Luis Gonzalez Walks Off Mariano Rivera to Win the 2001 World Series

On November 4, 2001, Luis Gonzalez hit a bloop single off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, giving the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees and their first World Series championship. The game was played at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, and it remains one of the most dramatic finishes in postseason history.

The Yankees had entered the inning with a 2-1 lead. Rivera, the most dominant closer of his generation, took the mound looking to seal a fourth consecutive championship for New York. He got the first out, then hit Mark Grace with a pitch. An error on a bunt attempt by Damian Miller put runners at first and second. After a double by Jay Bell moved the runners to second and third, Rivera walked Matt Williams intentionally to load the bases.

Gonzalez stepped in against the cut fastball that had baffled hitters all postseason. He choked up on the bat, an unusual adjustment for a slugger who had hit 57 home runs during the regular season. He lofted a soft fly ball over a drawn-in Derek Jeter at shortstop. The ball landed in the grass. The Diamondbacks stormed the field.

Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling shared the World Series MVP. Johnson had started Game 6 the night before, throwing seven innings on one day's rest, and then came out of the bullpen for Game 7 to earn the win.

The series also carried enormous emotional weight. It was played just seven weeks after the September 11 attacks, and Games 3, 4, and 5 in New York had produced two of the most memorable comeback wins in Series history.