Manager Season Manager Season End date October 6, 2002 | Dates October 1 – 5 Start date 2002 | |
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Television Fox (Games 1–2, 4)
ABC Family (Game 3) TV announcers Joe Buck, Tim McCarver (Games 1–2)
Jon Miller, Joe Morgan (Game 3)
Thom Brennaman, Tim McCarver (Game 4) Radio announcers Dan Shulman, Dave Campbell (ESPN Radio)
Rory Markas, Terry Smith (KLAC) Similar 2000 American League D, 2003 American League D, 2004 American League D, 2002 American League C, 2006 American League D | ||
The 2002 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 2002 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 1, and ended on Sunday, October 6, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. The teams were:
Contents
- New York Yankees vs Anaheim Angels
- Oakland Athletics vs Minnesota Twins
- Game 1 October 1
- Game 2 October 2
- Game 3 October 4
- Game 4 October 5
- Composite box
- Game 5 October 6
- References
The higher seed (in parentheses) had the home field advantage (Games 1, 2 and 5 at home), which was determined by playing record. The Yankees were not required to make up one remaining game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, potentially allowing the Athletics to tie them for the best record, because they had a 5–4 advantage over Oakland in head-to-head play and thus would win the tiebreaker for home field advantage through the playoffs.
The Division Series saw the wild card-qualifying Angels beat the defending league champion Yankees, and the Twins defeat the Athletics in a startling upset. The Angels and Twins went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Angels became the American League champion, and defeated the National League champion San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series.
New York Yankees vs. Anaheim Angels
Anaheim won the series, 3–1.
Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota won the series, 3–2.
Game 1, October 1
Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
The game went back and forth with the Angels taking a 5–4 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia brought in Scott Schoeneweis to pitch to Jason Giambi, who tied the game with an RBI single. Scioscia then brought in Brendan Donnelly to face Bernie Williams who hit a three-run homer to take an 8–5 lead which would hold, and give the Yankees a Game 1 victory.
Game 2, October 2
Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
It was a game of home runs at Yankee Stadium in Game 2. Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano each hit solo home runs for the Yankees. Tim Salmon and Scott Spiezio hit home runs for the Angels, but the two most important ones came back to back leading off the top of the eighth. Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus did so for Anaheim giving them the lead for good.
Game 3, October 4
Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim, California
The Yankees started teeing off Ramón Ortiz right away, putting up three runs in the top of the first, and one in the third before Ortiz was lifted. John Lackey came in for the Angels and gave up two more runs, giving New York a 6–1 lead. Anaheim responded by pecking away at the Yankee lead off Mike Mussina to tie the game after seven innings. They took the lead in the eighth with an RBI double by Darin Erstad off Mike Stanton. Steve Karsay relieved Stanton and served up a two-run shot to Tim Salmon, giving Anaheim a 9–6 lead for good, giving them a 2–1 series lead.
Game 4, October 5
Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim, California
With New York facing elimination, they sent David Wells to the mound. The Yankees had a 2–1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning when the floodgates opened. Shawn Wooten opened the inning with a home run to tie the game, and Anaheim rattled off six consecutive singles with one out to chase Wells. Ramiro Mendoza relieved Wells and gave up three more runs and was relieved by Orlando Hernández, but the damage was done. The eight-run inning gave the Angels a commanding 9–2 lead. The Yankees had a few one-run innings, but it was too little too late. The Angels were going to the ALCS.
Anaheim's victory secured their place in the American League Championship Series.
Composite box
2002 ALDS (3–1): Anaheim Angels over New York Yankees
Game 1, October 1
Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California
The inexperienced Twins played up-tight and had some bad blunders in the field to start the game off. They trailed 5–1 after the first two innings. Oakland starter Tim Hudson could not hold the lead, giving up a home run to Twin third baseman Corey Koskie and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Minnesota took a 6–5 advantage in the sixth inning on a Koskie RBI groundout. The Minnesota bullpen pitched four innings of shutout ball to escape with a stunning victory over the Athletics.
Game 2, October 2
Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California
Oakland dominated Twin starter Joe Mays from the get-go and never looked back. Third baseman Eric Chavez hit a three-run home run in the first inning, and the A's added five more runs in the fourth, chasing Mays after 3 1⁄3 innings. Minnesota's lone run came on a Cristian Guzmán solo blast in the sixth inning.
Game 3, October 4
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ray Durham stunned the Twin fans inside the Metrodome by leading off the game with an inside-the-park home run, the first in Division Series history. Scott Hatteberg hit a home run to right field moments later to stake 23-game winner Barry Zito to 2–0 lead. Minnesota tied the game at three in the fifth, but the A's powered their way to a win with help from a Jermaine Dye home run and a two-run seventh. It was just the second postseason loss at the HHH Metrodome for the Twins (11–1 home record coming into the game), the last coming in 1991 to Toronto in the ALCS.
Game 4, October 5
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota staved off elimination by pounding Oakland 11–2, despite trailing 2–0 early. The Twins tied the game in the third and had a seven-run fourth inning, making it 9–2, and that was all starter Eric Milton needed, forcing a decisive Game 5 in Oakland.
Game 5, October 6
Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California
Minnesota got off to a 2–1 lead, and it was a pitchers' duel until the ninth. Twins starter Brad Radke had a gutty performance, going 6 2⁄3 innings and giving up only one run on six hits. Minnesota added three runs in the top of the ninth making it 5–1, thanks to a two-run homer from A. J. Pierzynski and an RBI double from David Ortiz. But Oakland rallied against Twin closer Eddie Guardado in the bottom of the ninth when A's second baseman Mark Ellis hit a three-run home run to left to make it a 5–4 game. Oakland had one on and two outs when Ray Durham fouled out to second to end the series.
Minnesota's victory secured its place in the American League Championship Series.
Composite box
2002 ALDS (3–2): Minnesota Twins over Oakland Athletics