2001 World Series (part one)

Wow, that was a long delay. I've been working, and actually played this series quite a while ago, but just haven't posted it.

The 2001 World Series took place between the Houston Astros, winners of a three-game playoff with St. Louis, and the Seattle Mariners, who tied the all-time record with 116 victories. Neither team had ever played in the World Series, so we'll have a new champion.

Houston-Seattle isn't exactly a huge rivalry. There was an NFL playoff game once between the Seahawks and the old Oilers that took place in Houston. The SuperSonics swept the Rockets in 1996, on their way to the NBA finals and a loss to the Bulls. Maybe there were some other ones, I don't know. I just know it's not a biggie. But this series was pretty interesting.

Game 1: Mariners go with ace Freddy Garcia, while Houston counters with Shane Reynolds, who didn't pitch in the three-game playoff. With the Astro bullpen spent, they really need a long game from Reynolds. But they don't get it.

Houston scores first, fittingly on Biggio's double and Bagwell's single. But the Mariners strike back, despite being without DH Edgar Martinez at Enron Field. Al Martin walks, Carlos Guillen singles and David Bell walks. Dan Wilson doubles in a pair and after Garcia strikes out for the second out, Ichiro singles in two more and moves up on right fielder Moises Alou's error. Mike Cameron singles to make it 5-1.

But the Astros come back against Garcia. Biggio and Julio Lugo hit back-to-back doubles in the third for a run, and in the fourth, consecutive singles by Hidalgo, Ausmus, pinch hitter Daryle Ward and Biggio make it a 5-4 game.

Both teams leave tons of opportunities on the bases. Bell homers in the sixth off Nelson Cruz so it's 6-4 Seattle. Garcia is pulled after five innings and nine hits. The Seattle bullpen holds the lead until the ninth. Kaz Sasaki had entered in the eighth, so he was still out there to face the top of the order. Biggio, 4-for-4 to that point, grounded out but Lugo, Bagwell and Lance Berkman all singled to make it 6-5. Alou then bounced one to Guillen but the shortstop not only didn't turn two to end the game, he didn't even get one. It was tied at 6-6. Arthur Rhodes struck out the next two and we went to extras.

The Astros had used their lesser relievers in this one and Kent Bottenfield was still in there in the 10th. He got through it and Rhodes did the same in the home half. Octavio Dotel, the sixth Houston pitcher (Wagner and Jackson not among them) entered in the 11th. Houston was out of bench players too. Dotel pitched two scoreless innings, and Rhodes worked a long stretch by going through the Houston 11th. In the last of the 12th, Joel Pineiro, pitcher No. 7 for the M's, came on. Hidalgo singled leading off, bringing Dotel to the plate. With no hitters left, he dropped a nice bunt to move Hidalgo to second. Tony Eusebio flied out and Biggio came up. The guy with the filthy batting helmet drove one to the gap for his third double, fifth hit and the game-winner. The Astros had an improbable 7-6, 12-inning win. The teams left 22 men on base in a wild game.

Mariners........ 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 6 14 1
Astros.......... 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 - 7 16 2
W: Dotel L: Pineiro
HR: Bell

Game 2: Jamie Moyer against rookie Roy Oswalt in a battle of 2009 Phillie teammates. It was a good one. No score through 3, Cameron homered for the first run in the fourth, and Bret Boone hit one out off Oswalt in the sixth while Moyer was breezing. In the seventh, with Mike Jackson in for Oswalt, Moyer singled with one out, went to third on an Ichiro single and came in on Stan Javier's hit. Ron Villone came in and walked John Olerud on four pitches. Nelson Cruz struck out Boone but walked Cameron to make it 4-0, then struck out Guillen.

Moyer, though, must have been tired from running the bases. He walked Bagwell and Berkman homered to cut the lead in half. Alou walked and Jeff Nelson relieved Moyer. He got out of the inning, but Norm Charlton was greeted by pinch hitter Chris Truby's leadoff homer in the eighth. To this point the Mariners had 11 hits, and the Astros 4, but it was a one-run game. Sasaki came in again to try to save it. He threw six pitches. Bagwell drilled one for a single and Berkman hit the last one for his second two-run homer and a very dramatic 5-4 Houston victory. The Astros had two legs up on a very unlikely upset, heading to Seattle with a four-game winning streak, and their ace, Wade Miller, yet to work in the Series. Seattle had no choice but to go with Aaron Sele when play resumed at Safeco Field.

Mariners........ 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 - 4 11 0
Astros.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 - 5 6 0

W: Wagner L: Sasaki
HR: Boone, Cameron, Berkman 2, Truby

(to be continued, and not in four weeks)