Arizona Diamondbacks get to experience the best two words in sports: Game 7
“The best words in sports.”
Game 7.
Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly said that after Arizona won NLCS Game 6 at Philadelphia on Monday, bringing its first Game 7 since … you know.
Yes, the deciding game of the 2001 World Series.
The Diamondbacks and Phillies meet Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park to decide who will represent the National League in the World Series against the Texas Rangers.
The circumstances between this Game 7 and the previous one could not have been more different. One settled a world title, and the other “only” sent a team to the Fall Classic.
Here’s a look at the two Game 7s in Diamondbacks history:
Youth is served this time around
The Diamondbacks’ scheduled starter, Brandon Pfaadt, is a rookie who just turned 25 on Oct. 14. He was matched up against the Phillies’ Ranger Suarez, who is the ripe old age of 28.
In Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, the combined ages of starters Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks and Roger Clemens of the Yankees was 72. Clemens, at 37, is the oldest starter in any Game 7; Schilling was 10 days short of his 35th birthday.
Not much Game 7 experience
A few players at Citizens Bank Tuesday night have faced elimination games, but most of those were in best-of-five series.
There were a few Game 7 exceptions. As a rookie, Diamondbacks third baseman Evan Longoria appeared in a Game 7 with the Tampa Bay Rays, the 2008 ALCS against the Red Sox. And two Phillies players won the World Series with different clubs. Kyle Schwarber missed virtually the entire 2016 season, appeared in 2 regular-season games for the Cubs and the first two playoff series, but famously appeared in five games of the World Series and had 3 hits in Game 7. Trea Turner was with the Nationals in 2019 when they won the title in seven over the Astros.
And about the players in that 2001 World Series …
Clemens was the winning pitcher for Boston in Game 7 of the 1986 ALCS over the Angels, and was with the Sox when they subsequently lost the World Series in seven games to the Mets. Among his Yankees teammates, Chuck Knoblauch was a rookie with the Twins when they won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series; David Justice was with the Braves in the 1991 NLCS and World Series, the 1992 NLCS and 1996 NLCS, and the 1997 World Series with Cleveland.
Those Diamondbacks had Game 7 experience, too. Matt Williams and Craig Counsell were on opposite sides of the 1997 Cleveland-Florida World Series, Brian Anderson was in that series as well with Cleveland, and Jay Bell played in consecutive NLCS with the 1991 and ‘92 Pirates.
Baseball's Game 7 history
According to MLB.com, there have been 60 Game 7s in baseball between the World Series and LCS. This includes, actually, a Game 8 in 1912 which was required because an earlier game ended in a tie game called because of darkness.
The Cardinals (16) and Yankees (14) have played the most Game 7s, with St. Louis having won 11, most recently in the 2011 World Series. New York's only 6-8, and its last Game 7 was a loss to Houston in the 2017 ALCS.
For the Phillies, this will be their first Game 7, leaving just three franchises — the Mariners, Padres and Rockies — still looking for their initial opportunity.
So much has changed in baseball
In 2001, there was no replay review in the sport. There wasn’t much conversation about the length of games being a problem. Rules changes like pitch clocks were like something out of science fiction.
Baseball was still nearly a decade away from adding a wild-card playoff team to each league — a change that allowed this year’s Diamondbacks to even qualify for the postseason.
Snakes alive: Diamondbacks at Phillies picks, predictions, odds for NLCS Game 7
One thing very much in common
The Diamondbacks in 2001 and 2023 do have one shared bit: Both teams came back from being down 3-2 in the series which led to an eventual Game 7.
In 2001, Arizona won the first two World Series games at home, then lost three straight at Yankee Stadium.
Of course this year, the Diamondbacks were down 0-2 in Philadelphia, won two at home before losing Game 5 to fall behind in the series 3-2.
In 2001, the Diamondbacks won Game 6 to force the deciding game.
This week, the Diamondbacks won Game 6 to force the deciding game.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks get to experience the best two words in sports: Game 7
