NEW YORK — On this date in 2000, a new twist was added to the Subway Series. For the first time since 1903, a two-ballpark doubleheader was played between the crosstown New York Yankees and New York Mets. The day began with a matinee at Shea Stadium and ended with a nightcap in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees swept the twin bill with identical 4-2 victories.
There was no shortage of drama and intrigue between the two boroughs.
Dwight “Doc” Gooden, picked up off the proverbial scrap heap for his second go-round with the Yankees, returned to the site of his many former glories. The ex-Mets phenom made his first start at Shea Stadium since 1994 and earned the victory with five frames of work.
Mets skipper Bobby Valentine didn’t last more than one pitch, after the first baseman, Todd Zeile was called for obstruction on Chuck Knoblauch.
A Derek Jeter RBI-double and a Tino Martinez RBI-single off Bobby Jones staked the Yankees to an early 2-0 lead.
It was a big afternoon for Martinez, whose solo swat to left in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie. The Yankee first baseman also added some insurance with an RBI-single in the eighth. Martinez would hit .364 in the World Series that year, so he pretty much owned the Mets in 2000.
Under the lights in the Bronx, it was lights out as Roger Clemens sent Mets’ catcher Mike Piazza (who was actually at DH) to the hospital. Piazza, who’d homered off Clemens the season prior and took him deep with a grand slam back in June, was drilled in the helmet and knocked unconscious in the second stanza.
After the Mets jumped to a 2-0 advantage via a pair of consecutive RBI singles from Edgardo Alfonzo and Derek Bell in the fifth frame, the Bronx Bombers stormed right back.
In the home half, Scott Brosius lined an RBI-single to right off Glendon Rusch to cut the lead in half. The ensuing batter Knoblauch launched a three-run homer to left for the difference-maker.
As he did in the first contest, Mariano Rivera notched another save to secure the twin bill sweep.
