1998 American League Championship Series

The American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 1998 American League playoffs, was played between the Eastern Division champion New York Yankees and the Central Division champion Cleveland Indians.

The Yankees defeated the Indians four games to two and went on to sweep the National League champion San Diego Padres in the 1998 World Series. New York, who won 114 games during the regular season, recorded their only two losses of the 1998 postseason in this series.

Background

Cleveland advanced to the ALCS by ousting the Wild Card Boston Red Sox three games to one in the AL Division Series, while New York swept the Western Division champion Texas Rangers three games to none.

Summary

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians

Game summaries

Game 1

Tuesday, October 6, 1998 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Cleveland came in as heavy underdogs, but also were the defending American League Champions. In Game 1, the Yankees got off to a good start, by hitting four straight singles in the bottom of the first to score two runs. This paved the way for three more runs as a wild pitch and two more hits knocked starter Jaret Wright out of the game in the first. Chad Ogea came on in relief. Eventual ALCS MVP David Wells cruised through innings. A two-run homer by Manny Ramírez would knock home the only runs of the game for Cleveland in the ninth.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 7, 1998 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

In Game 2, twenty-game winner David......
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