2002 National League Division Series

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Atlanta vs. San Francisco

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

had won their eleventh straight division title. The San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

were making their third appearance in the postseason since 1997. Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

was also looking for a little revenge because he was the left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

when they lost to the Braves in two straight NLCS appearances.

Game 1, October 2

Turner Field

Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...

in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

In Game 1, Russ Ortiz

Russ Ortiz

Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...

faced Tom Glavine

Tom Glavine

Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...

. In the top of the second, J.T. Snow hit a two-run double, then David Bell

David Bell (baseball)

David Michael Bell is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats...

singled Snow home to make it 3–0 Giants. But Glavine would help his own cause by hitting a two-run single to left field that almost tied the game thanks to an error by Bonds in the bottom half of the second. But a three-run inning, capped by Rich Aurilia

Rich Aurilia

Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi...

's two-run double, seemed to silence the Braves as the Giants took a commanding 6–2 lead in the fourth. Glavine would leave after five innings and Benito Santiago

Benito Santiago

Benito Santiago Rivera is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played for twenty seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the San Diego Padres...

would add insult to injury by doubling in two more runs in the sixth. But with one out in the eighth, the Braves put together a mini rally that started with Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield

Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...

's solo homer. With one on and one out, Santigo dropped a foul fly ball hit by Javy López

Javy López

Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...

. He would then homer to put the Braves back in the game. In the ninth the Braves put the tying run at the plate for Sheffield. Sheffield hit into a game-ending double play.

Game 2, October 3

Turner Field

in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

In Game 2, Kirk Rueter

Kirk Rueter

Kirk Wesley Rueter is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and is the winningest left-hander in San Francisco Giants history. Rueter played for the Montreal Expos and the Giants and made most of his career appearances as a starter. Rueter attended and played for Murray State...

faced Kevin Millwood

Kevin Millwood

Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...

, who was looking to keep the Braves' hopes alive in the series. The Braves would strike first on Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones

Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...

's RBI single in the first. But Snow homered to tie the game in the top of the second. Back-to-back homers by Lopez and Vinny Castilla

Vinny Castilla

Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves...

made it 3–1 Braves in the bottom half. Then Rafael Furcal

Rafael Furcal

Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...

's RBI single later in the inning made it 4–1. Mark DeRosa

Mark DeRosa

Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...

put the game away when he tripled in two runs and then scored on a passed ball. All the Giants would get in the game would be solo homers as the Braves evened the series with a 7–3 win.

Game 3, October 5

Pacific Bell Park

AT&T Park

AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....

in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

In Game 3, Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...

faced Jason Schmidt

Jason Schmidt

Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...

. In the bottom of the first, Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent

Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...

doubled in the first run of the game to give the Giants the lead. Then an RBI groundout by Julio Franco

Julio Franco

Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....

tied the game in the third. The game remained close until the sixth. With one out, three consecutive walks ended Schmidt's night. Then Vinny Castilla

Vinny Castilla

Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves...

would single in two runs. Keith Lockhart

Keith Lockhart (baseball)

Keith Virgil Lockhart is a retired second baseman and third baseman who played for 10 seasons in the major leagues from -....

would follow with a towering three-run homer to make it 6–1 Braves. Bonds' homer in the bottom half made it 6–2. But the ninth saw the Braves add insurance. They would score four more runs to take a 10–2 lead. That score would stand as the Braves took a 2–1 lead in the series.

Game 4, October 6

Pacific Bell Park

AT&T Park

in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

In Game 4, Glavine would be sent to the mound once again, this time facing Liván Hernández

Liván Hernández

Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...

. Glavine's struggles would continue, as he allowed two runs in the first on a sac fly and a groundout. Then two more runs, one of them a bases-loaded walk, made it 4–0. Then Rich Aurilia

Rich Aurilia

's three-run homer made it 7–0 in the third. Glavine allowed seven earned runs in innings. The Braves would hardly come close to winning. They would score three runs in the game as the Giants sent the series back to Atlanta.

Game 5, October 7

Turner Field

in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

In the clinching Game 5, Russ Ortiz

Russ Ortiz

returned to the mound to face Kevin Millwood

Kevin Millwood

. Reggie Sanders

Reggie Sanders

Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...

's RBI single in the second made it 1–0 Giants. Then Bonds would homer to make it 2–0 in the fourth. Mark DeRosa

Mark DeRosa

's RBI single made it 2–1 in the sixth. But the Braves would squander the chances to bring DeRosa in. The Braves left twelve men on base in Game 5. In the ninth, with the Braves trailing 3–1, Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield

came to the plate with two men on, representing the Division Series-winning run. Had he homered the series would have been over, but he struck out and Chipper Jones grounded out into a double play to end the series. This would begin the Braves' streak of four consecutive NLDS losses.

