2002 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #2
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| PREVIEW – The #2 seed NL East champion Flora-Bama Mullets face the #3 seed NL Central champion Valdosta Bombers in the divisional round. The Mullets finished with 26 more overall wins then the Bombers, but the two teams split their head to head matchup. Both teams have potent offenses that averaged five runs a game. Flora-Bama has the deeper rotation and the stronger bullpen, but Valdosta is anchored by the soon to be NL Cy-Young Jamie Moyer. Should be a fun live head to head series. |
| GAME #1 – Jamie Moyer 21-7 (2.06) vs. Curt Schilling 21-12 (3.05)
The Bombers took a 2-1 lead in the 4th on a double from Chavez and rbi singles from Finely and Wells. Manny hit a solo shot in the 6th to make it 3-1. Schilling turned it over to the pen in 7th with one on and two outs. Things went south in a hurry as the Bombers exploded for four more runs when Stewart and Neal couldn’t get an out. Jamie Moyer showed why he’s the favorite for the NL Cy-Young allowing only two hits and one run over a strong six innings. He could have stayed in longer, but there was no need with the 7-1 lead. Mullets only managed a solo homerun from Piazza off Timlin in the 9th. Final Score: Valdosta 7 – Flora-Bama 2 Win: Jamie Moyer 1-0 (1.5) |
| GAME #2 – Kevin Appier 9-14 (4.58) vs. A.J. Burnett 16-7 (3.09)
The Mullets offense pounded Appier knocking him out of the game after only two innings. They recorded three two out singles in the first and then a three run pinch hit homerun from Piazza made it 4-0. The Mullets added two more in the 2nd when Tori Hunter doubled in Vizquel and Kennedy. Burnett tossed six scoreless innings for the easy win. Final Score: Flora-Bama 9 – Valdosta 1 Win: A.J. Burnett 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #3 – Brian Lawrence 19-4 (2.81) vs. Jeff D’amico 12-9 (4.08)
D’Amico was cruising with a 1-0 lead until his defense let him down and he completely imploded. The Mullets had tied it up 1-1 on a RBI double from Wilson with one out in the 4th. D’Amico got the second out and then things went south. A couple errors, some more hits and then a Hunter three run homer made it 8-1. Flora-Bama added two more runs in the 5th off Baez to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Lawrence wasn’t sharp but he took advantage of his defense and avoided the big inning. He left after six innings having given up nine hits, three walks but only four runs. Final Score: Flora-Bama 11 – Valdosta 6 Win: Brian Lawrence 1-0 (6.00) |
| GAME #4 – Curt Schilling 21-12 (3.05) vs. Masato Yoshii 11-11 (3.81)
After three blowouts, we finally got a tight well pitched game. Flora-Bama scored the first run of the game in the 2nd when Vizquel singled in Simon, but the Bombers avoided further damage when Wells caught Vaughn trying to take 3B. A throwing error by Cabrera in the 4th allowed pinch runner Murray to score from second base and make it 2-0. The Mullets went up 3-0 in the 5th on Simon’s rbi single. Yoshii allowed runners almost every inning but he kept the ball in the park and avoided major damage over seven solid innings. Schilling also went seven innings and only ran into trouble in the 5th. He allowed two bloop singles to the bottom of the order and then grooved one to Abrue who tied the game with a three run homer. The score remained tied 3-3 until the bottom of the 10th when Abrue raised his average to .600 for the series when he went deep again for a two run walk-off homer against Carter. Final Score: Valdosta 5 – Flora-Bama 3 (10 Innings) Win: Jay Witasick 1-0 (0.00) |
| GAME #5 – A.J. Burnett 16-7 (3.09) vs. Jamie Moyer 21-7 (2.06)
The momentum looked to have shifted to the Bombers with the series tied 2-2 and their ace Moyer ready to make his second start of the series. In the 1st, Berkman (only hitting .176) led off the game with a solo homerun to give the Mullets a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, Kingsale legged out an infield single and Hunter launched a two run homer to give the Mulllet a 3-0 lead off Moyer. In the bottom of the 3rd, Abrue doubled and scored on a Chavez rbi single. 3-1. In the bottom of the 4th, Sexson singled and Vernon Wells took Burnett deep to tie it up 3-3. Both starters put up zeros in the 5th and 6th. In the top of the 7th, Kennedy led off the inning with a triple. Moyer then gave up back to back walks to Bell and Simon to load the bases with no outs and the top of the order coming up. Valdosta made the tough call and turned to the pen. Witasick came on and promptly gave up a grand slam to Berkman. Wiasick finally got out of the inning after giving up one more run when Tarasco doubled in Crede. Burnett allowed one run in the 7th and then pitched a scoreless 8th for his second win of the series. Carter closed out the 9th. Final Score: Flora-Bama 8 – Valdosta 4 Win: A.J. Burnett 2-0 (2.57) |
| GAME #6 – Kevin Appier 9-14 (4.58) vs. Brian Lawrence 19-4 (2.81)
Appier looked like a completely different pitcher in his second start going very deep in the game. Lawrence stranded a runner at 2nd in the first and then benefited when Gil gunned a runner in the 2nd. In the 3rd he gave up a double to Abreu and a rbi single to Chavez that gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead. The Mullets tied in the bottom of the 3rd when Berkman singled, moved to 2nd on a fielders choice and scored on a rbi single by Hunter. In the 4th, Finely led off with a double off Lawrence. The Mullets went to the pen and brought in Carter who got three quick outs. Carter pitched a scoreless 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. In the bottom of the 7th, Berkman hit a solo homer off Appier to give the Mullets a 2-1 lead. Hammond pitched a scoreless top 8th for Flora-Bama and Vizcaino pitched a scoreless bottom of the 8th for Valdosta. In the 9th, Finely worked a walk with one out against Hammond. Wells then doubled to left center to put the tying run a 3rd and the go ahead run at 2nd with only one out. Hammond regained his composure and got Cabrera to pop up in foul ground and then struckout LaRue for the save. Final Score: Flora-Bama 2 – Valdosta 1 Win: Lance Carter 1-1 (2.57) |
| SUMMARY – A fun back and forth series that started with three blowouts and finished with three nail biters. Burnett was outstanding (2-0 2.57 ERA 14 IP), but Berkman’s heroics (2 solo homers and 1 grand slam) over the last two games catapulted him to the MVP of the series and the Mullets into the NLCS. Abreu (.565 AVG 1.773 OPS) could have been the MVP if Valdosta had gotten a little more production from Manny (.150 avg). |