2000 National League Division Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves

Game 1, October 4

AT&T Park

AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....

in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

Giants Pitcher Liván Hernández

Liván Hernández

Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...

allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks

Ellis Burks

Ellis Rena Burks is a former outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...

as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.

Game 2, October 5

Pacific Bell Park

AT&T Park

in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

Behind strong pitching from Al Leiter

Al Leiter

Alois Terry "Al" Leiter is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is now a studio analyst for MLB Network, and a color commentator for the YES Network.-Early career :Leiter attended Central Regional High School....

and a two-run home run from Edgardo Alfonzo

Edgardo Alfonzo

Edgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...

in the top of the ninth inning, the Mets carried a 4–1 lead into the last of the ninth. However, following a double by Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

and a single from Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent

Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...

, pinch hitter J. T. Snow

J. T. Snow

Jack Thomas "J. T." Snow, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He played all but two games in his career as a first baseman, and played nine of his 13½ seasons with the San Francisco Giants...

hit a towering three-run home run off of Mets reliever Armando Benitez

Armando Benítez

Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...

to tie the game at four. But the Mets would bounce back in the tenth inning, with Rookie Jay Payton

Jay Payton

Jason Lee "Jay" Payton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He has played for the New York Mets , Colorado Rockies , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox , Oakland Athletics Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies in 2010. He bats and throws right-handed. Payton is an opposite-field...

singling home Darryl Hamilton

Darryl Hamilton

Darryl Quinn Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants , Colorado Rockies and New York Mets . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

with two out in the inning. The Giants would threaten again, and had the tying run on with two out and Bonds at the plate, however John Franco struck out Bonds looking on a wicked 3–2 changeup, giving the Mets a heart-stopping 5–4 victory and a 1–1 series moving to New York.

Game 3, October 7

Shea Stadium

William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...

in Queens, New York
Giants starting pitcher Russ Ortiz

Russ Ortiz

Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...

stifled the Mets early, and had a no-hitter entering the sixth inning. He was staked to a 2–0 lead thanks to RBI singles from Bobby Estalella and Marvin Benard

Marvin Benard

Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....

. But in the sixth, the Mets broke through. Rookie Timo Pérez

Timo Pérez

Timoniel M. "Timo" Pérez is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Detroit Tigers organization.-Hiroshima Toyo Carp:...

, forced into action due to a Game 1 injury to starting right fielder Derek Bell, blooped a single over third base to score Mike Bordick

Mike Bordick

Michael Todd Bordick is an American retired professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2003 with four different teams: the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Early life:Bordick's father, Michael, was in the Air Force,...

and put the Mets on the scoreboard.

Two innings later, with the Mets still down by one run, pinch hitter Lenny Harris

Lenny Harris

Leonard Anthony Harris is a former Major League Baseball utility infielder who is currently the hitting instructor for the Great Lakes Loons. He is best known for holding the record for the most pinch hits in a major league career...

barely beat out the return throw on what would have been an inning ending double play. The Giants brought in closer Robb Nen

Robb Nen

Robert Allen Nen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.Nen is best...

, who had not blown a save since July to face Edgardo Alfonzo

Edgardo Alfonzo

Edgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...

. But Alfonzo ended that streak by ripping a double into the left field corner to score Harris and tie the game.

The game continued on into extra innings, where both teams mounted scoring threats, only to be turned away each time.

The game finally ended when Benny Agbayani

Benny Agbayani

Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is retired professional baseball player. Born in Hawaii to Filipino and Samoan parents, he attended Saint Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University. He also attended the Oregon Institute of Technology...

blasted a home run into the left field bleachers with one out in the thirteenth inning, capping another memorable postseason game at Shea Stadium and putting the Mets ahead in the series two games to one.

Game 4, October 8

Shea Stadium

in Queens, New York
In perhaps the most unlikely great pitching performance in recent memory, Bobby Jones, the Mets fourth starter, completely shut down the Giants offense, hurling a masterful one-hit shutout to clinch the series for the Mets. Mixing 85 MPH fastballs and 65 MPH curveballs, Jones thoroughly baffled Giant hitters all afternoon, setting down the side in order in eight of nine innings. Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent

's leadoff double in the fifth inning would be the Giants only hit. Jones would get all the offense he would need on Robin Ventura

Robin Ventura

Robin Mark Ventura is the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a former professional baseball player, a third baseman who played for four major league teams, most notably for the Chicago White Sox...

's two-run home run in the first inning. Jones got Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

to fly out to center to end the game, and set off a raucous celebration at Shea Stadium.

