Since Major League Baseball had its first full season with the Wild Card format in 1996, there have been 36 League Division Series to go the distance in the best-of-five round. Here, I rank them all.
The second part to this ranking can be found here.
MLB League Division Series play is getting underway this weekend, pitting the league’s regular season heavyweights against the Wild Card Round winners as they battle in a best-of-five round for a bid in the League Championship Series.
While the league is in its fourth season of its current playoff format, MLB has seen its postseason evolve over the years, with perhaps its most radical change coming before the 1994 season by adding the Division Series and two extra teams in each league to the postseason.
However, the 1994 strike resulted in a postseason not being played, giving the format its first true rendezvous in 1995 following a slightly shortened 144-game season.
Also serving as my birth year, 1996 was the first time the expanded format followed a full 162-game season, in some ways signaling a new era for the sport as offense began to boom after the strike.
Although no League Division Series went the full five games in 1996, fans have been treated to 36 LDS Game 5s in the time since, with World Series dreams either being emboldened or dashed within a few hours on a single day.
Though a very difficult task as all of these series by definition were riveting and exciting, I went through each series that went the distance and attempted to rank them from worst-to-best, with the top of the list showcasing the series’ I believe still stand out as some of the best in recent postseason memory.
With that said, all of these series had incredible moments that jolted both fanbases involved, so this list truly is subjective, no matter how objective I tried to make it.
Although there were two Game 5s in the 2025 LDS, this year’s series’ will not be included in this list, as I also consider what ultimately happened to each team in the postseason and how it impacted the team moving forward, when applicable.
Here’s a look at the first half (No. 36 through No. 19) of my list:
36. 2001 ALDS (Seattle Mariners over Cleveland Indians 3-2)
It felt very strange to arrive at this as the “worst” series on the list – it’s one I remember watching as a young kid, and one that remains significant as it took the record-setting 116-win Mariners to the brink of elimination in the first round of the playoffs.
The series featured a laundry list of superstars and future Hall of Famers: Edgar Martínez, Ichiro Suzuki, Roberto Alomar, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, CC Sabathia and Juan González were all among the big names that got in on the action in this pivotal matchup.
Outside of a low-scoring 3-1 Seattle win in the decisive Game 5, the series was not quite as competitive as it seemed – Cleveland scored a 5-0 shutout win on the road in Game 1 before clobbering Seattle 17-2 in Game 3 at home, while the M’s tallied run-of-the-mill 5-1 and 6-2 victories in Games 2 and 4, respectively.
While an unquestionably star-studded series, it didn’t quite live up to the excitement it understandably created.
35. 2005 ALDS (Los Angeles Angels over New York Yankees 3-2)
Similar to the 2001 ALDS between Seattle and Cleveland, this coastal heavyweight matchup featured more than enough star power and plenty of expectations on both sides.
Both clubs had appeared in the playoffs the season before, with the Yankees looking to avenge their collapse to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS while the Angels were motivated to advance beyond the Division Series after being swept by the same Red Sox team the round prior.
The Yankees, who were without home-field advantage, jumped out early in Game 1 and held on for a 4-2 victory, but were answered by a 5-3 comeback win by the Angels in Game 2, fueled by a two-run go-ahead RBI single from Orlando Cabrera in the seventh inning.
The Angels outslugged the Yanks 11-7 in the Bronx for a Game 3 victory, before the Yankees produced perhaps the series’ most climactic moment with a seventh-inning comeback that sparked a 3-2 Game 4 victory to stave off elimination.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning of the winner-take-all Game 5 in Anaheim, the Angels immediately responded to take the lead and never looked back, holding on for a 5-3 victory.
While the series included multiple close games and some of the era’s brightest stars in Vladimir Guerrero, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, it lacked a singular moment that made it stand out among its contemporaries.
34. 2019 ALDS (Houston Astros over Tampa Bay Rays 3-2)
This series felt like there was no way it could go five games, as it pitted the 107-win heavyweight Astros against the upstart underdog Rays, who had won 96 games and a Wild Card Game against the Oakland Athletics in their own right.
