Drayer: M’s 2000 ALDS clincher was about pitching, shadows and a big bunt

With baseball season delayed for the foreseeable future, 710 ESPN Seattle will be broadcasting classic Mariners games throughout the spring. At 7 p.m. tonight we wrap up a rebroadcast of something that has happened just once in team history – a playoff series sweep. Here’s Shannon Drayer’s preview of the airing of Game 3 of the 2000 American League Division Series between the Mariners and White Sox.

ALDS Game 3: Oct. 6, 2000

After taking Games 1 and 2 in Chicago, the Mariners returned home to Seattle, enjoyed an off day on Thursday and then arrived at the park early Friday for the first postseason game in the history of Safeco Field.

It was a beautiful early fall day with a game time temperature of 66 degrees. As with the first two games, the Mariners and White Sox were relegated to one of the early starts due to the Yankees playing in prime time, and that very well may have had an impact in the deciding game of the series.

The White Sox came into the series with a Major League-leading 978 runs scored, the Mariners seventh-best with 907. There would be all of three runs scored in Game 3 with players after commenting on the shadows that came into play early. Of course another factor was the Mariners’ bullpen, which allowed no runs in 11 2/3 innings pitched in the series.

Game 3 would be about pitching, defense and one big bunt by Carlos Guillen off the bench – and a possible assist by home plate umpire Tim McClelland.

LINEUPS!

White Sox

Ray Durham, 2B
Jose Valentin, SS
Frank Thomas, 1B
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Harold Baines, DH
Charles Johnson, C
Herbert Perry, 3B
Carlos Lee, LF
Chris Singleton, CF

James Baldwin, P

Mariners

Mike Cameron, CF
Raul Ibanez, RF
Alex Rodriguez, SS
Edgar Martinez, DH
John Olerud, 1B
Stan Javier, LF
David Bell, 3B
Joe Oliver, C
Mark McLemore, 2B

Aaron Sele, P

When it was all said and done, the last team to qualify for the post season would be the first to move on.

“To be able to knock them off, to sweep them a team of that caliber offensively? We had a pretty good pitching staff and to be able to shut them down the way we did, was pretty spectacular,” Mike Cameron said. “Getting a chance to see Rickey (Henderson) score the run, the way we did it on a squeeze bunt?

“To be able to finish it at home and be able to share the same energy and sentiment that the people shared with me in that second series catch and to be able to share that champagne on top of the dugout, that was a special, special moment.”

Follow @shannondrayer