The first part of this series can be found here.
With League Division Series play in full action for the 2025 MLB season, it’s time to dive into the second half of my ranking of all 36 LDS’ to go the full five games since 1996.
Added as an additional earlier round to the postseason ahead of the strike-shortened 1994 season, Division Series play didn’t follow a full 162-game regular season until 1996.
Heading into this season, there have been 36 matchups in the League Division Series since that 1996 season that have required a winner-take-all Game 5.
Without the larger margin of error and additional home game found in a best-of-seven series, the best-of-five LDS has long been known for its high amount of drama and series-turning events that seem to flip the script on a round in a matter of seconds.
Although 2025 included two Game 5s in the 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.
With my ranking for No. 36 through No. 19 in the books already, here’s a look at what I believe to be the 18 best League Division Series’ we have been treated to as baseball fans in the past 29 years.
18. 2012 NLDS (San Francisco Giants over Cincinnati Reds 3-2)
Following a one-year absence from the playoffs, many fans in Cincinnati felt that it was finally the year for the Reds, winning 97 games while sporting one of the league’s most complete rosters throughout the season.
That feeling of imminent success was only validated in the first two games of their NLDS matchup against the Giants, which were both played in San Francisco due to the unusual usage of the 2-3 format in the 2012 LDS.
The Reds made an immediate statement in the series, with Johnny Cueto outdueling Matt Cain for a Game 1 victory before a 9-0 shutout win in Game 2 that saw seven innings of one-hit, shutout baseball from Bronson Arroyo.
With San Francisco on the ropes facing elimination and three straight games at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, they began their comeback with a dramatic 2-1 Game 3 win in 10 innings, capitalizing on a brutal error made by Hall of Famer usual defensive stalwart Scott Rolen.
The Giants went on to tag Reds’ starter Mike Leake for five earned runs in an 8-3 Game 4 victory before saving all the drama for the winner-take-all Game 5.
Already holding a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Buster Posey drilled a grand slam to left field in what was arguably the most recognizable home run of his career, giving the Giants a 6-0 lead they would ultimately hold on to, winning Game 5 by a final score of 6-4.
The exciting series between two great teams featured one of the biggest twists imaginable after the Reds had dominated in San Francisco during the first two games. The comeback for the Giants only fueled another comeback in the NLCS, erasing a 3-1 deficit to the St. Louis Cardinals to win that series.
17. 2022 ALDS (New York Yankees over Cleveland Guardians 3-2)
The favored 99-win Yankees entered this series with home-field advantage and a rested Gerrit Cole prepared to pitch twice, which New York ultimately needed every bit of.
It didn’t initially appear that way, as Cole and the Yankees handled business with a 4-1 Game 1 victory, yielding very little outside of a third inning solo shot from Steven Kwan. Though the Yankees would also take an early 2-0 Game 2 lead, the Guardians would tie the game in the middle innings, setting up a battle of the bullpens.
With the game tied at 2 heading into the 10th inning, the Yankees went with usual starter Jameson Taillon on the mound, who immediately struggled. Taillon yielded three hits to start the inning, two of which were doubles, allowing the Guardians to take a 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish as they evened up the series.
Game 3 back in Cleveland proved to be another thriller, with an early 2-0 Guardians lead being erased by two-run shots from both Aaron Judge and Oswaldo Cabrera, giving New York a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning.
Both teams had tacked on another run by the time the bottom of the ninth inning rolled around, with Cleveland building a rally after an out to lead off the inning. After a Myles Straw double and Steven Kwan single put runners at the corners with one out, Yankees manager Aaron Boone replaced Wandy Peralta with Clarke Schmidt on the mound.
Still leading by two runs, Schmidt allowed an RBI single to Amed Rosario to move the game back within a run before an infield hit from José Ramírez left the bases loaded with still only one out. Though Schmidt struck out Josh Naylor on three pitches, a base hit up the middle from Oscar González on a 1-2 pitch won the game for Cleveland, giving the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the series with a chance to clinch at home.
This chance was squandered due to a terrific start from Gerrit Cole for the Yankees, who never trailed in the game and limited the Guardians to just two runs, one of which was a solo shot from Josh Naylor that infamously saw the infielder “rock the baby” against Cole. New York ultimately won 4-2, bringing the series back to the Bronx for a decisive Game 5.
Game 5 brought a rather unclimactic end to the series, with Guardians starter Aaron Civale failing to get out of the first inning while Nestor Cortes and the Yankees bullpen limited Cleveland to just a single run in a 5-1 victory.
Despite an ending that left some to be desired, this series featured incredible pitching and two games that flipped upside down in the late innings – hard to ask for too much more.
16. 2024 ALDS (Cleveland Guardians over Detroit Tigers 3-2)
A playoff matchup that few would have predicted at the start of the 2024 season, this ALDS saw the young Tigers matchup against the AL Central champion Guardians, who had secured a bye through the AL Wild Card Round.