Houston looked to be taking care of business through their two home games, picking up wins by the scores of 6-2 and 3-1, respectively, before the series moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Kevin Cash’s Rays responded back in the dome, blowing out Zack Greinke and the Astros in Game 3 by a score of 10-3 before neutralizing Justin Verlander in a 4-1 Game 4 victory to even the series.
With Gerrit Cole on the bump at home for Game 5, the Astros scored four runs in the first inning and never relinquished their lead, winning the decisive game 6-1.
Though the series featured an exciting two-game comeback from the Rays, no individual game stood out as memorable in a series between two opponents with little history against each other (though the next season would add a bit more to this matchup).
33. 2020 ALDS (Tampa Bay Rays over New York Yankees 3-2)
Okay, it may seem like I’m picking on the AL, but I promise it’ll even out!
Following the 60-game pandemic-shortened 2020 regular season and a best-of-three Wild Card Round that ultimately served as a trial run of sorts for the existing format, the division rival Rays and Yankees matched up in the ALDS.
The 40-20 Rays had just swept the fellow division rival Toronto Blue Jays in the previous round, while the 33-win Yankees went into Cleveland and dispatched the then-Indians in the minimum two games.
With the entire series played at the neutral site of Petco Park in San Diego, home-field advantage was essentially thrown out the window, though the Rays were the designated home team for Games 1, 2 and 5.
Gerrit Cole and a thunderous Yankees offense paved the way for a 9-3 victory to open the series, with a four-homer effort from the Rays in Game 2 proving instrumental to a 7-5 win.
Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier and Michael Pérez all went deep en route to an 8-4 win in Game 3, though Jordan Montgomery and the Yankees bullpen shut down Tampa Bay in Game 4 in a 5-1 win that evened up the series.
Game 5 was the most exciting of the series, with a Mike Brosseau go-ahead solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning proving to be the difference in a 2-1 win for the Rays.
Despite an incredible finish to Game 5, the rest of the series didn’t quite live up to the rivalry between the two clubs, with high-leverage situations hard to come by across the rest of the series.
32. 2011 ALDS (Detroit Tigers over New York Yankees 3-2)
Two powerhouses of the 2010s, this series marked the first of two straight seasons in which the Tigers and Yankees met in the playoffs, with Detroit getting the upper hand in both occasions.
Both clubs entered the series seen as plausible World Series winners, with the 97-win Yankees holding home-field advantage over the 95-win Tigers.
The Yankees defended their home field in a decisive 9-3 Game 1 win, lucking out of having to face more than just one inning of Justin Verlander thanks to the game being suspended after just one inning.
Detroit responded well after losing in the rain-segmented opener, with Max Scherzer’s six shutout innings proving to be crucial in a 5-3 win on the road for the Tigers. The momentum carried on to Game 3, a back-and-forth battle until a go-ahead home run from Delmon Young in the seventh inning put Detroit on top en route to a 5-4 victory.
The Tigers failed to capitalize on their opportunity to close out the series at home in Game 4, getting walloped by New York 10-1, with six of those runs coming in the eighth inning.
Detroit went on to win a nailbiter in Game 5, with both Doug Fister and Max Scherzer getting into action before Joaquin Benoit and José Valverde slammed the door shut for the Tigers in a 3-2 victory.
Though the series had a few exciting games, its relatively low ranking has more to do with just how many incredible playoff matchups there have been over the years than it is calling this series boring.
31. 2002 NLDS (San Francisco Giants over Atlanta Braves 3-2)
Having won their division for an 11th consecutive year with 101 wins, the Braves entered the NLDS as favorites over the Barry Bonds-led Giants, who entered the playoffs as the senior circuit’s Wild Card team with 95 regular season wins.
The Giants quickly disregarded the underdog status, with future Brave Russ Ortiz turning in a stellar performance in Atlanta as San Francisco hung on for an 8-5 Game 1 win as Rich Aurilia, Benito Santiago and J.T. Snow all drove in two runs each.
