1995 American League Championship Series
Encyclopedia
Game 1
Tuesday, October 10, 1995 at KingdomeKingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
The Indians called on the veteran Dennis Martinez
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
for Game 1. The Mariners rode the arm of Bob Wolcott
Bob Wolcott
Robert William Wolcott is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Boston Red Sox . He also played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan in ....
. Wolcott got off to a shaky start by walking three straight hitters to open the game. But he would get out of the bases loaded nobody out situation with ease. In the second, Mike Blowers
Mike Blowers
Michael Roy Blowers is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and first baseman. He is an alumnus of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington, Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington...
hit a two-run homer to put the Mariners in front 2–0. But the Indians would put together a run in the next inning and in the seventh, Albert Belle
Albert Belle
Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
's solo homer tied the game at two. With Martinez still pitching in a tie game, the Mariners would take the lead thanks to Luis Sojo
Luis Sojo
Luis Beltrán Sojo Sojo is a former Major League Baseball infielder and right-handed batter who played with the Toronto Blue Jays , California Angels , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates...
's go-ahead double in the bottom half of the seventh. Norm Charlton
Norm Charlton
Norman Wood Charlton III , nicknamed "The Sheriff", is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Seattle Mariners , Philadelphia Phillies , Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , and Tampa Bay Devil Rays .Charlton holds three degrees from Rice University.The left-handed...
would come on in the eighth for a inning save. He would retire the side 1–2–3 in the ninth.
Game 2
Wednesday, October 11, 1995 at KingdomeKingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
The Indians' second veteran Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
was called upon to stem the tide against Tim Belcher
Tim Belcher
Timothy Wayne Belcher is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award in for the National League...
. Both pitchers dueled for four innings until the Indians broke through in the top of the fifth with a two-run single by Carlos Baerga
Carlos Baerga
Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman, he was used at various positions late in his career.-Cleveland Indians:...
. In the next inning, the Indians grabbed two more on a Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
homer and an RBI triple by Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...
. But Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
's sixth postseason homer made it 4–1 in the bottom of the sixth. The Indians would put the game away when Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
hit his second homer of the game in the eighth to make it 5–1. Hershiser would give way to Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
in the ninth. Mesa would issue a one-out solo homer to Jay Buhner
Jay Buhner
Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform...
but would recover to close out the win.
Game 3
Friday, October 13, 1995 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
In Game 3, the starting pitchers were Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
and Charles Nagy
Charles Nagy
Charles Harrison Nagy is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from to , mostly with the Cleveland Indians, and currently serves as the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Early life and amateur career:Nagy...
. Nagy and Johnson pitched a scoreless first but the Mariners broke through on a solo homer by Jay Buhner
Jay Buhner
Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform...
. Then an error in the third by Álvaro Espinoza
Alvaro Espinoza
Álvaro Alberto Espinoza [es-pe-NO-zah] is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball and current infield coach for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.-Early life:...
gave the Mariners one more run to make it 2–0 Mariners. But the Indians put a run on the board after a leadoff triple by Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
and a sac fly by Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
in the fourth. The Indians then tied the game due to an error by Buhner. Johnson and Nagy both left the game tied at two. The game moved to extra innings and in the eleventh, Buhner came through once again with a three-run home run to give the Mariners a 5–2 lead. Charlton, who came on in the ninth in relief, got the win and shut down the Indians in the bottom of the eleventh.
Game 4
Saturday, October 14, 1995 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
With their backs to the wall in Game 4, Cleveland called on Ken Hill
Ken Hill (baseball)
Kenneth Wade Hill is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 14-year career, he pitched from 1988-2001 for seven different teams. He pitched in the 1995 World Series as a member of the Cleveland Indians. He also appeared in the 1994 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers...
to help tie the series. Opposing him would be Andy Benes
Andy Benes
Andrew Charles Benes is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 14-year career from 1989-2002. Benes played for four different teams: the San Diego Padres, the Seattle Mariners, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks...
. Benes wouldn't fare well against Hill and the Cleveland hitters. The Indians put three on the board in the first, a rally capped by Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
's two-run homer. A sac fly by Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
made it 4–0 in the second. Then the rain began to fall on Seattle's parade in the third as Benes surrendered a two-run homer to Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
in the rain. Benes was done and the rain ended after the third was over. Hill would pitch beyond expectations and lead his team to an easy 7–0 shutout.
Game 5
Sunday, October 15, 1995 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
Game 5 was a matchup between Chris Bosio
Chris Bosio
Christopher Louis Bosio is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners from to and a current major league pitching coach...
and Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
. Hershiser was looking to continue his excellence and he got off to the right start when the Indians knocked home a run in the first thanks to an error by Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez
Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...
. But Hershiser's slim lead would be cut in the third when Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
's RBI double tied the game. In the fifth, an error by Albert Belle
Albert Belle
Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
gave the Mariners the lead. The Mariners were closing in on a 3–2 lead going home but the Indians wouldn't allow it as Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
stepped to the plate in the sixth with a man on and hit a two-run homer to give the Indians the lead back. The Mariners had their share of chances. In the seventh, they had men on the corners with one out and Griffey Jr. at the plate. Paul Assenmacher was summoned from the bullpen. He proceeded to strike out Griffey on a high fastball as the crowd cheered, and the camera showed his wife going crazy. Then Jay Buhner stepped to the plate. Normally manager Mike Hargrove would bring in a right-hander, but he stayed with Assenmacher. He struck out Buhner on a low breaking ball and then slowly, stoically walked off the mound, head down, somber expression, with 40,000 fans screaming wildly. The Mariners could never capitalize on any more opportunities and Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
closed the door in the ninth.
Game 6
Tuesday, October 17, 1995 at KingdomeKingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
In the potential clincher, Dennis Martinez
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
faced Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
. Both pitchers kept the game scoreless until the top of the fifth. A key error by Joey Cora
Joey Cora
Jose Manuel Cora Amaro was a baseball player known as "The Rooster" with an 11 year career in the MLB spanning the years 1987 and 1989-1998. He played for the San Diego Padres of the National League and the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians of the American League...
allowed Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
to single home a run to put the Indians up 1–0. With the score still 1–0 in the eighth, the Indians put three runs together against Johnson. A passed ball with two men in scoring position allowed both of them to score. Kenny Lofton made a mad dash from second base, sliding in just ahead of the tag, and the entire dugout ran onto the field to celebrate. Then Carlos Baerga
Carlos Baerga
Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman, he was used at various positions late in his career.-Cleveland Indians:...
followed with a solo homer to give the Indians a commanding 4–0 lead with six outs to go. Once again, Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
came on to close the door in the ninth and did so with shocking ease. The Indians had won their first pennant since 1954. The Mariners were one of the very few teams to have lost in two shutouts in one series.
Composite box
1995 ALCS (4–2): Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
over Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...