After sweeping the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round, the Tigers looked to do more damage in their first-ever playoff meeting against Cleveland. The Guardians got off to an emphatic start in the series’ opening game, scoring five runs in the first inning and never looking back en route to a 7-0 victory.
Game 2 turned out to be a scoreless battle as Tarik Skubal and Matthew Boyd matched each other, with both teams’ bullpens keeping the game scoreless until the ninth inning. Despite being the most effective closer in baseball all year, Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase surrendered a massive three-run shot to Kerry Carpenter, paving the way for a 3-0 Tigers win to even up the series.
The Tigers held serve back in Detroit for Game 3, using a bullpen game to their advantage over Alex Cobb and the Guardians in what was yet another 3-0 victory, pushing Cleveland to the brink of elimination with a chance to close out the series at home.
A Tanner Bibee vs. Reese Olson matchup, Game 4 featured plenty of back-and-forth drama through much of the contest, eventually leading to a 3-2 Tigers lead heading into the seventh inning. After two quick outs, the Guardians got a runner on with a Steven Kwan single before pinch-hitter David Fry gave Cleveland the lead with a two-run home run.
Cleveland added on once more in the ninth inning, proving to be vital as the Tigers got a run back in the bottom half of the frame before dropping the potential clincher at home by a score of 5-4.
Tarik Skubal and Matthew Boyd both returned to the mound in Cleveland for Game 5, with a 1-0 fifth inning lead for Detroit promptly erased by a five-run outburst from the Guardians immediately afterwards. It was a Lane Thomas grand slam that proved to be the knockout punch, as Cleveland held on for a 7-3 win to advance to the ALCS.
Dramatic home runs, a division rivalry and an unexpected playoff matchup – it’s hard to ask for too much more in a series.
15. 2011 NLDS (Milwaukee Brewers over Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2)
In perhaps another battle of the unexpected that 2011 featured plenty of, the upstart and favored Brewers were matched up against a Diamondbacks team that nobody expected to contend at the start of the 2011 season.
Milwaukee seemed to prove their advantage in the series early on, thanks to eight innings of one-run ball from Yovani Gallardo in Game 1, neutralizing Arizona ace Ian Kennedy in what was ultimately a 4-1 series opening victory.
Though Arizona showed more life in Game 2 and worked into a 4-4 tie in the game’s middle innings, a five-run explosion from Milwaukee in the sixth inning paved the way to a 9-4 win as reliever Brad Ziegler was unable to record a single out in the frame.
Facing a 2-0 deficit while only briefly appearing competitive in the first two games, the Snakes stormed back in Game 3 in Phoenix, with a Paul Goldschmidt grand slam off Shaun Marcum making the difference in what was ultimately an 8-1 triumph for Arizona.
A Randy Wolf vs. Joe Saunders matchup for Game 4 quickly turned into a slugfest, with a five-run first inning for Arizona appearing to set the tone for the evening. While Milwaukee cut the deficit to 7-4 in the sixth inning, the D-Backs tacked on three more insurance runs in what ended up being a 10-6 Game 4 win.
Arizona benefitted from a grand slam for the second straight game, with Ryan Roberts’ blast joining two bombs from Chris Young and a shot from Aaron Hill as the power production from the Diamondbacks.
The series then moved back to Milwaukee for what turned out to be a classic Game 5, with Ian Kennedy and Yovani Gallardo mostly matching each other’s output throughout the evening. The Brewers entered the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead hoping to finish out the series, but closer John Axford allowed the first three Arizona hitters to reach, with a Willie Bloomquist bunt single tying the game at 2 apiece.
With two men on and Arizona threatening to go ahead, Axford miraculously retired the next three hitters before turning in a 1-2-3 inning in the 10th, setting up Milwaukee for a series winner. After a Carlos Gómez single and stolen base put the winning run in scoring position, a base hit up the middle from Nyjer Morgan won the game and series for Milwaukee, both by a score of 3-2.
What initially appeared to be a boring sweep involving two teams that were unevenly matched, Arizona battled back and turned the series into a classic, with multiple moments that remain cherished by both fanbases.
14. 2019 NLDS (St. Louis Cardinals over Atlanta Braves 3-2)
Returning from an uncharacteristic three-year postseason absence, the St. Louis Cardinals looked to upset the slightly favored Atlanta Braves, who had won the NL East for a second-straight year as their young core looked to take a step forward.
The series didn’t give fans any chance to settle in with a riveting Game 1 that turned into a nailbiter during the late innings. After St. Louis erased a late 3-1 deficit to blow the game open and take a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Braves still were able to make things interesting.
Facing then-Cardinals closer and former starter Carlos Martínez, the Braves put up some late fireworks with a two-run shot from Ronald Acuña Jr. and a solo shot from Freddie Freeman to get back within a run before ultimately falling short in the series opener by a 7-6 score.
The Braves were able to avoid going down 2-0 at home thanks to an outstanding start from Mike Foltynewicz in Game 2, who tossed seven shutout innings en route to a 3-0 victory that evened the series up as it moved to St. Louis.