Kevin Millwood and the Braves responded in Game 2, with the righty putting up a solid performance as the Atlanta offense scored all seven of their runs within the first four innings en route to a 7-3 win to even up the series.
The Braves maintained the pressure, heading to San Francisco and destroying the Giants in a 10-2 Game 3 win that saw light-hitting second baseman Keith Lockhart drive in four runs.
Facing elimination at home in Game 4, San Francisco answered back with a decisive 8-3 win of their own, fueled by a three-hit, four-RBI night from star shortstop Rich Aurilia.
In the winner-take-all Game 5 in Atlanta, Russ Ortiz outdueled Kevin Millwood in a low-scoring affair as the Giants never let go of a 1-0 lead they took early on before closing out a 3-1 win, advancing to the NLCS.
While an undisputed heavyweight tilt between some of the league’s most iconic players of the era, this series also lacked a singular game or moment that made it stand out among the best the Division Series has had to offer.
30. 2010 ALDS (Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay Rays 3-2)
This series marked Texas’ triumphant return to the postseason after an 11-year absence while the Rays were seeking to prove their 2008 pennant run was no fluke after missing the playoffs in 2009.
With both teams having won their division, the 96-win Rays were given home-field advantage over the 90-win Rangers, though the big story of this series is that home-field advantage meant absolutely nothing.
Midseason acquisition Cliff Lee dominated the Rays at Tropicana Field in Game 1 as part of a 5-1 victory, with Nelson Cruz and Bengie Molina home runs aiding Texas as they got to Tampa Bay ace David Price.
Texas put the stranglehold on the series with a commanding 6-0 road win in Game 2, as the Rays managed just two hits against C.J. Wilson as Michael Young and Ian Kinsler went deep for the Rangers.
With a chance to close out the series in Game 3 in Arlington, the Rays answered back in an emphatic come-from-behind win, turning a 2-1 eighth inning deficit into a 6-3 elimination game win as ninth inning home runs from Carlos Peña and Carl Crawford sealed the victory.
In Game 4, the Rays built a 5-0 lead and never looked back, hanging on for a 5-2 victory made possible by five extra-base hits from the 4-5 spots in the lineup in Evan Longoria and Carlos Peña.
Though given a chance to clinch the series and complete the comeback in front of (a few) of their own fans at Tropicana Field in Game 5, the Rangers appeared unfazed.
With the score tied at 1 after the first three innings, Texas took a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in the fourth inning, going on to win the winner-take-all affair by a score of 5-1, largely thanks to Cliff Lee once again.
Throwing 120 pitches, Lee tossed a complete game against the Rays, yielding just one run on six hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts to finish off the series, the first playoff series the Rangers won in team history.
Although the series featured the road team winning every game and an incomplete 2-0 comeback, this series also lacked a signature moment or game that has stood the test of time in the last 15 years.
29. 2001 NLDS (Arizona Diamondbacks over St. Louis Cardinals 3-2)
In a series that was dominated by pitching and saw the last big league action of slugger Mark McGwire, the Diamondbacks prevailed to win their first-ever playoff series in the team’s fourth season of existence.
Though the Cardinals finished with one more win than Arizona and were technically tied atop their division, they entered the playoffs as the Wild Card team due to losing a tiebreaker to the Houston Astros.
With the series starting in the desert, Curt Schilling appropriately opened Arizona’s postseason with a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits while outdueling Matt Morris in a 1-0 win.
St. Louis answered back in Game 2 with a 4-1 victory of their own as righty Woody Williams matched Randy Johnson for Arizona while a two-run first-inning blast from rookie Albert Pujols was all the Redbirds needed.
Arizona then managed a comeback win at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in Game 3, erasing a 2-0 deficit and exploding for four runs in the seventh inning thanks to a three-run blast from Craig Counsell. Byung-Hyun Kim closed the door for the D-Backs in the ninth to lock down a 5-3 win, putting the Cards on the brink in Game 4.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning of Game 4, St. Louis got to Arizona starter Albie Lopez early before a stellar bullpen performance from Dustin Hermanson and Steve Kline protected a 4-1 lead, closing out the victory and forcing a Game 5 in Phoenix.
