On this date in 2001: Diamondbacks rally for only World Series title
On this date in 2001, the Diamondbacks rallied to beat Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the World Series. It was the first and so far only championship in team history.
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
On this date back in 2001, the Diamondbacks rallied to beat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series. It was the first and so far only World Series championship in D-Backs history.
The score was tied 1-1 heading into the eighth inning -- Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling were locked in a pitchers' duel -- when Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead solo home run to give New York a 2-1 lead. Rivera came in for the two-inning save and retired the side in order in the eighth.
Randy Johnson, who threw 104 pitches in Game 6 the previous day, came out of the bullpen to record four outs and keep the Yankees at bay. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, the D-Backs rallied thanks in part to an error by Rivera. Here's the video:
The 2001 World Series was the first time Major League Baseball was played in November. The season and postseason had been delayed by the September 11 attacks.
Arizona became the fastest expansion franchise to win a World Series, doing so in only their fourth year of existence. They went 65-97 in 1998, their inaugural season, then went 100-62 in 1999 thanks to an offseason overhaul, which included signing Johnson.