Fans were treated to yet another thriller for Game 3 at Busch Stadium, which included a vintage pitcher’s duel between Cardinals icon Adam Wainwright and Atlanta rookie Michael Soroka, with St. Louis leading 1-0 essentially the whole game.
Closer Carlos Martínez was once again entrusted to protect the lead, and recorded strikeouts of Nick Markakis and Adeiny Hechavarria after allowing a leadoff double to Josh Donaldson, who was then replaced by the much faster Billy Hamilton on the basepaths. After intentionally walking Brian McCann, Martínez surrendered a game-tying double to Dansby Swanson before a two-run Adam Duvall single gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead they would ultimately hold on to, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
It was Dallas Keuchel vs. Dakota Hudson on the mound for Game 4 as Atlanta tried to finish off the Cardinals, an effort that appeared to be going well after the Braves neutralized an early St. Louis lead with a three-run fifth inning. A go-ahead two-run blast from Ozzie Albies put the Braves up 4-3 while chasing Hudson from the game.
After the Braves bullpen held off St. Louis for the next several innings, midseason acquisition Shane Greene was sent into the game with one out in the eighth inning when things took a turn for Atlanta. Greene allowed a double to Paul Goldschmidt, who was driven in by a Yadier Molina single two batters later as a sudden rally tied the game for St. Louis.
While Greene pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth inning, veteran Julio Teheran took over for the Braves in the 10th, where a ground-rule double from Kolten Wong to start the frame doomed Atlanta. After intentionally walking Goldschmidt and retiring Marcell Ozuna on a groundout, a sac fly from none other than Yadier Molina won the game for the Cardinals as the series headed back to Atlanta for a decisive Game 5.
Although this NLDS was seemingly producing thriller after thriller, this series would have placed much higher if not for its dud of a Game 5. The Cardinals scored an unprecedented 10 runs in the first inning of the game, tacking on a few more in the early innings and never looking back in a 13-1 win that sealed their first trip to the NLCS since 2014.
13. 2015 ALDS (Kansas City Royals over Houston Astros 3-2)
The first postseason run of an Astros core that ultimately went on to win two World Series championships featured plenty of clutch moments followed by a true heartbreaker at the hands of the defending AL champions.
The Astros stayed hot in Game 1 after a triumphant Wild Card Game victory over the New York Yankees, with Collin McHugh freezing the Kansas City offense while home runs from George Springer and Colby Rasmus led to a 5-2 win at Kauffman Stadium.
Houston appeared to be on their way to a Game 2 victory early on as well, taking a 3-0 lead and holding a 4-2 advantage after the game’s first three innings. Royals starter and midseason acquisition Johnny Cueto settled in from there while Kansas City eventually struck back in the sixth inning to tie the game. The Royals would take the lead in the following frame thanks to a Ben Zobrist RBI single, with Kansas City hanging on to even up the series at one game apiece.
The Astros returned to what was then Minute Maid Park to a raucous crowd as they hosted their first playoff game since the 2005 World Series with Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel on the mound. Though the Royals struck first with a solo shot from Lorenzo Cain, Houston was able to get to Edinson Vólquez in the middle innings, taking a lead on a two-run single from Jason Castro.
Houston added on more with a Carlos Gómez RBI single and Chris Carter home run, proving to be enough to hold on for a 4-2 win, setting the stage for a chance to clinch an ALCS berth at home in Game 4.
That appeared to be coming to fruition, with fans feeling the game was put away after back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning from Carlos Correa and Colby Rasmus, extending Houston’s advantage to 6-2 with just six defensive outs left to get.
Though it looked like Houston could stay on cruise control the rest of the way, the Royals opened the eighth inning with five consecutive singles, cutting the lead in half and leaving the bases loaded with nobody out. A Kendrys Morales groundball that looked like it would result in at least one out ultimately tied the game due to a crucial error from Correa, with still no one out. An RBI groundout later in the frame from Alex Gordon gave the Royals a 7-6 lead, seemingly improbable just moments before.
A two-run shot from Eric Hosmer in the ninth inning erased any hopes of a Houston comeback, as the series moved back to Kansas City with a late-game collapse keeping the Astros from moving on in front of their fans.
While an early two-run home run from the late Luis Valbuena gave Houston the first lead of the game, the Royals went on to score seven unanswered runs as they cruised to a Game 5 win and a second consecutive ALCS berth.
12. 2021 NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco Giants 3-2)
If someone told you at the start of the 2021 season that the Dodgers would win 106 games, I don’t think too many people would have been taken back or argued. But if you were told they did that and didn’t even win the division?
That’s exactly what happened this season, as one of recent memory’s most surprising teams in the 2021 Giants won 107 games en route to their first NL West title since 2012. After the Dodgers handled the St. Louis Cardinals in the last-ever NL Wild Card Game, an iconic rivalry matchup was set for the NLDS.
Game 1 went to plan for the Giants, with Logan Webb shutting down the Dodgers in 7.2 shutout innings while home runs from Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey and Kris Bryant led San Francisco to a 4-0 win.
