 5 on Sunday, 15 October: New York Yankees lose in Seattle, 6-2
Game 6 on Tuesday, 17 October: Seattle loses in New York, 9-7
OVERALL SUBSTANCE: Yankees win, 4-2
The Yankees win the series, LWWWLW. This win is the fourth LWWWLW win in an MLB best-of-7 Semis series, the tenth in an MLB best-of-7 series (all rounds), the ninth in a best-of-7 Semis series (MLB, NBA, and NHL), and the 33rd in a best-of-7 series (MLB, NBA, and NHL; all rounds). The New York Yankees are now 29-10 in best-of-7 series (all rounds), and 4-0 in best-of-7 series (Semis only); the Seattle Mariners are now 0-2 in best-of-7 series (all rounds and Semis only).
SERIES NOTES:
Even though Seattle finished 3 1/2 games ahead of New York in the 2000 regular-season standings, the Yankees win home-field advantage (Game 1 at home) through winning their division (Seattle was the A.L. wild card for 2000)... In first games of best-of-7 series played in New York, the Yankees had a commanding 19-4 record before losing to Seattle, which improved its overall best-of-7 Game 1 record to 2-0 (the Minnesota Twins have the best best-of-7 MLB Game 1 franchise record at 5-0)... The Yankees set an MLB best-of-7 playoff series record for futility by posting 16 consecutive scoreless innings from the start of such a series, breaking the previous record of 13 consecutive scoreless innings (set by Detroit in the 1945 World Series, tied by Philadelphia in the 1950 World Series, and tied again by Los Angeles in the 1959 World Series)... In Game 2, the Yankees set a record for most runs scored (7) in the eighth inning of an MLB best-of-7 series game, breaking the old record of six set by the Cubs in Game 2 of the 1908 World Series in Chicago, tied by Baltimore in Game 4 of the 1979 World Series in Pittsburgh, and tied again by Toronto in Game 4 of the 1993 World Series in Philadelphia... Going into the bottom of the eighth in Game 2, visiting Seattle held a one-run lead: In best-of-7 MLB playoff series from 1905 through 1999, visiting teams leading by one after 7 1/2 innings had a 60-25 (.706) game record... MLB teams in Seattle's position after three games (winning Game 1 and losing Game 2 on the road; losing Game 3 at home) have a series record of 0-7; MLB/NBA/NHL teams in Seattle's position after three games in the Semis round (L.C.S. for MLB, Conference Finals for NBA/NHL) have a series record of 1-16, with the only win by the New Jersey NHL Devils (over the Philadelphia Flyers in series 810, earlier this year)... With the Yankees' win in Game 4 in Seattle, Seattle has now won Game 1 and lost Game 2 on the road, and lost Games 3 and 4 at home; in MLB Semis (League Championship) series history, the two previous teams in this situation won Game 5 (and thus avoided a sweep at home, that they might lose the series with some dignity on the road); at this point, Seattle's only positive role models are the four teams that did rebound to win their series, but all four are NHL teams in Prelim best-of-7 round action (Vancouver, 1994; Edmonton, 1998; St. Louis, 1999; New Jersey, 2000)... Seattle won the last of its three games (Game 5) vs. the Yankees in Seattle, to salvage one home win in their MLB Semis (A.L.C.S.) series; as such, the 2000 Seattle Mariners are following precedents set by the 1935 Chicago Cubs in the World Series, Pittsburgh in the 1990 N.L.C.S., and Oakland in the 1992 A.L.C.S.: Win Game 1 but lose Game 2 on the road to return home tied but with no momentum; lose Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1; win Game 5 at home to salvage the last home game and gain a moral victory, only to lose Game 6 and the series on the road... Trailing at home 4-0 after 3 1/2 innings of Game 6, home teams in best-of-7 series had a game record of 4-17 (.190); as such, the Yankees came back from the biggest in-game deficit in either series 820 or 821.
