PHOENIX (AP) The final World Series comeback belonged to the Arizona Diamondbacks and it was the greatest of all.
- Paul Wong
- Arizona”s Luis Gonzalez is mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series.<br><br>AP PHOTO/Daily
Luis Gonzalez hit an RBI single to cap a two-run rally off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Arizona stunned the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 last night.
The Yankees were only two outs from their fourth straight World Series title when it all fell apart.
Tony Womack tied it with an RBI double and, after Craig Counsell was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Gonzalez blooped a soft single to center field.
Rivera, who had saved 23 straight postseason games, could do nothing but watch the ball fall in to end the Yankees” dynasty.
What began as a November duel between Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens climaxed with the Diamondbacks winning the title in just their fourth year of existence. It was the fastest rise in history, breaking the mark of five years set by the 1997 Florida Marlins.
The Diamondbacks did it by bouncing back from two of the toughest losses in Series history. They dropped Games 4 and 5 at Yankee Stadium, blowing two-run leads in the bottom of the ninth both times.
Randy Johnson, at 38, earned the victory in relief. He also won Game 6 on Saturday night, a 15-2 romp. Johnson was 3-0, making him the first pitcher to win three times in a Series since Detroit”s Mickey Lolich in 1968.
He and Schilling are linked in history not only as World Series winners but as MVPs.
Johnson, Schilling and several Arizona old-timers, including Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Matt Williams and Mike Morgan, won their first championship ring.
“They have a great ballclub over there, but this team was relentless,” Gonzalez said. “This is probably going to go down as one of the best World Series ever.”
Brenly became the first manager to win the championship in his first year since Ralph Houk did it with the Yankees in 1961.
The Yankees, the team that would not give up, nearly won it for the city that would not give in. A highly motivated bunch, they showed extra resolve after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York.
The Yankees were a homerun swing away from elimination in the first round against Oakland, and lost the first two games at Bank One Ballpark.
But back in the desert, they looked lost.
“We”re obviously disappointed in the result, but not the effort,” Yankees manager Joe Toree said.
Alfonso Soriano”s solo homer off Schilling put New York ahead 2-1 in the eighth. Rivera, the most dominant reliever in postseason history, set down the Diamondbacks in the bottom half.
Then in the ninth, Arizona rallied.
Grace led off with a single and Rivera threw away Damian Miller”s bunt for an error, putting runners at first and second.
Jay Bell bunted into a force play at third, but Womack lined a tying double to the right-field corner. Counsell, who scored the winning run in Game 7 with Florida in 1997, was hit by a pitch.
With the infield in, Gonzalez hit it hard enough for a game-winning single that set off fireworks, pounding music and deafening cheers.
The Yankees fell to 5-6 overall in deciding Game 7s of the Series.