For the first time in six years, a seventh game would decide the World Series. Indians manager Mike Hargrove, celebrating his forty-eighth birthday this night, made a significant strategic play prior to the start of the game. The Indians' rotation for the series consisted of Orel Hershiser, the starter and loser of Games 1 and 5; Chad Ogea, the winning pitcher in Games 2 and 6; staff ace Charles Nagy, who received a no-decision in the wild Game 3; and rookie Jaret Wright, who had won Game 4. Based on Wright's performance, Hargrove skipped over Nagy and gave the start to the rookie on three days' rest. Marlins manager Jim Leyland, opting to keep his rotation as it was, sent veteran starter Al Letter out for Game 7. The Marlins managed one hit in the 1st inning, a double off the bat of Édgar Rentería. That was the only hit Wright gave up through six innings, and the Indians staked him to a 2–0 lead in the third. With two out and Jim Thome and Marquis Grissom in scoring position, Tony Fernandez singled to drive both runners in for the only runs of the game to that point. Leading off the bottom of the seventh for the Marlins, Bobby Bonilla hit Wright's first pitch over the right-center field wall for a solo home run to cut the lead to 2–1. After striking out Charles Johnson and walking Craig Counsell, Wright was removed from the game in favor of Paul Assenmacher who was scheduled to pitch to Cliff Floyd. Marlins manager Jim Leyland elected to send Kurt Abbott to the plate after the pitching change; and Assenmacher retired him on a fly ball, then got Devon White swinging to end the inning. In the top of the ninth inning, Cleveland again threatened. After Antonio Alfonseca walked Matt Williams to lead off the inning and Sandy Alomar, Jr. reached on a fielder's choice to take Williams off the bases, Félix Heredia gave up a single to Thome which advanced Alomar to third. He was then pulled in favor of closer Robb Nen, inducing a groundball from Grissom to Edgar Renteria at shortstop, who elected to throw Alomar out at home, thanks in part to a great pick and tag by Johnson. He then got Brian Giles to fly out to end the inning. The Indians sent closer José Mesa to the mound to try to win the series in the bottom of the ninth inning. Moisés Alou led off with a single, and Bonilla struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch that would have been ball four. Nevertheless, just four strikes away from losing the World Series, Charles Johnson lined a clutch 1-2 fastball into right field, moving Alou to third. With runners on 1st and 3rd and one out, Craig Counsell fought off a low, inside fastball from Mesa, lining it into deep right field. Manny Ramirez caught the ball on the warning track to make it two outs, but Alou easily scored from 3rd to tie the game. Although Mesa retired Jim Eisenreich to send the game to extra innings and held the Marlins without a run in the tenth, his blown save would open him to criticism for years to come. After Nen struck out the side in the top of the 10th, Mesa was lifted after giving up back-to-back one-out singles, for Game 3 starter Charles Nagy, who got Alou to fly out to end the threat. After walking Williams, leading off the top of the 11th inning, Jay Powell retired Cleveland in order thanks to an alert fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt by Alomar, which Powell fielded and threw out the lead runner at 2nd, followed by a Jim Thome inning-ending double play. Nagy took to the mound to face Florida in the bottom half of the 11th. Bonilla led off with a single to center. Gregg Zaun nearly caused a double play by popping his bunt attempt directly to Nagy. However, Bonilla was able to get back to first safely. Counsell followed with a ground ball that should have produced an inning-ending double play. Instead, the ball was misplayed by Fernandez, slipping under his glove and into right field, and Bonilla advanced to third on the error. After Nagy loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Eisenreich, he got White to ground into a fielder's choice to Fernandez, who elected to not go for the double play but instead quickly threw Bonilla out at the plate for the second out. The next batter was Édgar Rentería; with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series, he timed an 0-1 slider from Nagy and lined it up the middle out of reach of both Nagy (who was so close his glove even touched the ball), and the infielders. An exuberant Counsell scored from third, and jumped on home plate with his fists in the air in celebration—with the series-winning run. Renteria, in jubilation, removed his helmet with tears in his eyes before touching first base, having hit a World Series winning walk-off single. After Game 7, the trophy presentation, usually taking place in the winning team's locker room regardless of venue, took place on the field before the crowd of 67,204. It was presided over by then-Chairman of the Executive Committee Bud Selig, who first did the honors in 1995 and would officially become Commissioner of Baseball in 1998.
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