[12] Seattle scored four runs in the first inning of the Thursday afternoon game with a pair of two-run blasts before an out was recorded; Mike Cameron to left after a rare walk to Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martínez to center following a Bret Boone single.

David Bell added an insurance homer to left in the fifth, and Cleveland starter Chuck Finley lasted only 4+1⁄3 innings.

Jamie Moyer kept the Indians at bay in the sun and shadows with one run in six-plus innings, and the trio of Jeff Nelson, Arthur Rhodes, and Kazuhiro Sasaki sealed the deal out of the bullpen.

[13][14][15] The Mariners drew first blood early on after a bases-loaded walk by John Olerud off CC Sabathia drove in a run, but Seattle did not score again until the seventh on Ichiro Suzuki's RBI single with two on.

After two walks, John Halama relieved Abbott and allowed an RBI single to Jolbert Cabrera and sacrifice fly to Lofton.

[16][17][18] Facing elimination on Sunday afternoon, the Mariners called on Freddy García to go up against Bartolo Colón in a Game 1 rematch, both on only three days rest.

A sacrifice fly to the left field corner by David Bell tied the game, then back-to-back RBI singles through the infield to right by Ichiro Suzuki and Mark McLemore put the Mariners up 3–1.

Danys Baez relieved Colón and retired Edgar Martínez with a fielder's choice to shortstop Omar Vizquel to end the threat.

Seattle got that run back in the eighth: after Boone struck out, John Olerud singled up the middle, and Stan Javier grounded a fielder's choice to shortstop.

Mike Cameron's double to center scored Javier easily and Seattle led 4–2; lefthander Ricardo Rincón replaced Baez and struck out Lampkin on a check swing.

Rhodes retired Einar Díaz and Kenny Lofton on ground outs to first; Vizquel lined a single to center and advanced on a wild pitch strike in the dirt.

Paul Shuey relieved Rincón to face Martínez, who turned an inside pitch into a home run, high and deep down the left field line, to put the Mariners up 6–2.

In the bottom of the second, the Mariners loaded the bases off Chuck Finley with no outs, as Edgar Martínez and John Olerud walked, and Mike Cameron was hit by a pitch while looking to bunt.

Dan Wilson fanned and David Bell was caught looking, but Mark McLemore lined his first pitch to left to score two.

In the bottom of the inning, Ichiro Suzuki beat out his second leadoff infield hit to shortstop, and Stan Javier bunted him over again.

Lefthander Arthur Rhodes replaced Nelson and Lofton flew out to center field, near the warning track.

2001 ALDS (3–2): Seattle Mariners over Cleveland Indians Roger Clemens, coming off a 20–3 regular season record, struggled in Game 1, lasting four innings while giving up two runs.

The Yankees trailed 5–1 in the bottom of the eighth when Bernie Williams singled with one out off Jim Mecir, then Tino Martinez blasted a two-run home run that brought them within two.

Jason Isringhausen got the save for the second straight night as the Yankees got the first two runners on base before wasting three opportunities to tie or win it.

It appeared that Giambi would score easily, tying the game, when the shortstop Derek Jeter, while running across the diamond, reached out, cradled the ball, and shovel passed it to catcher Jorge Posada.

[24] It was replayed countless times over the following years, including as part of filmmaker Ken Burns's documentary The Tenth Inning in September 2010.

After the game, Jeter told the press that the team had been practicing this type of play all year as a result of a similarly botched throw in spring training.

According to Jeter, the idea of stationing the shortstop down the first base line on balls hit to deep right field came from Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer, who was a shortstop and second baseman during his playing career; however, he stated that his initial intent was to throw the ball to third to try to get Long, and that his throw home was a reaction play.

Zimmer confirmed the origin of the play's design in a conversation with Oakland's third base coach Ron Washington the next day.

However, Orlando Hernández allowed no other runs in his 5+2⁄3 inning pitched, and Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza sealed the deal out of the bullpen.

In the fourth, O'Neill hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Alfonso Soriano's single, knocking Cory Lidle out after 3+1⁄3 innings.