Maintaining the low-scoring theme of the series, Game 5 stood out as a classic, with J.D. Drew hitting a gargantuan solo shot to knot the winner-take-all game at 1 apiece in the eighth inning of a pitcher’s duel.
Arizona would then pick up their first of two series-clinching walk-offs of 2001, with a two-out RBI single from Tony Womack sending the D-Backs to their first NLCS.
While an incredible series for pitching performances that included a walk-off series clincher, this series was both overshadowed by others in 2001 while lacking the back-and-forth slugfests many series are remembered for.
28. 1997 ALDS (Cleveland Indians over New York Yankees 3-2)
It’s hard to get more late 1990’s than watching Cleveland and New York duke it out in the American League, with the opening round to the 1997 playoffs serving as a key piece to this budding rivalry.
The 96-win Yankees were stuck as the Wild Card team as they finished behind the Orioles in the AL East, while Cleveland finished just 86-75, a record good enough to win the AL Central. The series was played in the unconventional 2-3 format, giving Cleveland the final three home games in the series despite their worse record due to a highly unpopular predetermined playoff bracket.
Hosting the first two games of the series, New York powered back from a 5-0 first-inning deficit to win Game 1 8-6, with home runs from Tim Raines, Derek Jeter, Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez leading the way in the Yankees win.
Cleveland answered back in Game 2, weathering off a late Yankees rally to hold on for a 7-5 win, as a two-run shot from Matt Williams in the contest’s fifth inning was enough for the then-Indians.
The Yankees traveled to Cleveland with a fiery response in Game 3, with big lefty David Wells shutting down the Indians in a complete game as New York picked up a 6-1 victory.
With their season on the line at home, Cleveland rallied for a signature 3-2 win in Game 4. After trailing 2-1 for most of the night, an eighth-inning blast from Sandy Alomar off Mike Stanton tied the game before an infield hit by Omar Vizquel won it in the following frame.
In the winner-take-all Game 5, Cleveland jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then held on for dear life, with the series ending by closer Jose Mesa stranding the tying run on second base to finish a 4-3 victory.
While a tight series with mostly close games, this great series was once again just a bit overshadowed by the incredible five-game League Division Series’ the league has seen since.
27. 2015 NLDS (New York Mets over Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2)
A big-market battle that networks dream of on Opening Day, the Mets and Dodgers ended up in the same place despite wildly different expectations to start the season.
While the Dodgers had just won their third-straight NL West title, the Mets emerged as a surprise contender thanks to an upstart rotation packed with high-velocity arms.
That rotation showed off in a big way in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium, with Jacob deGrom neutralizing the Dodgers with 13 strikeouts across seven innings of shutout ball, paving the way for a 3-1 win to start the series.
Los Angeles responded with a thunderous seventh-inning comeback in Game 2 that led to a 5-2 victory, though the game was perhaps remembered more for a hard Chase Utley slide that injured Mets infielder Ruben Tejada.
A raucous Citi Field crowd awaited the Mets as they returned to the Big Apple, where they were treated with a slugfest that saw the Mets come out on top with a 13-7 win to take a 2-1 series lead.
Despite having the chance to close the series out at home, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw exorcised some playoff demons and mostly shut down the Mets outside of allowing a home run to Daniel Murphy in a 3-1 Los Angeles win that forced the series back to Chavez Ravine.
As Jacob deGrom and Zack Greinke battled in the decisive Game 5, a sixth-inning solo shot from Daniel Murphy gave the Mets a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish, going on to win the series by the same ledger.
While an exciting series with memorable moments and plenty of drama, it does feel like the matchup was missing a little bit of late-game intensity compared to others on the list.
26. 2012 ALDS (Detroit Tigers over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
The first of unfortunately multiple Oakland A’s heartbreakers on this list, the 2012 Athletics erased a four-game division deficit on Sept. 27 by winning their final six games to triumph over the Texas Rangers and make the postseason.
They were met by a Tigers team that had just been to the ALCS the year before, with World Series hopes budding in the Motor City.
