On this date Yankees history: O'Neill rings and robs the Bell

FLUSHING, N.Y. — In a precursor to their 2000 World Series Subway Series, the New York Yankees and New York Mets began the Shea Stadium slate of their regular season schedule. The two clubs split their two contests back in June at Yankee Stadium, which set up a historic doubleheader but I digress.

In this particular game, a Friday evening in Queens, fans were treated to quite the pitching duel between Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and Al Leiter. Both starting pitchers would toil for eight innings of Yeomans's work.

Despite eight strikeouts, the Yankees would get to Leiter right out of the box. During the first frame, four consecutive one-out singles by Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada, staked the Yankees to a 2-0 advantage.

As with Leiter, Hernandez was rolling from there until the eighth. After yielding a one-out triple to right by Melvin Mora, Derek Bell strode to the plate representing the tying run.

Bell sent a soaring drive to right but O'Neill was there to retrieve the ball with a leaping grab to rob the home run. Mora would tag up and score but that's all the Mets would score.

Mariano Rivera locked it down in the ninth for a 2-1 victory.