2001 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #2
 
GladstoneGladiators@HollywoodVampires |
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| PREVIEW – A matchup between the two division winners, NL Central Gladstone (96-66) vs NL West Hollywood (102-60). During the regular season, Hollywood dropped the series 5-7. |
| GAME #1 – Chan Ho Park 12-12 (3.17) vs. Roy Oswalt 14-2 (2.76)
The stage is set for the Division Series showdown as the Gladiators face off against the Vampires. Both teams take to the field, with the scoreboard still showing a thrilling 0-0 at the top of the first. The tension is palpable! Roy Oswalt takes the mound for the Vampires, and he starts strong, striking out Knoblauch for the first out. D. Berg attempts a soft blooper to right, but Burnitz races in to make the catch, followed by another easy out from Koskie, ending the first without a hit. Now it’s the Vampires’ turn! Jeff Cirillo pops a lazy fly to Berg, one out! But wait! Cliff Floyd steps up, and BAM! He crushes a homer over the fence! Vampires lead 1-0! The crowd erupts! Kevin Millar doubles, and while Paul Konerko‘s fly to Hidalgo is caught, Randy Velarde can’t get on base, ending the first with the Vampires leading 1-0. In the second, the Gladiators struggle against Oswalt, who’s in command. Fast forward to the fourth: Dve Berg finally breaks Oswalt’s no-hitter with a double! The tension rises as Corey Koskie grounds out but advances Berg to third. Jeff Bagwell swings but strikes out—what a heartbreak! Into the seventh, the Gladiators have a runner on first when Oswalt’s pulled after six brilliant innings. Steve Kline comes in, facing Ben Grieve, who gets a hit. The tying run is on second! But Benito Santiagos’ attempted bunt leads to a double play, snuffing the rally! Bottom of the seventh, and a thrilling play it was! Gabe Kapler is on 3rd with less then 2-outs. Rafeal Furcal steps in….Hollywood is calling for a sqeeze!! Furcal’s bunt is perfect and the Vampires lead 2-0! The ninth arrives with the Gladiators desperate. Bagwell’s fly out is caught on the warning track! Richard Hidalgo manages a single, but it’s too little, too late. Final Score: : Hollywood 2 – Gladstone 0 Win: Roy Oswalt 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #2 – Russ Ortiz 13-10 (3.33) vs. Wade Miller 15-9 (3.29)
In an electrifying Division Series Game 2 showdown, the Gladiators clashed with the Vampires. **Top of the 1st:** The Gladiators struck first! Chuck Knoblauch ignited the inning with a walk. Then, Juan Uribe executed a masterful single, advancing Knoblauch to third. The stakes soared when Corey Koskie crushed a soaring drive to center, sending Knoblauch home and Uribe around third. In a heart-stopping moment, Uribe sprinted in just ahead of the throw, making it 2-0 Gladiators! In the bottom half, the Vampires fought back valiantly. Jeff Cirillo kicked things off with a single, but the Gladiators’ defense held firm, retiring the side without a score. In the bottom of the 3rd the Vampires finally broke through when Kevin Millar smashed a double, bringing home Furcal, cutting the deficit to 2-1. In the bottom of the 7th the Vampires unleashed their fury! Jeromy Burnitz led off with a double, followed by Gabe Kapler‘s perfectly executed bunt. A sacrifice fly from A.J. Pierzynski tied the game at 2-2! It stays that way until the bottom of the 9th. Gabe Kapler leads off the bottom of the 9th against Gladstone’s closer Felix Rodriguez. The pitch … that’s socked to left … way high … way deep … way out of here! it’s all over! … Kapler hit that on the sweet spot … Kapler will touch them all and he’s sure taking his time. The walk-ff gives Hollywood a the victory. Final Score:: Hollywood 3 – Gladstone 2 Win: Steve J. Kline 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #3 – Mark Mulder 18-11 (3.56) vs. Javier Vazquez 19-5 (2.78)