The 94-win A’s had home-field advantage, though due to the 2012 LDS using a 2-3 format, the series began in Detroit. Justin Verlander and the Tigers quickly erased a Coco Crisp leadoff homer in Game 1 and shutdown Oakland from there, protecting their home field in a 3-1 victory.
Game 2 proved to be a riveting back-and-forth affair, with the Tigers erasing a 4-3 eighth inning deficit before walking off on a Don Kelly sac fly to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Lefty Brett Anderson and the A’s pitching staff turned in a gem as the series shifted to Oakland for Game 3, with Detroit coming out on the wrong side of a pitcher’s duel in a 2-0 Game 3 loss.
Game 4 offered the series’ most exciting game, as the A’s stormed back from a two-run ninth-inning deficit to tie and later win the game on a Coco Crisp walk-off single, moments after staring down potential elimination to secure a 4-3 win.
The series’ decisive game ended up being its most anticlimactic, as future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander put on a peak performance, striking out 11 Oakland hitters in a 122-pitch complete game shutout to secure another ALCS berth for the Tigers in a 6-0 win.
This series surely would have ranked higher in the event of a more exciting Game 5, but this great series is also a bit outmatched by its successor the following season.
25. 2004 NLDS (Houston Astros over Atlanta Braves 3-2)
Coming towards the end of the Braves’ improbable 14 consecutive division titles, this series featured some of the generation’s best players as Atlanta put together its last best fight for a deep playoff run.
After narrowly missing out on the postseason in 2003, the Astros won 92 games in 2004 and secured the NL Wild Card, therefore sending them to Atlanta to start the series.
A stellar start from Roger Clemens and a late-game offensive breakout led the ‘Stros to a 9-3 victory in the series opener, though the Braves fought back in a thrilling Game 2.
After trailing 2-0 for much of the game, Atlanta got one run back in the seventh inning on a Rafael Furcal RBI single before an RBI double by Adam LaRoche the next inning knotted the score at 2 apiece.
In a classic October moment, the usually contact-hitting Furcal blasted a two-run walk-off shot in the bottom of the 11th inning to even up the series at 1-1, securing a 4-2 Braves win.
A big night from midseason acquisition Carlos Beltrán helped the Astros to an 8-5 win in Houston in Game 3, though Atlanta responded with another dramatic comeback win in Game 4.
After a five-run second inning put the Astros up 5-2, a three-run bomb from Adam LaRoche tied the score in the sixth inning. Seemingly headed to extras, a clutch two-out knock from J.D. Drew in the top of the ninth inning gave the Braves a 6-5 advantage. Atlanta would hold on thanks to John Smoltz inducing a double play ball from Jeff Kent with runners at the corners to send the series back to Georgia.
While Game 5 was a close contest most of the way through, an implosion from the Braves’ bullpen led to an offensive outburst for Houston, who held on for a 12-3 win in the winner-take-all matchup.
A fantastic series, this was also held back from a rather anti-climactic Game 5 that followed an incredible first four games.
24. 2000 ALDS (New York Yankees over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
After flirting with contention in an 87-win campaign in 1999, the A’s stormed ahead to win the AL West in 2000 by virtue of a 91-win season. On top of a playoff berth, this record also gave them home-field advantage over the two-time defending champion Yankees in the ALDS, who won their division with an 87-74 record.
Unfazed by a 2-0 deficit in the middle innings of Game 1 against Roger Clemens, the A’s rallied in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-3 lead, later adding an insurance run to protect home field in a 5-3 win.
Andy Pettitte responded with 7.2 innings of shutout ball in Game 2, with four Yankees doubles powering the way to an eventual 4-0 shutout victory to even the series up at 1-1. New York kept the pressure on in the Bronx in Game 3, with Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernández outdueling Oakland rookie Tim Hudson in a 4-2 win that gave the Yanks a chance to clinch the following night.
The A’s responded with an emphatic statement win, clobbering the Yankees 11-1 in Game 4, with a stellar effort from rookie Barry Zito and the Oakland bullpen to hold New York’s offense at bay.
