The first game of the 1999 American League Division Series between the Yankees and the Texas Rangers was not one of those games—an 8-0 drubbing by the Bombers—but the next games were as close as expected.

October 7: Yankees 3, Rangers 1 (box score)

Playoffs: Up 2-0 in ALDS (100-64 overall)

ALDS Game 2 in the Bronx gave the Yankees faithful plenty to cheer (and be nervous) about. Andy Pettitte, an all-time great Yankee and left-hander, took the mound against a team he had a 3.38 ERA against that season. It had been a turbulent year for the southpaw, but he had turned it around in the second half and was trusted with the Game 2 start in the Bronx — a common occurrence throughout his 18-year career.

In the first inning, there was only one baserunner, Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, who reached on an error by Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez. Rangers starter Rick Helling diced through the top three hitters in the Yankees lineup, Chuch Knoblauch, Derek Jeter, and Paul O’Neill. Pettitte only allowed one hit through the first third of the game, but Helling kept rolling on his own. The 27-year-old righty pitched three perfect innings frames, coolly dismissing the rest of the New York order.

With Helling dealing, the Rangers offense took advantage and quieted the home crowd in the top of the fourth inning. Well, perhaps the better way to describe it is that one Ranger quieted the crowd. The man named 1999 AL MVP (Rodríguez) grounded out to first, but into the box stepped the powerful Juan González, the reigning MVP and two-time winner of the honor. He slugged 434 homers in his career, belted 40 in five different seasons, and crushed two off Pettitte back in Game 2 of the 1996 ALDS. Sure enough, González snapped the Rangers’ scoreless streak with a solo shot against the lefty, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

It turned out to be the final homer that González hit with the Rangers before being traded to Detroit. He had been with Texas since being signed out of Puerto Rico in 1986.

Helling gave up his first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth to Jeter, following a strikeout of Knoblauch in the leadoff spot. However, no damage was done following the hit to center.

Pettitte ran into trouble again in the fifth. Roberto Kelly and Lee Stevens led it off with a single and an automatic double that bounced into the left-field stands, immediately putting the southpaw on the ropes while already trailing in the ballgame. Two deep fly balls or slow grounders would give Texas a pair of much-needed insurance runs for Helling. Pettitte fell behind 3-0 to Mark McLemore before fully buckling down. A called strike, a foul, and a whiff sent McLemore back to the dugout emptyhanded, and Royce Clayton did the same on a sharp groundout to third. Rusty Greer worked the count full … only to go down swinging.

Needless to say, Pettitte was pumped.