Los Angeles responded emphatically in Game 2, tagging Giants starter Kevin Gausman for four earned runs before doing more damage to the bullpen in a commanding 9-2 win to even up the series as it moved to Dodger Stadium. In Game 3, a titanic effort from Alex Wood and the Giants bullpen offset seven innings of one-run ball from Max Scherzer, with an Evan Longoria solo blast being the only scoring San Francisco needed in a 1-0 win.
Facing elimination at home, the Dodgers got to starter Anthony DeSclafani early before making the Giants use most of their bullpen in a 7-2 win at Chavez Ravine that featured home runs from Mookie Betts and Will Smith. This set the stage for a thrilling Game 5 back at Oracle Park in San Francisco, which turned out to be a low-scoring affair as Logan Webb dueled the Dodgers bullpen.
After both teams scored a single run in the sixth inning, it was a go-ahead one-out RBI single off the bat of Cody Bellinger in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 2-1 lead, a hit that felt especially punishing for the Giants given Bellinger’s .165 batting average in the regular season. The Giants did manage to get the tying run on base thanks to a Justin Turner error, though a controversial check swing call on Wilmer Flores ended the game and the series in favor of the Dodgers.
Rarely ever do teams with these gargantuan win totals meet up in the postseason, let alone in the LDS – this series lived up to the rivalry and the hype up until the final moment.
11. 2017 ALDS (New York Yankees over Cleveland Indians 3-2)
While this matchup would make fans think the pressure was all on New York, this series was truly the inverse. The Yankees entered the series fresh off of an AL Wild Card Game win over the Minnesota Twins, while the 102-win Indians were looking to make it back to the World Series for a second straight year.
Cleveland’s advantage in the series seemed obvious and overpowering in Game 1, as Trevor Bauer, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen combined for a shutout while Jay Bruce drove in three of the Indians’ four runs in a 4-0 win.
Game 2 appeared to be a disaster for Cleveland, however, with ace Corey Kluber getting hit early and often as the Yankees built an 8-3 lead powered by home runs from Gary Sánchez, Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird.
After manufacturing a bases loaded rally in the sixth inning, a controversial decision to not challenge a foul ball call from New York manager Joe Girardi proved to sting the Yankees as Francisco Lindor launched a towering grand slam, cutting the New York lead to a single run. That momentum carried the Indians the rest of the way, with a Jay Bruce solo shot tying the game in the eighth inning before an eventual Yan Gomes walk-off single in the 12th to give Cleveland a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3 back at Yankee Stadium quickly became a pitcher’s duel between Carlos Carrasco and Masahiro Tanaka as the Indians looked to secure the series victory. Remaining scoreless for most of the game, it was a solo shot off the bat of Greg Bird that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 Yankees win that extended the series to a Game 4.
Feeding off the energy of an intense Game 3 victory, the Yankees jumped out to a 5-0 lead and didn’t look back in Game 4, with four Cleveland errors dooming the Indians in what was ultimately a 7-3 win for New York. Six of New York’s seven runs were ultimately unearned, including all four given up by starter Trevor Bauer.
The series moved back to Cleveland for Game 5, where it was none other than former franchise icon CC Sabathia shutting down the Indians lineup as the Yankees took an early lead and never looked back, landing a knockout punch in the top of the ninth inning with two extra insurance runs.
Fifth inning RBI singles from Roberto Pérez and Gio Urshela served as the lone run production from the Indians in the winner-take-all Game 5, as they squandered a 2-0 series lead in a 5-2 loss at home.
To this day, this series remains the most recent series that a team completed a comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the LDS.
10. 2012 ALDS (New York Yankees over Baltimore Orioles 3-2)
A division rivalry that got its first taste of October action in the 1996 ALCS, the surprising Orioles stormed their way back into the playoffs and matched up with New York after an AL Wild Card Game win over the Texas Rangers.
With the 2012 LDS featuring the unconventional 2-3 format, the series opened with two games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, though that didn’t seem to phase the Yankees. While CC Sabathia kept pace with Jason Hammel and most of the Baltimore bullpen in a 2-2 game, a ninth inning implosion from closer Jim Johnson paved the way for a 7-2 New York victory in the series opener.
The Orioles responded well in Game 2, with Wei-Yin Chen outdueling postseason legend Andy Pettitte as RBI knocks from Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds proved to be enough in a 3-2 Baltimore win that evened up the series as it moved to Yankee Stadium.
Game 3 featured perhaps the series’ most iconic moments, as the Orioles appeared poised to take a 2-1 series lead, holding a 2-1 lead in the contest as it moved to the bottom of the ninth inning. It was here where a 40-year-old Raúl Ibañez took complete control, going deep off Jim Johnson to tie the game in the ninth inning before taking Brian Matusz deep in the 12th inning to secure a dramatic 3-2 walk-off win, giving the Yankees a 2-1 edge in the series.
