October 31st, 2001
World Series, Game 4
Arizona Diamondbacks at New York
Yankees
Yankee Stadium, New York
The
2001 World Series was played in the shadow of the tragic events that happened
on September 11. The city of New York, and all of the United States for that
matter, was trying to recover from the devastation that was wrought on them.
The attempt of the New York Yankees to win the World Series for the fourth year
was a diversion for the citizens of New York from the reality that their world
had been shattered with the attack on the World Trade Centre Twin Towers.
The
Arizona Diamondbacks were in the World Series and merely expected to be the bit
players in the World Series as it was expected the Yankees would do New York
proud and win another Championship.
But
the D-Backs weren’t just happy to be in the Fall Classic; they wanted to win
it. After a 9-1 victory in Game 1 and a 4-0 win in Game 2, Arizona took a two
games to none lead to the Bronx. After the Yankees squeaked out a 2-1 win in
the third game, the stage was set for a Halloween showdown at Yankee Stadium.
Curt Schilling would get the ball for the D-Backs while the Yanks would go with
“El Duque,” Orlando Hernandez.
After
the first two innings went by without a run, the Yankees took the lead in the
bottom of the third, when outfielder Shane Spencer led off the inning with a
home run. It would be the last run Schilling would allow this game. And the
Diamondbacks quickly tied it in the top of the fourth when first baseman Mark
Grace hit a solo home run with two out.
No
runs scored in the fifth, sixth or seventh. Mike Stanton had replaced El Duque
in the seventh, and the lefthander came out to pitch the eighth. But with one
out and a runner on, Stanton would surrender double to Erubiel Durozo that
scored the go-ahead run. A ground ball out would score another run and Arizona
now had a 3-1 lead.
Surprisingly,
Arizona manager Bob Brenly decided not to let Schilling pitch the bottom of the
eighth, despite the fact the Yankee batters couldn’t touch him. Instead, Brenly
brought in his closer, Byung-Hyun Kim, to finish the job and get a six-out
save. Kim struck out the side to send the game to the ninth and after Yankee
reliever Ramiro Mendoza got the D-backs in order in the top half of the inning,
the game moved into the bottom half, with Arizona needing only three outs to
take a commanding three games to one lead in the Series.
With
one out, right fielder Paul O’Neill singled to left field. After Kim struck out
Bernie Williams, the Diamondbacks were only one out away from taking a
commanding three games to one lead in the Series. But Yankee first baseman,
Tino Martinez, brought the Yankee Stadium crowd to its feet when he belted the
first pitch he saw from Kim over the wall in right-centre field to tie the game
at three.
The
Yankees then put the next two batters on and had a chance to win the game, but
Kim struck out Spencer to send the game into extra innings.
New
York’s closer, Mariano Rivera, pitched a one-two-three top of the tenth and Kim
came back out to pitch the bottom half. He got third baseman Scott Brosius and
second baseman Alfonso Soriano to fly out, bringing short stop Derek Jeter to
the plate with two out.
As
Jeter came to the plate, the clock struck midnight, meaning October had
officially ended and, for the first time in history, the World Series was being
played in the month of November.
The
first pitch was fouled off and after Jeter swung and missed at the second
pitch, Kim was ahead 0-2. After a pitch low and away was ball one, Jeter fouled
off two more pitches before taking two pitches outside to run the count full,
then fouled off another pitch.
On
the ninth pitch of the at bat, Jeter took Kim’s pitch the opposite way and
deep. Arizona right fielder Reggie Sanders raced back but it was pointless. The
ball sailed over the wall for the dramatic, game-winning walk-off home run. The
Yankees had evened the Series and Jeter was the hero.
Who
else but the Yankee shortstop could have the honour of being “Mr. November”?
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