While it initially looked like the Yankees took any possible drama out of Game 5 by scoring six runs before the A’s even went to the plate, Oakland battled back to make the score 7-5 after four innings. Though momentum would have appeared to carry Oakland the rest of the way through, that was ultimately not the case.
Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, El Duque and Mariano Rivera combined for 5.1 shutout innings, securing a 7-5 victory on the road in the decisive Game 5, clinching yet another berth in the ALCS.
Though outdone by its successor the following year, this series had a little bit of everything – incredible pitching, clutch-hitting, generational stars and an aura of unpredictability few other series’ have matched.
23. 2024 NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers over San Diego Padres 3-2)
Just two years after the Padres scored a seismic upset over the 111-win Dodgers, the two teams met again in the NLDS as Los Angeles looked to avenge their historic series loss.
The Padres looked to be in control right away as the series began, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, offense that was quickly neutralized with a three-run blast from Shohei Ohtani an inning later.
Though San Diego regained a Game 1 lead, the Dodgers once again battled back, tagging Dylan Cease for five earned runs before adding two more against the Padres’ bullpen to secure a 7-5 Game 1 win at home.
The Padres responded emphatically in Game 2, with home runs from Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, David Peralta and Kyle Higashioka leading San Diego to a blowout 10-2 win, evening up the series as it moved back to San Diego.
San Diego was truly feeling Deja Vu after a 6-5 Game 3 win at home, scoring all six of their runs in the second inning before weathering a Teoscar Hernández grand slam the following inning to hang on for the win.
Though the Padres once again had an opportunity to clinch an NLCS berth at home in Game 4, just as they did in 2022, the outcome was radically different. A full-blown bullpen game from Los Angeles fully shut down the Padres for an 8-0 victory, before Yamamoto outdueled fellow Japanese baseball icon Yu Darvish in Game 5 in Los Angeles for a 2-0 win in the decisive contest.
The insane shutdown pitching from the Dodgers kept the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series, an incredible feat as they came back to win the series en route to a World Series title.
22. 2003 NLDS (Chicago Cubs over Atlanta Braves 3-2)
Marking the 12th of 14 consecutive seasons that the Braves won their division, the 101-win club was met by the Cubs in the NLDS, a team the Braves handily swept in the same round five years earlier in 1998.
Despite the Cubs having a noticeably lower record at 88-74, it was immediately clear that this series was going to pan out a bit differently than their 1998 meeting did. The series opened at Turner Field in Atlanta with Cubs flamethrowing righty Kerry Wood dueling first-year Brave Russ Ortiz.
After a solo shot from Marcus Giles gave the Braves the lead in the third inning, the Cubs scored all four of their runs in the game in the sixth, headlined by a two-run double off the bat of Kerry Wood himself.
Though the Braves got a run back on a Chipper Jones RBI groundout in the eighth inning, Cubs closer Joe Borowski slammed the door in the ninth to secure Chicago’s first playoff win since the 1989 NLCS.
Game 2 saw Carlos Zambrano make his playoff debut for the Cubs against Braves lefty Mike Hampton, who entered the series with an NLCS MVP under his belt from 2000. Chicago struck immediately, scoring two runs before recording an out, though Hampton managed to strike out Eric Karros, Ramón Martínez and Damian Miller in order with the bases loaded to keep the deficit at two.
The Braves got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, chipping away throughout the game before taking a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning. While Chicago tied the game in the eighth on a chaotic fly ball double play, a two-run, two-out double from Mark DeRosa gave the Braves a lead they would hold on to in the bottom half of the frame.
With the series tied headed to Wrigley Field, Cubs ace Mark Prior put on an incredible show in Game 3, throwing an unreal 133 pitches in a complete game victory as Chicago won 3-1 in a low-scoring affair.
Game 4 saw plenty of back-and-forth as the Cubs had a chance to secure a berth to the NLCS at home, with the Braves erasing an early 1-0 deficit in the middle innings. A Chipper Jones two-run shot in the fifth inning gave Atlanta the lead, with the Braves tacking on another run in the frame to go up 4-1.