The Orioles showcased their own flair for the dramatic in Game 4, another duel of pitching staffs that entered extra innings with the score knotted at 1. With the game in the top of the 13th inning, a Manny Machado leadoff double proved to be critical, as J.J. Hardy drove him in with a double of his own two batters later to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead which was preserved by Jim Johnson to force a Game 5.
Game 5 was once again a pitcher’s duel, though this time it was Hall of Famer CC Sabathia who outdueled Jason Hammel, tossing a complete game behind three Yankees runs as New York closed out a 3-1 victory to clinch their third trip to the ALCS in four years.
9. 2019 NLDS (Washington Nationals over Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2)
Pitting the heavily favored 106-win Dodgers against the surprise 93-win Nationals, this series was seen by many to be an afterthought as Los Angeles appeared poised to finally break through and win their first World Series since 1988.
Fresh off a dramatic comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card Game, the Nationals were instantly stymied to start the series as Walker Buehler and the Dodgers pitching staff surrendered just two hits in a 6-0 Game 1 win that did little to prove Nationals skeptics wrong.
Game 2 was immediately a different story however, as the Nationals got to Clayton Kershaw early while Stephen Strasburg and the Washington bullpen kept the Dodgers in check throughout the contest. Three early runs off Kershaw proved to be enough as the Nats held on for a 4-2 win, tying the series up as it moved to the nation’s capital for the next two games.
The series’ third game saw what was an early low-scoring affair blow up into a landslide that favored the Dodgers, as they tagged lefty Patrick Corbin for six runs in just 0.2 innings of work in relief as part of a seven-run sixth inning. Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Russell Martin all homered for the Dodgers in what was ultimately a 10-4 victory, putting Washington on the ropes for Game 4.
Unfazed by a first inning solo shot from Justin Turner, the Nationals went on to score six unanswered runs in Game 4, with Max Scherzer posting seven innings of one-run ball. A three-run shot from Ryan Zimmerman in the fifth inning proved to be the game’s turning point, with Washington closing out a 6-1 victory that forced the series back to Los Angeles.
Game 5 turned out to be an all-time classic, one that certainly shot this series to a high ranking on this list. The contest featured Stephen Strasburg and Walker Buehler facing off, with Los Angeles appearing to have the edge after scoring three times in the first two innings to take an early 3-0 lead.
Strasburg settled in and Buehler continued to deal, though an Anthony Rendon double and Juan Soto single in the sixth inning gave the Nationals a run back. Buehler was then removed from the game an inning later after recording two outs, with manager Dave Roberts handing the ball straight to ace Clayton Kershaw as he hoped to close out the series.
Though Kershaw struck out Adam Eaton on three pitches to end the inning, unmitigated disaster struck in the following frame. After missing on his first offering to Anthony Rendon to start the eighth inning, Kershaw allowed home runs on back-to-back pitches to Rendon and Soto, tying the game for Washington and shocking the Los Angeles crowd.
While Kenta Maeda entered the game and struck out the side to stop any further damage, the true catastrophe would strike in the 10th inning after Washington loaded the bases with nobody out against hard-throwing righty Joe Kelly. With veteran contact hitter Howie Kendrick at the plate, getting the ball in play for a double play while only allowing one run was likely the Dodgers best path towards mitigating the damage. An 0-1 offering from Kelly caught plenty of the plate, and Kendrick was ready.
The massive grand slam put the Nationals up 7-3, a lead they comfortably held on to as they shocked the Dodgers and the baseball world by clinching a berth to the NLCS, en route to an eventual World Series championship.
8. 2001 ALDS (New York Yankees over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
A rematch of an ALDS matchup the year prior, the A’s looked to halt the Yankees unprecedented dominance that included three straight World Series titles and four championships in the previous five seasons.
Though the A’s had won seven more games than the Yankees in the regular season, the Yankees earned home-field advantage for the series as the A’s were the AL’s Wild Card team, still finishing 14 games below the record-setting Seattle Mariners.
Starting the series out in the Bronx seemed to have no impact on the young Oakland pitching staff, with lefty Mark Mulder outdueling Roger Clemens as two home runs from Terrence Long and a solo shot from Jason Giambi led the way to a 5-3 win in the series opener for the A’s.
Game 2 was a true pitcher’s duel, with a young Oakland starter once again coming out on the winning end. Rookie Tim Hudson tossed eight shutout innings with just three strikeouts, stymying the Yankees with soft contact while a Ron Gant solo shot served as the lone offense for much of the contest. While the A’s added on another run in the ninth inning thanks to a Scott Brosius error, the Yankees went on to squander a golden opportunity in the bottom half of the frame.
After a Bernie Williams lead-off double and Tino Martinez walk, Jason Isringhausen retired Jorge Posada, David Justice and Scott Brosius to secure a 2-0 Game 2 victory, giving Oakland two chances to close out the series in front of their home fans at the Coliseum.
Game 3 featured the true turning point of the series and one of the league’s most iconic plays in recent memory, made possible by another pitcher’s duel that featured young lefty Barry Zito for Oakland and veteran hurler Mike Mussina in his first season with the Yankees.
