30 greatest World Series in MLB history
2. New York Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001
The 2001 World Series between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks certainly did not start out looking a classic. The Diamondbacks opened the series at home, winning both games by a combined score of 13-1.
When the series went back to New York, however, things got interesting.
The Yankees picked up a win in Game 3, riding a masterful pitching performance by Roger Clemens to a 2-1 victory. In Game 4, Arizona took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. Tiny Martinez came to the plate with two outs and one runner on base, when he launched a two-run shot over the right-center field fence to tie the game at three.
The game went into extra innings, as well as the month of November, marking the first time in MLB history that the postseason had extended past October. This was due to the season being pushed back a week in the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11th.
Legendary Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, and hit a walk-off solo home run off of Diamondbacks reliever Byung-Hyun Kim to give his team the victory, earning the nickname “Mr. November”.
The Yankees won a third consecutive one-run game later that day, winning in walk-off fashion once again on a 12th-inning RBI single from Alfonso Soriano. In doing so, they took a 3-2 series lead as the teams headed back to Arizona.
The Diamondbacks would win Game 6 by a score of 15-2, forcing a Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark. Roger Clemens took the mound for New York, and Curt Schilling did so for Arizona, generating a matchup between the American League Cy Young Award winner and the National League runner-up.
Schilling gave up a solo home run to Alfonso Soriano in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. He was replaced by Miguel Batista, who faced just one batter. Manager Bob Brenly called upon his ace, Randy Johnson, the National League Cy Young Award winner who had thrown 104 pitches the previous night. Johnson retired all four batter he faced, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth with the Diamondbacks trailing by one.
After tying the game on a Tony Womack double, Luis Gonzalez blooped a one-out single over the head of Jeter to give the Diamondbacks their first World Series title. Johnson and Schilling were named World Series co-MVPs after combining for a 4-0 record and 1.40 ERA.
Next: 1. Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins, 1991