Neha Patil (Editor)

2002 American League Championship Series

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Manager
  
Season

Dates
  
8 Oct 2002 – 13 Oct 2002

Radio
  
KLAC

MVP
  
Adam Kennedy

Location
  
United States of America

Television
  
Fox Major League Baseball

2002 American League Championship Series mmlbcomimagespostseason2015990x5572002ALCSjpg

Umpires
  
Ed Montague, Mike Everitt, Brian Gorman, Larry Young, Dana DeMuth, Ed Rapuano

ALDS
  
Anaheim Angels over New York Yankees (3–1) Minnesota Twins over Oakland Athletics (3–2)

TV announcers
  
Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons

Radio announcers
  
Jon Miller and Joe Morgan (ESPN Radio) Rory Markas and Terry Smith (KLAC)

Champion
  
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Similar
  
2001 American League C, 2002 American League D, 2005 American League C, 2000 American League C, 1999 American League C

The 2002 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a matchup between the Wild Card Anaheim Angels and the Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins. The Angels advanced to the Series after dethroning the reigning four-time AL Champion New York Yankees in the 2002 American League Division Series three games to one. The Twins made their way into the Series after beating the Athletics three games to two. The Angels won the Series four games to one and went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series.

Contents

Minnesota Twins vs. Anaheim Angels

Anaheim won the series, 4–1.

Game 1

Tuesday, October 8, 2002 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Joe Mays outdueled Kevin Appier as the Twins won Game 1. A. J. Pierzynski hit a sac fly to put the Twins out in front first, but the Angels tied it the next inning on an error by Cristian Guzmán. The Twins would take a one-run lead when Corey Koskie doubled in a run in the fifth. The game would remain scoreless and Eddie Guardado would get the save.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 9, 2002 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Angels would take their first lead in the series when Darin Erstad hit a solo home run in the first with one out. The Angels would score three more in the second. Scott Spiezio would double in the first run of the inning. In a bizarre play, Spiezio stole home while Adam Kennedy tried to steal second. He was caught up in the rundown and knocked the ball away from Pierzynski, although no one called interference. Adam Kennedy went to third and would score on David Eckstein's RBI single to make it 4–0 Angels. A two-run homer by Brad Fullmer gave the Angels a six-run lead. A three-run sixth inning, capped off by a two-run Doug Mientkiewicz single, cut the lead in half. Troy Percival would save the game as the score remained unchanged.

Game 3

Friday, October 11, 2002 at Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim, California

Garret Anderson started the scoring by hitting a lead-off home run in the second. Eric Milton and Jarrod Washburn dueled for seven innings. The game was tied thanks to an RBI double by Jacque Jones in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, Troy Glaus hit the go-ahead home run to put the Angels on top 2–1. Troy Percival got the save in the ninth and red-hot reliever Francisco Rodríguez got the win in relief of Washburn.

Game 4

Saturday, October 12, 2002 at Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim, California

The game remained scoreless into the seventh inning as Brad Radke and John Lackey waged a classic pitcher's duel. But, the Angels would strike in the bottom of the seventh. Troy Glaus and Scott Spiezio drove in two runs in that inning to make it 2–0 Angels. But, the Angels would seek insurance and got plenty of it. A five-run eighth inning, capped off by a two-run double by Brad Fullmer and a two-run triple by Bengie Molina, would seal the win.

Game 5

Sunday, October 13, 2002 at Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim, California

Game 1 winner Joe Mays took the mound to try to send the series back to the Metrodome. He was opposed by Kevin Appier and things certainly looked good for the Twins early. David Ortiz drove in the first run of the game in the first to make it 1–0 Twins. The next inning, A. J. Pierzynski singled in a run to make it 2–0. But the lead would be cut in half on an Adam Kennedy home run. Then, the Angels would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff homer by Scott Spiezio and the second home run of the day by Kennedy made it 3–2 Angels. A bases-loaded walk, however, tied the game at three in the seventh. Then, a wild pitch and a sac fly gave the Twins a 5–3 lead. But the Angels would put the game and the series away with one of the most offensive half-innings in postseason history. Two straight singles by the Angels put two on and nobody out for Kennedy. He would then join a small group of players ever to hit three home runs in a single postseason game. Having only hit seven homers during the regular season, hitting three in one game was an extraordinary feat for Kennedy. His three-run homer gave the Angels a 6–5 lead. But the Angels were far from done. They would score seven more runs in the inning, mostly on singles. The Angels would never let up and they would go on to win the series and their first ever pennant.

Impact and aftermath

The Anaheim Angels would go on to win the 2002 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. The Minnesota Twins, despite having lost the American League Championship Series, would go on to win the American League Central for two more consecutive years, although they would lose in the American League Division Series both years. Within six months, another Anaheim-Minnesota postseason match-up would take place. The Minnesota Wild would face off against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 2003 Western Conference Final during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Mighty Ducks would sweep the Wild to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, before losing to the New Jersey Devils.

Composite box

2002 ALCS (4–1): Anaheim Angels over Minnesota Twins

References

2002 American League Championship Series Wikipedia