After New York took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning on a Jorge Posada solo homer, the A’s appeared certain to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh during a two-out rally. Following a single from the late Jeremy Giambi, Terrence Long ripped a double down the right field line, deep enough to where the slow-footed Giambi was sent home all the way from first base.
Despite a wildly off-target throw from Shane Spencer, shortstop Derek Jeter scurried across the diamond, picking up the ball and flipping it to Posada in time to get Giambi, who controversially did not slide on the play. Mariano Rivera slammed the door from there with a six-out save, extending the series to a fourth game.
Game 4 did not prove to be too competitive, with the Yankees getting to Oakland starter Cory Lidle for four earned runs and six runs total en route to an emphatic 9-2 victory. A solid start from Orlando Hernández and scoreless bullpen outings from Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza preserved the Hall of Famer Rivera for a winner-take-all Game 5 back in New York.
A rematch of Mulder vs. Clemens from Game 1, it was the A’s who built an early lead thanks to RBI singles from each of the Giambi brothers in the first two innings, giving Oakland a 2-0 lead. This advantage was quickly erased in the ensuing half-inning with a game-tying two-run knock from Alfonso Soriano, shifting the momentum back in New York’s favor.
The Yankees took the lead on an Eric Chavez error in the third inning and didn’t look back, with Stanton, Mendoza and Rivera locking down the A’s the rest of the way in what was ultimately a 5-3 win for New York.
The series win marked the second straight five-game series victory over the A’s for the Yankees, sending them to the ALCS for a fourth straight season.
7. 2015 ALDS (Toronto Blue Jays over Texas Rangers 3-2)
A matchup few would have predicted at the start of the season, this series was a matchup between two non-playoff teams from the year prior, with the Rangers going from worst-to-first in 2015.
Toronto’s 93-win record was five games better than the Rangers’, giving the Jays home-field advantage that didn’t seem to mean all that much in Game 1. It was Texas that struck first against David Price and the Blue Jays in the third inning, taking the lead in a game in which they never trailed as later home runs from Robinson Chirinos and Rougned Odor led the way to a 5-3 series-opening victory.
Game 2’s duel between Cole Hamels and Marcus Stroman proved to be a long-winded nailbiter after an eighth inning RBI single from Mike Napoli tied the game at 4 apiece, removing any hopes of cruising to victory for Toronto. Both clubs squandered extra-inning opportunities until the 14th frame, when a Hanser Alberto RBI single off 42-year-old LaTroy Hawkins put Texas on top. The Rangers tacked on another run off Liam Hendriks before Ross Ohlendorf held off the Jays in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 2-0 lead back to Arlington.
The Blue Jays got a much-needed stellar start from Marco Estrada in the road elimination game, with an early 2-0 Toronto lead blown open thanks to a three-run blast from Troy Tulowitzki in the sixth inning. Texas’ offense was silent throughout the night, only managing an RBI groundout in the seventh inning before Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna closed the door on any hopes of a sweep, extending the series to a fourth game.
Game 4 was seemingly out of Texas’ reach immediately, with Josh Donaldson, Chris Colabello and Kevin Pillar all launching home runs off Rangers starter Derek Holland, building a 7-0 lead in the third inning. Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey allowed just one run in 4.2 innings of work, with the Jays staving off the Texas offense the rest of the way for an 8-4 win, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5 north of the border.
Game 5 proved to be a 21st century classic for the league, as Toronto looked to finish the 2-0 series comeback in front of an electric Rogers Centre crowd. It was Texas that struck first, however, with a Prince Fielder RBI fielder’s choice and Shin-Soo Choo solo homer putting the Rangers up 2-0 early.
Toronto answered right back in the bottom of the third with an RBI double from José Bautista, eventually tying the game three innings later on a solo blast from Edwin Encarnación. Texas went on to take the lead in the top half of the seventh on a controversial play as Rougned Odor scored when the ball got away on a routine throw back to the mound from catcher Russell Martin. Although initially ruled a dead ball, the run was awarded to Texas after an umpire conference which led to a prolonged delay caused by angry fans throwing debris onto the field.
The bottom half of the inning included a full-blown defensive meltdown from Elvis Andrus and the Rangers, with three errors overall loading up the bases with nobody out. Hamels was able to get an out at home on a Ben Revere grounder before leaving the game to reliever Sam Dyson, who surrendered the game-tying run on a pop fly that Rougned Odor could not get to, though the Rangers did record the second out of the inning on a force play at second base. Then, it was Joey Bats and the batflip seen around the world:
The iconic blast gave the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead that would not be relinquished, closing out the Game 5 victory and completing the comeback from a 2-0 deficit to move on to their first ALCS since 1993.
6. 2016 NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington Nationals 3-2)
Having already experienced two NLDS heartbreaks in 2012 and 2014, the Nationals looked to get over the hump against the NL West champion Dodgers in the 2016 NLDS, holding home-field advantage over Dave Roberts’ team.
