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(2000) NY Yankees 4, NY Mets 1

The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball. The World Series is played between the American League and National League champions and the Series winner is determined through a best-of-seven playoff.

This was the first Subway Series in New York since 1956, and it wasn't a foregone conclusion that either team would make it to the Fall Classic. The Yankees of 2000 were not the juggernaut champions of years past. They stumbled into the postseason after a lengthy September losing streak, almost didn't get past the Oakland A's in the Division Series before returning to form against the Mariners in the ALCS, American League Championship Series. The Mets challenged the Braves for the NL, National league East crown for much of the season before falling short and again winning the Wild Card. They actually had an easier road than their cross-town rivals, beating the Giants and Cardinals to set up this historic matchup.

Game 1 set the tone for one of the closest Series in recent memory. It was the longest World Series game in history 4:51 minutes and a victor was not determined until the 12th inning. Lefties Andy Pettitte and Al Leiter threw up zeroes through five innings. After the Mets' Todd Zeile narrowly missed a two-run homer in the top of the sixth the first of several near-misses by the Mets in this Series David Justice gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead with a double in the bottom of the inning.

The Mets battled back to tie it in the seventh when pinch-hitter Bubba Trammell's bases-loaded single drove in two runs. One out later, Edgardo Alfonzo followed with an infield single to score Todd Pratt and give the Mets a 3-2 lead. But closer Armando Benitez could not hold the lead in the ninth, allowing Chuck Knoblauch's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to send the game into extra innings.

The Yankees, meanwhile, were building a 6-0 lead for the Rocket off of Mike Hampton and the Mets bullpen, highlighted by Scott Brosius' homer to lead off the second. The Mets scored five times in the ninth on a two-run homer by Piazza off of Jeff Nelson and a three-run Jay Payton shot off of Mariano Rivera, but it was too little too late and the Yankees grabbed a 2-0 Series lead.

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