Today it’s time for my five
favourite memories of the NLDS. Again, they are not ranked but rather placed in
chronological order. Enjoy.
October 5, 2003:
Chicago Cubs vs Atlanta Braves, Game 5
After
failing to wrap up the series at home in losing Game 4, the Cubs had to win at
Turner Field in Atlanta in order to win their first post season series in
nearly 60 years. They did so in
convincing fashion with a 5-1 win.
The Cubs got going in the first
inning when a Moises Alou single scored Kenny Lofton to make it 1-0. The lead
increased by a run in the second when Alex Gonzalez hit a solo home run. In the
sixth, Aramis Ramirez would hit another run, with Gonzalez on base, to make it
4-0. After the Braves pushed home a run in the bottom of the sixth, the Cubs
scored the final run of the game in the ninth on a pinch-hit double by Tom
Goodwin.
Kerry Wood started on the mound
for the Cubs, pitching eight innings, giving up the one run on five hits and
striking out seven batters.
The Cubs would go on to lose, in
heartbreaking fashion, to the Florida Marlins in the NLCS in a thrilling series
that went seven games.
October 9, 2005:
Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros, Game 4
The Astros held a two games to
one lead heading into Game 4, but trailed 6-1 going to the bottom of the
eighth. Houston first baseman, Lance Berkman, hit a grand slam to pull the
Astros within one run, and catcher Brad Ausmus hit a solo shot in the bottom of
the ninth to tie the game at six.
That set the stage for a long
Sunday afternoon and early evening as neither team could score over the next
eight innings. Finally in the bottom of the 18th inning, Chris Burke
hit a home run to give the Astros the game 7-6, and the series 3-1, and ended
the longest post season game in terms of innings and time (a record that stood
until 2014, when San Francisco and Washington passed it.)
The Astros would go on to defeat
the St. Louis Cardinals in six games in the NLCS, but were swept by the Chicago
White Sox in the World Series.
October 6, 2007:
Philadelphia Phillies vs Colorado Rockies, Game 3
After winning a dramatic
tie-breaker game against the San Diego Padres, the Rockies carried their
momentum into the NLDS and beat the Phillies in both games in Philadelphia to
bring a 2-0 lead home to Coors Field and a chance to advance to the NLCS for
the first time in team history.
Colorado scored first in the
bottom of the fifth, when Kaz Matsui doubled in Yorvit Torrealba to make the
score 1-0. The Phillies tied it in the seventh on a Shane Victorino home run.
But the Rockies re-took the lead in the bottom of the eighth when Jeff Baker
hit a pinch hit single to score Garrett Atkins and give Colorado a 2-1 lead
heading to the ninth inning with closer Manny Corpas on the mound.
Ryan Howard struck out. Aaron
Rowand grounded out to first. Shane Victorino grounded out, second to first, to
end the game. The Rockies had swept the Phils and won the first post season
series in its history.
The Rockies would sweep the
Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, but then be swept by the Boston Red Sox in
the World Series.
October 6, 2010:
Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies, Game 1
Long-time Toronto Blue Jays’
pitcher, Roy Halladay, had been traded during the previous off-season to the
Philadelphia Phillies. Game 1 was the first playoff start in his career and
what a first impression he made.
Halladay no-hit the Reds to
become only the second pitcher in MLB post season history to record a no-hitter
(Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956
being the other). The only blemish on his line was a walk in the top of the
fifth. He finished the game with eight strikeouts, and even had an RBI single and
scored a run at the plate as the Phillies beat the Reds 4-0.
The Phillies would sweep the
Reds, then lose to the San Francisco Giants in six games in the NLCS.
October 4, 2014: San
Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals, Game 2
As mentioned earlier, this was
the longest playoff game in terms of time and innings as the Giants defeated
the Nats 2-1 in 18 innings. While the Atlanta/Houston game also went 18
innings, it ended with one out in the bottom of the 18th, while in
the San Fran/Washington game, the 18th inning was completed.
As for time, 6 hours and 23
minutes after the first pitch was thrown, the game ended with National’s
outfielder Jayson Werth flying out to Giants’ right fielder Hunter Pence.
The Giants would go on to win
the NLDS in four games, beat the Cardinals in the NLCS in five games, then win
an exciting seventh game in the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, to
capture their third World Championship in five years.
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