The Dodgers, fresh off a heartbreak in the 2015 NLDS themselves, opened the series with a 4-3 win in a battle of future Hall of Famers between Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. After a first inning Corey Seager home run, the Dodgers tacked on three more in the third inning, punctuated by a two-run blast off the bat of Justin Turner. A Los Angeles bullpen corps of Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton, Pedro Báez and Kenley Jansen allowed just one Washington hit, staving off what looked to be an earlier Nationals comeback and securing the victory.
Los Angeles got off to the start they were looking for in Game 2 at Nationals Park as well, with yet another first inning home run from Corey Seager and a third inning RBI knock from Josh Reddick giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead behind a cruising Rich Hill. After facing little difficultly in the early innings, a two-out rally blew out of proportion in the fourth inning when a three-run shot from José Lobatón suddenly gave the Nationals their first lead of the series.
Washington added on two more runs on two Daniel Murphy RBI singles as the Nationals bullpen shut down the Dodgers the rest of the way for a 5-2 win that evened up the series as it moved to Dodger Stadium.
Game 3 was a Gio Gonzalez-Kenta Maeda matchup that eventually turned into a bullpen game, with a four-run third inning from the Nationals proving to be the difference in a 4-3 game heading into the ninth inning. Facing the usually shutdown Kenley Jansen, a Jayson Werth lead-off homer kickstarted what was another four-run Nationals outburst, turning what was a nailbiter into a blowout in the final inning as Washington locked down a crucial 8-3 road victory.
Facing elimination at home in a potential legacy game for Clayton Kershaw, the future Hall of Fame lefty put up a mixed bag of results in a game the Dodgers were in control of, but never comfortably ahead. After a first inning Daniel Murphy RBI single, the Dodgers went ahead on a two-run shot from Adrián González in the bottom half of the inning, taking a lead they ultimately wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the game.
While Washington tied the game at 2 in the top of the third with a Murphy sac fly, the Dodgers scored the next three runs and appeared to be in control before a feverish Nationals rally in the seventh inning against Kershaw. After appearing to neutralize a Danny Espinosa lead-off single with two quick outs, Kershaw allowed a single and a walk before the game was handed off to the bullpen, with the Nationals ultimately cashing in three times in the inning to tie the game.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dodgers put up a rally of their own against Blake Treinen, as Andrew Toles reached on a hit-by-pitch before Andre Ethier singled to put two men on. Facing a 1-2 count, playoff veteran Chase Utley deposited a go-ahead RBI single into right field, proving to be enough as Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out a 6-5 win and send the series back to Washington, D.C.
Fans were treated to a classic in a Game 5 that felt like it had two distinct parts, the first of which being a pitcher’s duel that saw the Nationals cling to a 1-0 lead for much of the first six innings as a Dodgers bullpen dueled with Max Scherzer. A leadoff home run from Joc Pederson in the seventh inning tied the game and changed the tone, with the Dodgers able to tack on three more runs in the frame against a Nationals bullpen that seemingly had no answers.
A two-run pinch-hit shot from Chris Heisey in the bottom half of the inning brought the game right back into nailbiter status as the Nationals were back within one, but were unable to find the equalizer after loading the bases later in that inning. After quietly going down in the eighth inning, Washington followed a Trea Turner strikeout with consecutive walks from Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth to put the series-winning run on base, leading to Dave Roberts going to Game 4 starter Clayton Kershaw to try to finish the series.
Despite derailing late in Game 4, Kershaw induced a pop-out from Daniel Murphy before striking out Wilmer Difo to close out the 4-3 win and the series, successfully coming back from the 2-1 deficit to secure their first NLCS berth since 2013.
5. 1999 ALDS (Boston Red Sox over Cleveland Indians 3-2)
An ALDS rematch from the year prior that saw Cleveland win in four games, the 1999 matchup saw the only post-strike team to score 1,000 or more runs in the Indians take on a Red Sox team hungry for revenge.
The 97-win Indians held home-field advantage over the Wild Card Red Sox, appearing to feed off of the lively Jacobs Field crowd in Cleveland for a comeback 3-2 win in Game 1, secured in walk-off fashion. A duel between Pedro Martínez and Bartolo Colón, Boston turned to Derek Lowe after Martínez left the game with a back injury before the fifth inning.
A 2-0 Boston lead was erased with a game-tying two-run blast off the bat of Jim Thome in the sixth inning, with a Travis Fryman walk-off single in the ninth inning securing the Game 1 victory in a contest that saw Boston both lose the game and their ace pitcher.
Cleveland put their offensive might on display in Game 2, putting up all 11 runs they scored in the game in the third and fourth innings that included a three-run home run from Harold Baines and a grand slam from Jim Thome. Boston starter Bret Saberhagen was charged with six earned runs over just 2.2 innings of work as the Indians cruised to an 11-1 win, putting the Red Sox on the brink of elimination with the series heading to Fenway Park.
With Ramón Martínez dueling Dave Burba on the mound for Game 3, the Red Sox battled past an early 1-0 deficit and exploded late, scoring five times off reliever Jaret Wright en route to an emphatic 9-3 victory. After 5.2 innings of two-run ball from Martínez, Derek Lowe returned to work for the Red Sox and secured the win, allowing one unearned run in 2.1 innings in relief.