Mets announcer Bob Murphy

Bob Murphy (announcer)

Robert Allan Murphy was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. The Oklahoman was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003...

would say following the final out,

The one-hitter set a Mets' record for fewest hits allowed in a post-season complete game, besting Jon Matlack

Jon Matlack

Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...

's two-hitter in the 1973 NLCS

1973 National League Championship Series

-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe starting pitchers, New York's Tom Seaver and Cincinnati's Jack Billingham, produced a classic pitcher's duel in Game 1. The Mets threatened in the first, loading the bases with one out, but Cleon Jones grounded into a...

. It was also the fewest hits allowed in a League Division Series complete game until Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay

Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...

's no-hitter

No-hitter

A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...

in 2010

2010 National League Division Series

The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...

Composite box

2000 NLDS (3–1): New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

over San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

Game 1, October 3

Busch Stadium (II)

Busch Memorial Stadium

Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....

in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

It was a poorly pitched game for both starters, both of whom would last four innings or less. Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...

faced Rick Ankiel

Rick Ankiel

Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....

. In the bottom of the first, Maddux allowed four straight hits to lead off the inning. Then key errors allowed the floodgates to open as the Cardinals struck for five hits and six runs in the inning. But the Braves would make a game of it in the top of the third when Ankiel's control slipped away. He walked Maddux, then threw four wild pitches. The Braves would strike for four runs, a rally capped by Walt Weiss

Walt Weiss

Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...

's two-run single. Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds

James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...

would homer to make it 7–4 Cardinals. After the fourth, Maddux was done. The Braves would rally in the ninth and put the tying runs on but would ultimately fall short. Mike James

Mike James (baseball)

Michael Elmo James is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1995-2002.-External links:...

would get the win in relief of Ankiel. The most notable statistic of the game was the men left on base, as both teams stranded eleven men.

Game 2, October 5

Busch Stadium (II)

Busch Memorial Stadium

Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....

in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

Tom Glavine

Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...

faced Darryl Kile

Darryl Kile

Darryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...

, hoping to give his team a commanded 2–0 lead. Things certainly didn't look good in the top of the first when the Braves scratched out two runs on a single and a groundout. But the Cardinals struck back against Glavine. Will Clark

Will Clark

William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"...

would hit a three-run homer in the bottom half to put the Cards up for good. Carlos Hernández homered in the second, then Ray Lankford

Ray Lankford

Raymond Lewis Lankford and grew up in Modesto, California where he attended Grace M. Davis High School. Ray was a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres from to . He was known for his combination of power, speed, and defensive...

's two-run double gave the Cardinals a commanding 7–2 lead in the third. Glavine was finished and the Braves would ultimately change pitchers five times. It was another bad outing by a Cy Young Award winning pitcher. The Cardinals would go on to win 10–4 and take a 2–0 lead in the series.

Game 3, October 7

Turner Field

Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...

in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

The Cardinals sent Garrett Stephenson

Garrett Stephenson

Garrett Charles Stephenson , is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played eight seasons in the majors, from 1996-2003...

to the mound to finish off the Braves. The Braves' last hope was Kevin Millwood

Kevin Millwood

Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...

. Fernando Viña

Fernando Viña

Fernando Viña is a retired Cuban-American Major League Baseball second baseman and current MLB analyst for Oakland Athletics...

's leadoff homer silenced the Atlanta crowd in the first. But Andrés Galarraga

Andrés Galarraga

Andrés José Padovani Galarraga is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels...

would single in a run to tie the game in the bottom half. But Millwood would also struggle, despite having pitched a one hitter in the playoffs the year before. Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds

's two-run homer into the Atlanta bullpen in the third put the Cards in front for good. Edmonds' homer symbolized what they had done to the Braves in the series: barrage their bullpen with homers. Stephenson would leave the game due to tendinitis. Britt Reames

Britt Reames

Britt William Reames is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of six seasons in the major leagues, between and , for four different teams....

won the game in relief as errors and a sloppy bullpen allowed four more runs. Both teams would change pitchers four times. Paul Bako

Paul Bako

Gabor Paul Bako II is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. Bako is an example of a baseball "journeyman", having played for 11 different major league teams during his 12-year career...

would strike out to end the series. The Cardinals win in Game 3 not only put the Braves out of the NLCS for the first time since 1991 but it also made the Mets' run to the World Series

2000 World Series

-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...

much easier.

Composite box

2000 NLDS (3–0): St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

over Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

External links

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