| 2001 American League Championship Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 17–22 | |||||||||
| MVP | Andy Pettitte (New York) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Ed Montague Wally Bell Gary Cederstrom Charlie Reliford John Shulock Tim Welke | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | Fox | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Thom Brennaman andSteve Lyons (Games 1–2) Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Games 3–5) | |||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jon Miller andJoe Morgan | |||||||||
| ALDS |
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The2001 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a semifinal series inMajor League Baseball's2001 postseason. It was a rematch of theprevious year’s ALCS between the second-seededNew York Yankees, who had come off a dramatic comeback against theOakland Athletics in theDivision Series after being down two games to zero, and the overall top seedSeattle Mariners, who also rallied to win their Division Series in five games over theCleveland Indians. The series had additional poignancy, coming immediately after New York City was devastated by theSeptember 11 attacks (the series was played in late October, due to Major League Baseball temporarily shutting down in the wake of the attacks).
Though the Mariners had won an American League record 116 regular season games (tying the major league record established by the1906 Chicago Cubs (116–36 (.763)), and had home field advantage, the Yankees won the first two games in Seattle. Mariners' managerLou Piniella, a former Yankee player and manager, guaranteed after Game 2 that the Mariners would win at least two of the next three games in New York to return the series to Seattle.[1] The visitors won a blowout in Game 3, but lost a tight Game 4, and the Yankees closed out the best-of-seven series in New York with a 12–3 rout in Game 5 for their ALCS-era record fourth-straight league pennant.[2][3]
The Yankees then attempted to win a fourth consecutiveWorld Series title, but lost a close seventh game on the road to theArizona Diamondbacks.
New York won the series, 4–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 17 | New York Yankees – 4, Seattle Mariners – 2 | Safeco Field | 3:06 | 47,644[4] |
| 2 | October 18 | New York Yankees – 3, Seattle Mariners – 2 | Safeco Field | 3:25 | 47,791[5] |
| 3 | October 20 | Seattle Mariners – 14, New York Yankees – 3 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:49 | 56,517[6] |
| 4 | October 21 | Seattle Mariners – 1,New York Yankees – 3 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:24 | 56,375[7] |
| 5 | October 22 | Seattle Mariners – 3,New York Yankees – 12 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:18 | 56,370[8] |
Wednesday, October 17, 2001 atSafeco Field inSeattle, Washington
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Andy Pettitte (1–0) LP:Aaron Sele (0–1) Sv:Mariano Rivera (1) Home runs: NYY:Paul O'Neill (1) SEA: None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The starting date of October 17 was the latest ever for a League Championship Series (the regular season concluded on Sunday, October 7.) The Yankees took a 1–0 lead on aChuck Knoblauch single that scored Jorge Posada in the second offAaron Sele, then increased it to 3–0 on aPaul O'Neill two-run home run in the fourth. The Mariners got on the board on aJohn Olerud groundout that scoredEdgar Martínez in the fifth offAndy Pettitte.[9][10]
The score remained 3–1 until the ninth, when the Yankees increased their lead to 4–1 offJose Paniagua on aDavid Justice single that scoredAlfonso Soriano, who singled and stole second. The Mariners got that run back in the bottom of the inning whenMariano Rivera threw a wild pitch toBret Boone that scoredIchiro Suzuki, who doubled with one out and went to third on another wild pitch, but Rivera retired Boone and Martínez to end the game.[9][10]
Thursday, October 18, 2001 atSafeco Field inSeattle, Washington
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Mike Mussina (1–0) LP:Freddy García (0–1) Sv:Mariano Rivera (2) Home runs: NYY: None SEA:Stan Javier (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New York took a 2–0 lead in the second againstFreddy García on aScott Brosius double that scoredTino Martinez andJorge Posada, who singled and walked, respectively. Brosius then scored on aChuck Knoblauch single two batters later to make it 3–0 Yankees. The Mariners responded in the fourth on a two-run home run fromStan Javier offMike Mussina afterMike Cameron was hit by a pitch to make it a one-run game. That ended the scoring and the Yankees took a 2–0 series lead back toThe Bronx.[11][12]
This was the most recentMLB postseason game played in Seattle until Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS.
