| Tracking the other November World Series |
| Updated 11/3/2009 1:42 PM ET |
Patriotism and traces of fear abounded after the 9/11 attacks. With the season pushed back a week, a first-time November World Series ending was in order.
Games 1 and 2 were staged at what was then called Bank One Ballpark as the Diamondbacks rousted the Yankees 9-1 behind Curt Schilling and two relievers, and 4-0 on Randy's Johnson three-hitter.
They were only warmups to the middle three games at Yankee Stadium.
Before Game 3, President Bush — after receiving advice from New York shortstop Derek Jeter— threw out the first ball. In the game, Scott Brosius' RBI single meant a 2-1 decision for the Yankees.
The next two nights, the Yankees took possession of the last of the ninth inning against reliever Byung-Hyun Kim.
In Game 4, Tino Martinez' two-run shot sent the game into the 10th inning before Derek Jeter earned the nickname Mr. November with a home run for a 4-3 victory just after midnight Nov. 1. In Game 5, Brosius connected with a man on to force extra innings before the Yanks won on Alfonso Soriano's single.
But the Yankees failed to keep the momentum.
Back in Phoenix, The Diamondbacks rolled 15-2 in Game 6 to set up Game 7 on Nov. 4.
Roger Clemens and Schilling matched zeros until Arizona broke through on Danny Bautista's RBI double in the sixth. New York countered in the seventh with Martinez's run-scoring single before Soriano became a World Series hero, if only for one inning, by homering off Schilling to start the eighth.
D'backs manager Bob Brenley eventually brought in Johnson, who had pitched seven innings the day before but got one out to end the eighth and worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
Then, it took six batters and Mariano Rivera's throwing error to bring the title to Arizona. Tony Womack's double off Rivera tied it and Luis Gonzalez's soft single to center won it as the Diamondbacks celebrated.
Arizona paraded the trophy behind co-MVPs Schilling and Johnson, who went a combined 4-0 with 1.40 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings during the Series. D'backs pitchers allowed only 14 runs in the seven games and posted a 1.94 ERA.
For the Yankees, the bitter defeat after such emotional victories in New York and taking the lead in Game 7 was tough to take.
"You saw the light at the end of the tunnel," reliever Mike Stanton told The New York Times, "and it was taken away."
| Posted 11/3/2009 1:19 PM ET | |
| Updated 11/3/2009 1:42 PM ET | |
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