The words “must-win” get thrown around a lot in sports. And quite often, the game to which they refer is no such thing. But headed into Game 2 of the ALCS, there was at least a pretty good argument that for the 2000 Yankees, this game was close to “must-win.”

Seattle had come into the Bronx for Game 1 and stolen it behind a combined shutout by four Mariners pitchers. Losing Game 2 would have meant the daunting challenge of being down 0-2 and heading to the other club’s barn, in hockey parlance.

So it was incumbent on New York to win Game 2 and keep this thing from going off the rails. The M’s managed to jump out to a narrow early lead, and as the game went on with more zeroes on the scoreboard for the Yankees, the tension was palpable. Were they about to go into another skid like late Se

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