Saturday, October 20, 2001 atYankee Stadium (I) inBronx, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jamie Moyer (1–0) LP:Orlando Hernández (0–1) Home runs: SEA:John Olerud (1),Bret Boone (1),Jay Buhner (1) NYY:Bernie Williams (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Yankees jumped to a 2–0 lead in the first on aBernie Williams two-run home run off Jamie Moyer afterDavid Justice walked. But they did not score again until the eighth on aDavid Justice RBI single offJose Paniagua.Orlando Hernández pitched four shutout innings before letting the Mariners load the bases on two walks and a single in the fifth.Bret Boone's single scored two to tie the game. Next inning,John Olerud's lead-off home run put the Mariners up 3−2, their first lead in the series. After allowing a single and walk, Hernández was relieved byMike Stanton. An error allowed another run to score and put runners on second and third. AfterDavid Bellflied out,Ichiro Suzuki was intentionally walked to load the bases andMark McLemore cleared them with a triple.Mark Wohlers relieved Stanton and gave up a two-run home run to Boone to make it 9−2.[13][14]
In the seventh inning, with runners on first and third on a walk and error, Bell's single scored Cameron.Jay Witasick relieved Wohlers and, after getting two outs, allowed an RBI single to Boone. Next inning,Stan Javier hit a leadoff single, moved to third on two ground outs, and scored on Bell's single off Witasick. In the ninth, Witasick allowed a one-out home run toJay Buhner, then a triple toAl Martin, who scored on Olerud's single.John Halama retired the Yankees in order to end the game, a 14–3 Mariners win which guaranteed a Game 5.[13][14]
Sunday, October 21, 2001 atYankee Stadium (I) inBronx, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Mariano Rivera (1–0) LP:Kazuhiro Sasaki (0–1) Home runs: SEA:Bret Boone (2) NYY:Bernie Williams (2),Alfonso Soriano (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starting pitchersPaul Abbott andRoger Clemens both lasted only five innings, but Game 4 remained scoreless until the top of the eighth. Seattle'sBret Boone hit a solo home run off relieverRamiro Mendoza for the game's first tally, but the Yankees responded in the bottom of the inning with aBernie Williams home run to right on a full count offArthur Rhodes to tie the game.Mariano Rivera retired the side in order in the ninth, and Mariners closerKazuhiro Sasaki got the first out, then allowed an infield single byScott Brosius. The next hitter was rookieAlfonso Soriano, whose walk-off home run to right-center won the game, 3–1.[15][16]
Through the seventh, each team had just one hit:John Olerud's leadoff single in the fourth off Clemens for the Mariners, andTino Martinez's ground-rule double offNorm Charlton in the sixth for the Yankees. Abbott held New York hitless through the first five, but with eight walks; the Seattle bullpen issued two more walks while the Yankees gave up five total, four by Clemens. New York took a 3–1 series lead with another home game on Monday.[15][16]
Monday, October 22, 2001 atYankee Stadium (I) inBronx, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | X | 12 | 13 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Andy Pettitte (2–0) LP:Aaron Sele (0–2) Home runs: SEA: None NYY:Bernie Williams (3),Paul O'Neill (2),Tino Martinez (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the bottom of the third inning, an error by Mariner third basemanDavid Bell allowedScott Brosius to reach base.Alfonso Soriano then singled and both men advanced a base onChuck Knoblauch's sacrifice bunt.Derek Jeter's sacrifice fly andDavid Justice's double scored a run each, thenBernie Williams capped the scoring with a two-run home run offAaron Sele, all four runs unearned.Paul O'Neill homered in the fourth to put the Yankees up 5–0. In the sixth, Mariners relieverJohn Halama allowed three straight singles to load the bases with no outs.Joel Piñeiro relieved him and struck out Brosius, but then threw a wild pitch to Soriano to let all three runners move up. Soriano walked to reload the bases before Knoblauch's single, Jeter's walk, and Justice's single scored a run each, and New York led 9–0 with three innings remaining.[2][3]
The Mariners got their only runs in the seventh when they loaded the bases on three singles with one out: a single by Bell scored two, followed by a single byIchiro Suzuki scoring another offAndy Pettitte. In the bottom of the eighth,Tino Martinez hit a three-run home run offJosé Paniagua, andMariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth, retiringMike Cameron for the final out of the series, as the Yankees cruised to a 12–3 win and advanced to a fourth consecutiveWorld Series.[2][3]
2001 ALCS(4–1):New York Yankees overSeattle Mariners
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 42 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Seattle Mariners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 36 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 264,697 Average attendance: 52,939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Yankees' streak of consecutive World Series wins ended at three, as they fell to theArizona Diamondbacks inseven games. They made the World Series again in2003, but lost to the underdogFlorida Marlins, and did not win another World Series until2009.
This was the end of the Mariners' and Yankees' short-lived rivalry that started in the1995 American League Division Series, which was considered one of the best non-World Series postseason series ever.[17][18] In addition, this ended the most successful period in Mariners history, which saw the team make four postseasons in seven years.
Ichiro would be traded from Seattle to the New York Yankees during the 2012 season, ending his eleven-year run with the team. Ichiro was a Yankee until 2014 before signing a series of one-year contracts with theMarlins until 2017. Ichiro ended his career with the Mariners in 2019 at the age of 45 and was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame in August 2022 and theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.[19]
The Mariners' 116 wins in the regular season remain the most for an American League team and tied with the1906 Cubs as the most in MLB. Despite their success under manager Piniella, the team went on a downward slide from which they did not recover until2022, when they returned to the postseason for the first time since 2001.[20] The team would not reach the ALCS again until2025.[21]
In 2023,MLB.com ranked the Yankees’ upset of the Mariners as the third biggest upset in postseason history.[22]