Though an Eric Karros solo blast in the sixth inning got a run back for the Cubs, another two-run blast from Chipper Jones gave the Braves a four-run lead in the eighth inning, which proved to be vital as the Cubs fought back to score twice more in the game. With the tying run at the plate and no one out in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 6-4 game, John Smoltz retired Kenny Lofton, Mark Grudzielanek and Sammy Sosa in order to send the series back to Atlanta.
Game 5 proved to be another dominant showing from Kerry Wood, who protected an early Cubs lead throughout the game across eight innings of one-run ball. The Cubs got long balls from Aramis Ramírez and Alex Gonzalez, with Borowski shutting down the Braves in the ninth inning to lock down a 5-1 series-clinching victory.
A back-and-forth atmosphere with plenty of drama, elite pitching and clutch hitting make this series stand out as one of the more overlooked in recent decades.
21. 2013 ALDS (Detroit Tigers over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
A rematch of a thrilling five-game ALDS just the year prior, the 96-win A’s appeared poised to get over the hump against a Tigers team hunting for its third consecutive ALCS appearance.
The LDS shifted back to the traditional 2-2-1 format in 2013, allowing the A’s to host the series’ first two games. This advantage was quickly neutralized by Max Scherzer and the Tigers, who scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 3-2 Detroit victory.
Game 2 saw a classic October pitcher’s duel, pitting future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander against rookie Sonny Gray for Oakland, who combined for 15 shutout innings and 20 strikeouts.
A scoreless game heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, Oakland finally broke through against Al Albuquerque, loading the bases before a Stephen Vogt walk-off RBI single evened up the series with a 1-0 win.
The A’s kept the pressure on at Comerica Park in Detroit for Game 3, tagging Aníbal Sánchez, that season’s AL ERA champion, for five earned runs and six runs total en route to a 6-3 win that put the Tigers on the brink of elimination.
Game 4 was perhaps the series’ most thrilling, with starters Dan Straily and Doug Fister both posting six innings of three-run ball before both bullpens allowed further damage. With the A’s leading 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Victor Martinez led off the frame with a game-tying solo blast off lefty Sean Doolittle before an Austin Jackson RBI single later in the inning gave Detroit the lead.
The Tigers came back for more in the eighth inning, with a wild pitch and two-run double from Omar Infante allowing three more runs to score, taking an 8-4 lead and seemingly erasing any chance of the season ending in front of their home fans. While a two-run Yoenis Céspedes single in the top of the ninth inning cut the Oakland deficit in half, Joaquin Benoit struck out the tying run in Seth Smith to end the game and send the series back to the Bay Area.
Though the A’s had a raucous crowd at a packed Oakland Coliseum awaiting them for Game 5, it was no match for Justin Verlander, who struck out 10 batters over eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while a Miguel Cabrera two-run home run was all the offense Detroit would ultimately need.
Detroit would extend their lead to three in the sixth inning, with Verlander holding serve until handing the ball to Benoit to finish the game and series. Although Benoit allowed the tying run to come to the plate after retiring the first two batters of the inning, he induced a Seth Smith flyout to eliminate the A’s in Game 5 of the ALDS for the second straight year.
A riveting, unpredictable series that featured some of that postseason’s best pitching performances, this round served as a testament of resilience for the Tigers while adding yet another heartbreak for the A’s and their fans.
20. 2002 ALDS (Minnesota Twins over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
Of course, back-to-back Oakland heartbreakers.
Twenty-three years later, this series loss probably stands out as the most painful for A’s fans, as it came on the heels of an improbable 103-win season that featured a 20-game winning streak, changed how teams are constructed and inspired a blockbuster Hollywood movie.
All of those superlatives are meaningless come October, which was immediately proven to them by the Twins in Game 1. After taking a 5-1 lead early on, Minnesota stormed back immediately, cutting the lead in half on a Corey Koskie two-run shot in the third inning before taking the lead with a three-run output in the sixth inning.
