4/18/84: The Birth of Donnie Baseball

Top of the 9th inning, Cleveland was leading the Yankees by a score of 6-3. Rick Sutcliffe retired Butch Wynegar on his own comebacker, then gave up a single to Andre Robertson and walked Omar Moreno. Sutcliffe knew what was coming next, on-deck hitter Willie Randolph was 3-4, the decision was made, Ernie Camacho was coming in, unaware he was about to become an eyewitness to pinstripe history.

Randolph hit a fly ball to Vukovich in right for out #2. Up next: Ken Griffey, who was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Griffey went "clutch" and roped a single to right field scoring Robertson with Moreno racing to 3rd. It was now 6-4, Indians with 2 out and a youngster from Evansville, Indiana stepping up to the plate.

Don Mattingly, 2 strikeouts, a foul-out to 1st and a triple and a run scored. Camacho stretched, delivered the pitch, Mattingly let it rip and... 3-run homer which landed somewhere in the middle of Lake Erie. Yankees 7, Indians 6. Donnie Baseball had arrived.

The Indians had runners at the corners with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th, but Dave Righetti set down the rally with a line drive to short, FC to 2nd with infield in and force out to 2nd. Jose Rijo got the win in relief of Phil Niekro, who actually walked 8 in 7+ innings with 0 k's, Camacho, the heartbreaking loss in relief of Sutcliffe.

Donnie Baseball. Only the beginning.

NYY 7-13-1 CLE 6-11-1 WP-Rijo LP-Camacho SV-Righetti HR-Vukovich, Mattingly GWRBI-Mattingly NYY 6-5 CLE 4-6 

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