2002 ALCS recap

The Twins won Game 1 at home, with Corey Koskie's RBI double in the fifth providing the decisive run in a 2-1 victory. But when Angels center fielder Darin Erstad homered in the second at-bat of Game 2, this series was all Anaheim from that point forward. The Angels finished off a 6-3 win to head out West with a split.

Anaheim won the next three games at Edison Field, as the cacophony of red inflatable "Thunderstix" or "Halo Sticks" provided constant ambient sound. The Rally Monkey also became a fact of life along the way at Angels home games. It was the 40th anniversary of the Angels franchise, and at long last, the club would experience some October celebrations.

Troy Glaus, who hit four home runs in the ALDS to help knock out the four-time defending American League champion Yankees, led off the eighth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS to snap a 1-1 tie and put Anaheim up for good in the series. Game 4 was a scoreless pitchers' duel between starters Brad Radke of Minnesota and John Lackey of Anaheim until the Angels blew the game open with two runs in the seventh and five more in the eighth for a 7-1 win.

In Game 5, the Angels were behind, 2-0, when Adam Kennedy homered to cut the lead in half. It was just a sign of what was to come. Kennedy joined the likes of Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson among those who had hit three homers in a postseason game, and Anaheim needed all of it. Minnesota took a 5-3 lead into the seventh-inning stretch, but the Angels' 10-run bottom of the seventh meant the party was officially on.

The Angels were on their way to the first World Series in franchise history, and with San Francisco clinching in the National League, the stage was now set for the first ever Fall Classic featuring a pair of Wild Cards.

As the Angels celebrated on the field, one slugger watched from the Minnesota dugout. What would it mean to be part of ending a World Series drought? David Ortiz had batted .313 (5-for-16) in the series, following his first 20-homer season. In the days to come, Minnesota released Ortiz and he signed as a free agent with Boston, where he would learn the answer.

Path to the ALCS
ALDS: Anaheim over New York (3 games to 1); Minnesota over Oakland (3 games to 2)

Managers: Mike Scioscia, ANA; Ron Gardenhire, MIN

MVP: Adam Kennedy