Following an 11-1 disaster the previous day, the 2000 Yankees looked to salvage a split in their early August four-game set with the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, Trade Deadline acquisition Denny Neagle had his first truly disastrous outing of the season — the beginning of a late-season slide that ultimately raised his ERA from 3.52 at time of the trade in early July to 4.52 at season’s end. The only silver lining on this day—and boy did it turn out to shine brightly—came in the transaction log. More on that in a minute.

August 7: Yankees 5, Mariners 8 (box score)

Record: 59-48 (1st in AL East, 3.5 games ahead)

The early part of this game was structured in what Classicists call a chiasmus — an A-B-B-A framework. The game began with both Neagle and Seattle starter John Halama trading

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