Rewind: A Pedro-Clemens duel for the ages
3 years before their famous ALCS clashes, Martinez and The Rocket put on a show
Matt Kelly
@mattkellyMLBIn its new series "Hidden Classics," MLB is digging into its archives and dusting off big games you might have forgotten about from your favorite stars of yesteryear. Stay tuned to MLB.com/HiddenClassics and MLB's YouTube channel for more Hidden Classic games later this month.
Pitching showdowns of the early 2000s didn¡¯t get any bigger than Pedro Martinez vs. Roger Clemens.
Pedro and Roger were already must-see TV on their own, but the pair represented something bigger after the Yankees traded for Clemens in February 1999. These matchups became more than just ace vs. ace; it was Red Sox-Yankees, Boston¡¯s best against New York¡¯s best. Each pitcher¡¯s competitive fire was the cherry on top.
Fans streaming Netflix's documentary "The Comeback: 2004 Red Sox" are being treated to lookbacks of the two most famous Martinez vs. Clemens clashes: Games 3 and 7 of the 2003 ALCS. But, with a little concentration, diehard Sox and Yankees fans can probably recall a different Pedro-Roger matchup ¨C when each ace truly lived up to the billing. What resulted was one of the best pitchers' duels of the era, featured on this week's installment of ¡°Hidden Classics¡±.
MLB¡¯s ¡°Hidden Classics¡± series dusts off old tapes from games you might not have seen in a while, forgotten about completely or just plain missed the first time around. This week¡¯s installment turns back the clock to ESPN¡¯s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on May 28, 2000 at old Yankee Stadium. On the bump was prime Pedro (authoring his second straight Cy Young Award season, and one of the greatest two-season stretches by any pitcher ever) and Clemens, who was still mowing down hitters two months into his age-37 campaign.
Clemens, the grizzled veteran, pitched like it was 1986, racking up strikeout after strikeout for the home Yankees. The younger Martinez was more economical but just as steely, matching The Rocket zero for zero deep into the Bronx night.
After a combined 22 strikeouts, one late-game swing finally broke up the pitchers' duel. Relive how it all shook out by watching the condensed game in the video player above, or on MLB¡¯s YouTube channel.
¡°Hidden Classics¡± also recently revisited Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners¡¯ last game at the Kingdome, and Albert Pujols¡¯ 5-for-5, three-homer game against the rival Cubs. Stay tuned for future installments by bookmarking MLB.com/HiddenClassics.