Composite box

2002 NLDS (3–2): San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

over Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

Arizona vs. St. Louis

The Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

won the West for the second straight year, having a better team than the previous year when they won the 2001 World Series

2001 World Series

-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...

. The St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

were making their third straight postseason appearance. Having swept the defending NL Champions in the 2000 National League Division Series

2000 National League Division Series

-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves:-Game 1, October 4:Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaGiants Pitcher Liván Hernández allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.-Game 2, October...

, they had a chance to sweep the defending World Champions in 2002.

Game 1, October 1

Bank One Ballpark

Chase Field

Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...

in Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

In Game 1, Matt Morris faced eventual 2002 Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson

Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....

, who dominated the 2001 postseason with ease. But in the top of the first an error by Tony Womack

Tony Womack

Anthony Darrell Womack is a former second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks, then with several other teams during his last four years...

put a runner on for Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds

James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...

, who then hit a home run to make it 2–0 Cardinals. But the Diamondbacks scratched out a run in the bottom half thanks to Steve Finley

Steve Finley

Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...

's sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the third, Quinton McCracken

Quinton McCracken

Quinton Antoine McCracken is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of twelve seasons in Major League Baseball, and was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays franchise's first center fielder and batter on March 31, 1998....

tied the game with an RBI single. In the fourth, the floodgates began to open as Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...

led off the inning with a triple and Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen

Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...

followed with a two-run homer. Then Edgar Rentería

Edgar Rentería

Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...

's RBI single later in the inning made it 5–2 Cards. In the top of the seventh with the score now 6–2, walks and errors by the D'Backs allowed six runs to score. The game was now out of reach as the Cardinals routed the defending champs 12–2.

Game 2, October 3

Bank One Ballpark

Chase Field

in Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

In Game 2, Chuck Finley

Chuck Finley

Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels...

faced Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling

Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...

. J.D. Drew got the scoring started with a solo homer in the third to put the Cardinals up 1–0. Finley and Schilling dueled until Finley left with a cramp in his pitching hand. When Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...

moved from left field in the eighth, he immediately created trouble by misplaying a ball hit by Greg Colbrunn

Greg Colbrunn

Gregory Joseph Colbrunn was a Major League Baseball player for 13 seasons.Colbrunn was part of the victorious Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 World Series winning team....

. Then McCracken would make him pay by tying the game with a double. But the Cardinals would take the lead thanks to Miguel Cairo

Miguel Cairo

Miguel Jesús Cairo is a Major League Baseball utility player who is currently with the Cincinnati Reds. He has mostly played second base during his career, but has played every position in baseball except catcher and pitcher. He currently plays mostly third base, in place of Scott Rolen during his...

's RBI single. Then Jason Isringhausen

Jason Isringhausen

Jason Derik Isringhausen is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-New York Mets:Isringhausen was chosen as a draft-and-follow prospect by the New York Mets in the 44th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...

would shut the D'Backs down 1–2–3 in the ninth for the save. Jeff Fassero

Jeff Fassero

Jeffrey Joseph Fassero is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Montreal Expos:Fassero was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 22nd round of the amateur draft, but he bounced around in the minors for several years until he joined the Montreal Expos in...

would get the win in relief and Mike Koplove

Mike Koplove

Michael Paul "Mike" Koplove is a sidearm relief pitcher for the San Diego Padres organization.Koplove throws with a different arm angle than most pitchers...

would get the loss.

Game 3, October 5

Busch Stadium (II)

Busch Memorial Stadium

Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....

in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

Only one team had come back after being down 2–0 going on the road, and that team was the same team Arizona had beaten to win the World Series the year before: the 2001 New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

. So the task was now daunting. Things certainly looked good for the Diamondbacks in the top of the second against Game 3 starter Andy Benes

Andy Benes

Andrew Charles Benes is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 14-year career from 1989-2002. Benes played for four different teams: the San Diego Padres, the Seattle Mariners, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks...

when David Dellucci

David Dellucci

David Michael Dellucci is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder.-High School:Dellucci graduated from Catholic High in Baton Rouge in 1991. He earned the team's Most Valuable Player honors in both baseball and football, and All-State honors for baseball...

homered to put the D'Backs up 2–0. But against Miguel Batista

Miguel Batista

Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, St...

, the Cardinals struck back when Cairo drove in a run in the bottom half of the inning. Then Pujols would tie the game with an RBI single in the third. A squeeze play gave the Cardinals the lead in the fourth. Then they added a run later in the inning to make it 4–2. But Rod Barajas

Rod Barajas

Rodrigo Richard Barajas is a Mexican American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He came up to the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks in...

homered to make it a one-run game in the fifth. The game remained close until the bottom of the eighth when the Cardinals added two insurance runs to make it 6–3. Isringhausen got the series winning save by once again shutting down the Diamondbacks 1–2–3 in the ninth. Dellucci would ground out to end the series.

Composite box

2002 NLDS (3–0): St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

over Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks

External links

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