Lefty closer Eddie Guardado stranded the tying runners on base in the ninth inning to close out a 7-5 Game 1 win, immediately putting the A’s in what was essentially a must-win scenario. Oakland met the moment in Game 2, tagging Minnesota starter Joe Mays for six earned runs en route to a decisive 9-1 victory to even up the series as it made its way to the Metrodome.
Oakland kept the momentum going in Game 3, getting home runs from Ray Durham, Scott Hatteberg, Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long as Barry Zito outdueled Rick Reed. The A’s never trailed in the contest and pulled away late, securing a 6-3 win while giving the club two chances to advance to the ALCS.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning of Game 4, the Twins promptly squashed any hopes of champagne popping in Minneapolis. The Twins quickly tied the game in the bottom half of the inning before putting up seven runs the following frame, with critical errors from Hatteberg and Miguel Tejada greatly exacerbating the damage.
Eric Milton recorded 21 of the Twins’ 27 outs, with usual starter Kyle Lohse coming out of the bullpen to wrap up an 11-2 victory to tie up the series and send it back to Oakland for a winner-take-all Game 5.
The series’ final game was a pitcher’s duel that turned chaotic late, with Brad Radke and Mark Mulder putting up stellar performances that put the Twins at a 2-1 advantage heading into the ninth inning.
A two-run blast from A.J. Pierzynski just two batters into the inning seemed to be the knockout punch, with David Ortiz adding another run for the Twins on an RBI double give them a 5-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
With one out and two on in the bottom half of the frame, the A’s showed life as Mark Ellis blasted a three-run shot to put Oakland back within a run. While a Randy Velarde single put the tying run on base with two outs, Eddie Guardado got Ray Durham to hit a foul pop fly on a 3-2 pitch, ending the A’s hopes of a miraculous comeback and season with a 5-4 Twins win.
An incredible series with a plethora of twists and turns, it also served as a remarkable upset for a Twins team that appeared to be overmatched by a club that had built unprecedented momentum through the second half of the season.
19. 2013 NLDS (St. Louis Cardinals over Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2)
Breaking a 21-year absence from the postseason, the Pirates entered the series with plenty of momentum after taking down the fellow division rival Cincinnati Reds in the NL Wild Card Game in front of a lively PNC Park crowd.
Tied for the best record in all of baseball with 97 wins, the Cardinals still appeared to be heavy favorites against the playoff newcomers, an idea that was validated by a 9-1 St. Louis victory at Busch Stadium in Game 1. Cards ace Adam Wainwright carved up the Pirates for seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball, making the upstart Bucs appear severely outmatched.
Pittsburgh quickly put any thought of a sweep to rest in Game 2, striking first and never looking back in an emphatic 7-1 victory. On top of home runs from Starling Marte and Pedro Álvarez, rookie Gerrit Cole was impeccable in his playoff debut, allowing just two hits and a run over six innings while adding an RBI single at the plate.
The series shifted to Pittsburgh for a heart-stopping Game 3 that saw the Pirates squander an early 2-0 lead in the middle innings. After taking the lead again in the sixth, St. Louis found the equalizer in the top of the eighth inning with a solo shot from Carlos Beltrán. Though the momentum appeared as if it had shifted for good, Pittsburgh battled back with back-to-back singles with runners in scoring position to take a 5-3 lead.
Closer Jason Grilli shut down the Redbirds in the ninth inning, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 series lead and a chance to clinch at home in Game 4. Enter St. Louis rookie right-hander Michael Wacha.
Making his first career playoff start, Wacha tossed 7.1 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a solo home run to Pedro Álvarez, the lone hit he surrendered. Clinging to a 2-1 lead, Carlos Martínez and Trevor Rosenthal slammed the door on the Pirates to send the series back to St. Louis.
Though the Pirates were given another chance to win the series, there was little doubt for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for Game 5 as ace Adam Wainwright tossed a complete game, yielding just eight hits and one run in a 6-1 St. Louis win to close out the series.
An exciting meeting between two division rivals, the young Pirates unexpectedly went toe-to-toe with the veteran Redbirds, who secured their third straight NLCS appearance with the victory.
The second part to this ranking can be found here.
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