In a nail-biting Division Series Game 3 showdown, the tension reached a fever pitch in the sixth inning with both the Vampires and Gladiators locked in a relentless battle, scoreless and on the edge of their seats! With one out, Cliff Floyd broke the deadlock, smashing a sizzling double to right center, setting the stage for a dramatic turn of events. Paul Konerko followed suit with a fierce grounder that zipped past a diving Corey Koskie, allowing Floyd to dash home and score! Suddenly, the Vampires were on the board, leading 1-0! But the Gladiators weren’t about to go quietly! In the seventh, they rallied back, tying the game at 1-1 thanks to a blooper from Richard Hidalgo that brought home Koskie, now stationed on third. The crowd erupted as the Gladiators ignited their hopes! The game trudged into extra innings, where the stakes were higher than ever! In the 13th, the Vampires struck again! Devon White roared into action, hammering a grounder that slipped past Koskie, allowing Jeff Cirillo to sprint home, reclaiming the lead at 2-1! The Vampires were ecstatic, their dugout bubbling with energy! With a slim advantage, the Vampires’ Keith Foulke took the mound in the bottom of the 13th, ready to seal the deal. He dispatched former Vampire, Desi Relaford and Jose Uribe with swift strikes, leaving the crowd breathless! As Foulke faced the final batter, the air crackled with anticipation. A perfect pitch led to a grounder that sealed the game for the Vampires, clinching a hard-fought victory! Final Score: Hollywood 2 – Gladstone 1 (13 Innings) Win: Keith Foulke 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #4 – Chan Ho Park 12-12 (3.17) vs. Roy Oswalt 14-2 (2.76)
In a re-match of game 1, Gladstone turns to Park to keep their post season alive Buckle up, baseball aficionados, because this was no ordinary matchup—it was an epic clash between the Vampires and Gladiators that had fans on the edge of their seats! The Gladiators are looking to survive and Hollywood is looking to close it out. The top of the 1st was a suspense-filled affair! Jeff Cirillo was quickly dispatched by Chan Ho Park, but Cliff Floyd capitalized on an error, reaching first. Kevin Millar then unleashed a sizzling hit, sending Floyd racing home—1-0, Vampires! The excitement peaked when Paul Konerko blasted a jaw-dropping two-run homer that sailed just inside the left-field foul pole, pushing the score to a commanding 3-0! But the Gladiators weren’t going down without a fight! In the bottom of the 3rd, the tide began to turn. With key hits from Chuck Knoblauch and Mark Loretta (who just returned after being injured), they clawed back to tie the game at 3-3. Then, Jeff Bagwell, embodying the Gladiator spirit, unleashed a thunderous two-run blast that sent shockwaves through the crowd—5-3, Gladiators! The game stayed that way into the 9th. As the game headed into the dramatic top of the 9th, the Vampires mounted a desperate rally. Floyd and Millar fell victim to Park’s tenacity, leaving the game in the hands of Konerko. He connected for a soaring drive to deep left, but Troy O’Leary made a spectacular catch, sealing the Gladiators’ thrilling victory. Final Score: Gladstone 5 – Hollywood 3 Win: Chan Ho Park 1-1 (5.40) |
| GAME #5 – Russ Ortiz 13-10 (3.33) vs. Wade Miller 15-9 (3.29)
The Vampires unleashed a torrent of offense against the Gladiators, leaving no room for doubt! The top of the 3rd inning began in a tense standoff, but the momentum shifted dramatically when Gabe KaplerR earned a walk, stealing second with audacious flair! The Vampires capitalized as A.J. Pierzynski joined the fray, coaxing a walk of his own. Then, the stage was set for Rafael Furcal’s crafty sacrifice bunt, which sparked chaos on the bases! With the bases loaded, Cliff Floyd launched a towering fly ball to left-center, igniting a frenzy as Gabe Kapler dashed home, scoring the first run! But that was just the prelude; Kevin Millar then crushed a bomb over the left field wall, propelling the Vampires to a staggering 4-0 lead! As the innings unfolded, the Vampires kept their foot on the gas! FurcalL and Jeff Cirillo combined for a dazzling double, increasing the score to 5-0, sending Gladiators’ pitcher Ramon Ortiz packing! The onslaught continued as Millar and Paul Konerko added to the carnage, a three-run homer from Konerko cementing the Vampires’ dominance at 11-1! They would go on to tack on 2 more runs, taking a 13-1 lead at one point before unloading their bench, getting ready for their next opponent. Hollywood wins 13-6, winning the series 4 games to 1 Final Score: Hollywood 13 – Gladstone 6 Win: Wade Miller 1-0 (2.31) |
| SUMMARY – While Hollywood won the series 4 games to 1, the first 4 games could have been won by either team. Hollywood’s keys were out homering Gladstone 6-2 and their big 4 in the bullpen (Foulke-Kline_Fox- |