2000 ALDS2

From BR Bullpen

• Managers: White Sox: Jerry Manuel | Mariners: Lou Piniella

[edit] How They Got There

After finishing 77-86 and 2nd to the Cleveland Indians for the 4th straight season in 1999, little was expected of the White Sox heading into the 2000 season. The team proved all of the experts wrong by finishing 95-67, the best record in the American League. It was the team's first division title in 7 years, they settled 5 games ahead of the Indians. The White Sox success was primarily due to their offense, as the team scored 978 runs (6.04 per game) and slugged 216 home runs in 2000. The pitching staff also deserved credit for the team's success, posting a 4.66 ERA, 4th in the league.

Likewise, the Mariners were not projected to be a playoff team in 2000, either. On February 20, the Mariners made one of the most memorable trades in MLB history, shipping superstar Ken Griffey, Jr. to the Cincinnati Reds for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez, and Jake Meyer. The Mariners were in first place in the A.L. West for most of 2000, but they could not hold off a late surge by the Oakland Athletics, and despite holding a division lead as late as September 28, 2000, the M's ultimately succumbed to Oakland and wound up winning the American League Wild Card instead, finishing the year 91-71, 1/2 game behind Oakland.

[edit] Results

[edit] Game 1 @ Comiskey Park

Mariners: 7, White Sox: 4

SEA | 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  | 7 13 0
CHI | 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  | 4  9 0

• WP: Mesa (1-0)
• LP: Foulke (0-1)
• SV: Sasaki (1)
• Attendance: 45,290

The Mariners struck off of White Sox pitcher Jim Parque in the top of the first, scoring on an Alex Rodriguez single and a John Olerud fielder's choice. The M's tacked on a third run thanks to a Joe Oliver homer in the second. For Parque, the game was the beginning of the end. He pitched with low velocity and was later found to have a career-ending shoulder injury.

The White Sox answered with two of their own in the bottom of the second. Chris Singleton was responsible for both runs as he drove home Paul Konerko with a triple and then scored on a Freddy Garcia wild pitch.

The Sox took the lead in the third after Ray Durham hit a home run and Magglio Ordonez smacked an RBI triple. The score remained 4-3 until Mike Cameron knocked in the tying run on a single in the top of the seventh.

The defining moment of the series came in the top of the tenth inning when Lou Piniella visited Cameron at first base with one out. The content of their conversation is unknown, but Cameron stole second following the visit. A rattled Keith Foulke then surrendered consecutive home runs to Edgar Martinez and Olerud. The Sox had no answer in the bottom of the inning, and the Mariners won game one by a score of 7-4.

[edit] Game 2 @ Comiskey Park

Mariners: 5, White Sox: 2

SEA | 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  | 5 9 1
CHI | 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  | 2 5 1

• WP: Abbott (1-0)
• LP: Sirotka (0-1)
• SV: Sasaki (2)
• Attendance: 45,383

It was the White Sox who struck first in game two of the division series. Back-to-back doubles by Ray Durham and Jose Valentin gave the Sox a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Valentin stole third, but the Mariners never let him cross home, thus escaping the inning with minimal damage.

White Sox starter Mike Sirotka ran into trouble in the second, loading the bases on a double, hit batsman, and a Jose Valentin error. David Bell tied the game with a run scoring single and Dan Wilson gave the M's a lead with a sacrifice fly. The Sox evened the game at two a piece in the third after Valentin stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error, and scored on a Carlos Lee sacrifice fly. That was the last of the runs for the White Sox, as starter Paul Abbott and relievers Arthur Rhodes, Jose Mesa, and Kazuhiro Sasaki shut down the Sox for the remainder of the game.

The Mariners jumped ahead 3-2 with a Jay Buhner home run in the fourth. They scored again in the fifth on an Alex Rodriguez ground out, and once more on a walk and a pair of singles in the top of the ninth. Sasaki picked up his second save of the series, securing a 5-2 Mariners victory.

[edit] Game 3 @ Safeco Field

Mariners: 2, White Sox: 1

CHI | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  | 1 3 1
SEA | 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  | 2 6 0

• WP: Paniagua (1-0)
• LP: Wunsch (0-1)
• SV: None
• Attendance: 48,010

James Baldwin and Aaron Sele locked horns in a classic pitchers' duel to conclude the best of five series. White Sox veteran Harold Baines scored the game's first run on a Herbert Perry sacrifice fly. It was the only run the Sox scored all day.

Stan Javier put the Mariners on the board in the fourth with a single just out of the reach of White Sox second baseman Ray Durham. The hit drove home Raul Ibanez and evened the score at one.

The series came to an end after an eventful bottom of the ninth. John Olerud started it off with a liner that hit White Sox reliever Kelly Wunsch. Wunsch failed to field the ball and Olerud advanced to second on the error; he was then replaced by pinch-runner Rickey Henderson. Keith Foulke replaced Wunsch on the hill for the Sox. Javier advanced Henderson to third on a bunt. With one out and Henderson on third, Foulke walked David Bell. Carlos Guillen hit for Joe Oliver and laid down a nearly perfect bunt, scoring Henderson. Upon review, it appeared as though Guillen may have stepped on the plate, which would have resulted in an out. He was ruled safe and the Mariners won the series three games to none.

[edit] Notes

• The win was the second post-season series win in the history of the Seattle Mariners. They had previously won the 1995 ALDS against the New York Yankees before losing the 1995 ALCS to the Cleveland Indians and the 1997 ALDS to the Baltimore Orioles.
• The White Sox lost their 5th straight post-season series; dating back to the 1919 World Series loss to the Cincinnati Reds. They had also lost the 1959 World Series to the Dodgers, 1983 ALCS to the Orioles, and 1993 ALCS to the Blue Jays.
• Ultimately, the Mariners' strong pitching outmatched the White Sox's strong hitting. Seattle's staff had a 4.50 ERA during the regular season, 2nd best in the American League. They held the White Sox to just 1 home run and 7 runs and a .185 team batting average in the 3 games.