The head-to-head tiebreaker was significant for St. Louis, as it meant not having home-field advantage in the short series, decided in a Game 5 in Phoenix, where the D-backs earned their first postseason series victory.

The series opened at Arizona, and Curt Schilling's three-hit shutout, backed by Steve Finley's fifth-inning RBI single off Matt Morris, was the difference in a 1-0 pitchers duel that went to the D-backs. Albert Pujols, soon to be named National League Rookie of the Year, continued to burst on the scene by hitting a two-run homer off Randy Johnson in the first inning of Game 2, leading St. Louis to a 4-1 victory and sending the series to Busch Stadium tied at a game apiece.

The teams split the two games in St. Louis, and Game 5 was back at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, where Schilling did it again in another outstanding duel with Morris. This time Schilling lost his shutout in the top of the ninth when J.D. Drew tied it at 1-1 on a solo homer, but Tony Womack's walk-off single against Steve Kline in the bottom of the ninth stamped Arizona's first entry into an NLCS.

Path to the NLDS: Arizona (92-70) won the NL West by two games; St. Louis (93-69) tied with Houston as NL Central co-champions, but St. Louis received the Wild Card berth due to Houston's better head-to-head record

Managers: Bob Brenly, ARI; Tony La Russa, STL