Page 308 - 2020 Angels Media Guide

ANGELS IN THE POSTSEASON (2002)

2002 Season
The Angels finished the 2002 campaign with a 99-63 record, claiming the American League Wild Card, finishing four games
behind Oakland in the Western Division. The Club’s 99 wins established a franchise record (surpassed in 2008 with 100). On April 23,
the Halos sat at 6-14 (worst start in club history after 20 games), 10.5 games behind Seattle. After that, the Angels were 44 games
above .500 (93-49) over their final 142 games.
SEASON NOTES: Angels tallied 43 comeback wins, 12 when trailing after six innings...Club posted three win streaks of eight-or-
more games for first time in Club history…Halos finished first in A.L. with a Club-record tying .282 batting average (also 1979)...Angels
finished with a 3.69 ERA, ranking second in Junior Circuit (Oakland, 3.68) and first in saves with a Club-record 54…Troy Percival led
the way with 40 saves…Relievers posted a 27-16 mark and 2.98 ERA, the best ERA in the A.L. and second in MLB (Atlanta)...Jarrod
Washburn set a club record for road wins (13) and the longest single-season win streak (12, Apr. 19-July 21)…Garret Anderson fin-
ished with a .306 average (194/638), 93 runs scored, 56 doubles, three triples, 29 home runs, 123 RBI, 30 walks and six stolen bases
in 158 games to be named as team MVP, finishing fourth in A.L. MVP voting.
Postseason
ALDS: In their first postseason appearance in 16 years, the Angels defeated the New York Yankees in the Division Series (three games
to one) to claim the first postseason series victory in club history. The Angels dropped Game 1 in New York before rolling off three
consecutive wins to move to the Championship Series. The offense scored 31 runs in four games and hit .376 (56-for-149), a record for
a team in any postseason series .
SERIES NOTES: In Game 1, Troy Glaus became the first Angel to collect two home runs in a postseason game and seventh player
in Major League history to accomplish the feat in his first career playoff game…Francisco Rodriguez became the second pitcher in
MLB history to win two playoff games before the age of 21 (also Fernando
Valenzuela in 1981)…Rodriguez also became the first pitcher in MLB history to Did You Know? The Angels finished
win two postseason games without owning a regular season victory...In Game with an 8-1 record at home during
4, the club set a Division Series single-inning record with eight runs on a Major
League postseason record 10 hits (also set by Philadelphia A’s in Game 4 of postseason play in 2002 .
1929 World Series) during the fifth frame.
ALCS: The Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins (four games to one) to claim their first ever pennant and earn a spot in the Fall Classic.
The franchise, established in 1961, had been tied with the Senators/Rangers franchise for longest tenure by an expansion team without
reaching the World Series. It marked the first time in the history of the best-of-seven format that a team won four straight games after
losing the opener in a Championship Series .
SERIES NOTES: Francisco Rodriguez became the first pitcher in Major League history to win his first three games in postseason play…In
Game 5, the Angels scored 10 runs on 10 hits in the 7th inning establishing or tying several postseason records during the frame, including
postseason marks for runs in an inning, singles in an inning and plate appearances in an inning…Adam Kennedy was named Most Valuable
Player of the ALCS, the second Angel to be named ALCS MVP (also Fred Lynn in 1982 ALCS, the only MVP in ALCS history from the losing
team)…Kennedy became the third player in history to hit three home runs in an LCS contest in Game 5, the sixth time in postseason history
that a player homered three times in a contest…The Angels’ bullpen combined to allow four runs in 14.1 innings in the series, fanning 18
batters…Halo pitchers did not allow a home run in the series.
WORLD SERIES: The All-California Series matched the Angels with
the San Francisco Giants in the 99th edition of the Fall Classic. 42 years
of waiting for a World Series crown came to a close for Angels fans in
Game 7 when Darin Erstad caught Kenny Lofton’s fly ball with two on
and two out in the top of the ninth inning to preserve the Angels 4-1
series clinching victory in front of 44,598 raucous fans. Game 7 win was
keyed by Garret Anderson’s three-run double in the third inning. John
Lackey received the win, becoming just the second rookie pitcher to win
Game 7 of the World Series (also accomplished by Babe Adams with
Pittsburgh in 1909).
SERIES NOTES: At 20 years, 286 days, Francisco Rodriguez became
the youngest pitcher ever to win a World Series contest in Game 2...
club postseason
The win was his fifth of postseason, tying Randy Johnson (2001) for the Photo courtesy of Tom Hauck/MLB.com
most ever in a single postseason...In Game 6, Angels’ 6-5 comeback win
was biggest ever by a team facing Series elimination…It marked second
time in 2002 postseason the Club overcame a five-run deficit to win (also
trailed 6-1 in Game 3 of ALDS to NYY and won 9-6), the first team ever to
rally from two five-run deficits in a single postseason…With his three-run
homer in the seventh inning of Game 6, Scott Spiezio tied Cleveland’s
Sandy Alomar Jr. (1997) for most RBI (19) in a single postseason…Angels’
manager Mike Scioscia became the 28th individual to play for and man-
age a World Series Championship team...Angels became the first team
since 1912 Boston Red Sox to win World Series with no players with
previous World Series experience...Halo third baseman Troy Glaus was
named MVP of the Fall Classic after hitting .385 (10/26) with seven runs, A jubilant Troy Percival and Bengie
three doubles, three home runs and eight RBI in seven games - sixth Molina commence celebration of the
player to hit a pair of home runs in his first World Series game. Angels’ first world title.

307 2020 ANGELS MEDIA GUIDE