Game 4 saw the season-long weakness of Cleveland’s pitching staff come into full force, as the Red Sox scored an unprecedented 23 runs in a series-equalizing 23-7 win, tagging Bartolo Colón for seven earned runs before coming back for more against several Indians relievers. Boston scored three times off Steve Karsay in two innings before righty reliever Steve Reed allowed eight earned runs while recording just four outs.
The momentum felt as if it had shifted definitively in Boston’s favor as the series moved back to Cleveland for the winner-take-all Game 5, with a first inning two-run blast from Nomar Garciaparra in the decisive contest injecting a jolt of energy into the Red Sox and their fans.
Things quickly went awry for the Red Sox in the bottom half of the frame, with Bret Saberhagen yielding three runs to Cleveland, a go-ahead two-run blast from Jim Thome among them. A two-run shot off Saberhagen from Travis Fryman in the second inning forced Saberhagen from the game, with the Red Sox going to Derek Lowe as they trailed by three runs with their season on the line.
The Red Sox punched back decisively in the third inning, getting a run on a John Valentin RBI groundout before a Troy O’Leary grand slam gave Boston a 7-5 lead. Though Cleveland responded with another three runs in their half of the third inning to reclaim an 8-7 lead, Boston tied the game with a Valentin sac fly the following inning, knotting the game at 8 apiece. It was here where Red Sox manager Jimy Williams hit the jackpot on a massive gamble, going to Pedro Martínez after he had left Game 1 with a back injury.
Martínez went on to pitch six no-hit innings the rest of the way, with a three-run shot from Troy O’Leary in the seventh inning providing what the Red Sox needed offensively to complete the comeback game and series victory with a 12-8 win.
Martínez’s performance went on to stand out as a hallmark moment of the Hall of Famer’s career, while the Red Sox earned a trip to the ALCS against the archrival New York Yankees in what was their first-ever postseason matchup.
4. 2011 NLDS (St. Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Phillies 3-2)
The kind of matchup fans expect in the first round of a postseason, this series saw the 101-win Phillies, coming off of three straight NLCS appearances, taking on the 90-win Cardinals that needed a sensational September and Atlanta Braves collapse to make it to October.
The heavily favored Phillies trotted out the late Roy Halladay against Kyle Lohse for Game 1, with the Phillies eventually erasing a 3-0 first inning deficit with a late-game offensive explosion that included home runs from Ryan Howard and Raúl Ibañez. Halladay ultimately went eight innings without allowing any more damage after the first frame, with the Phils’ bullpen battling through a few hiccups en route to an 11-6 win in the series opener.
While Game 2 started out ideally for Philadelphia as they got to Chris Carpenter for four runs in the first two innings, it was anything but cruise control for the Phillies as their bats faltered and St. Louis stormed back against Cliff Lee in the middle innings. A three-run fourth inning outburst brought the game right back to within reach for the Cardinals, eventually tying the game on a sixth inning RBI single from Jon Jay that was the fruit of a two-out rally.
Lee remained in the game for the seventh inning, proving to be a futile decision as the veteran lefty allowed a triple to Allen Craig and single to Albert Pujols to start the inning, giving the Cardinals what ultimately proved to be the game-winning run. The Phillies failed to generate significant traffic the rest of the way and lost Game 2 by a score of 5-4, sending the series to St. Louis tied up at 1 apiece.
A pitcher’s duel throughout between Cole Hamels and Jaime García, the Game 3 scoreboard wasn’t touched until the seventh inning when a three-run shot from Ben Francisco gave the Phillies all three of their runs for the game, proving to be all they needed. While St. Louis ultimately fought back with runs in the seventh and ninth innings, Ryan Madson was able to hold off a Cardinals rally in the final frame to close out a 3-2 victory and take a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4 saw veterans face off with Roy Oswalt for Philadelphia and Edwin Jackson for St. Louis, with Jackson seemingly encountering immediate disaster in his start by allowing two extra-base hits and three hits total to start the game, giving Philadelphia an early 2-0 advantage.
Jackson then settled in to retire the side and got some immediate run support in the form of an RBI double from Lance Berkman that cut the Phillies lead in half in the first inning. A fourth inning rally against Oswalt turned fruitful when David Freese smacked a go-ahead two-run double, giving the Cardinals their first lead in the elimination game. Freese later landed what proved to be the knockout punch in the sixth inning with a two-run homer off Oswalt, handing St. Louis a 5-2 lead.
The Cardinals bullpen withstood an eighth inning hiccup and finished off a 5-3 victory, sending the series back to the City of Brotherly Love with an NLCS berth on the line.
Game 5 was a clash of the titans with fellow former Blue Jays pitching phenoms Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay facing off, and it was Halladay who encountered trouble early. After Rafael Furcal led off the game with a triple, a Skip Schumaker double gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead before an out was recorded, a run that turned out to be the only one of the game for either team.
After a bumpy first in which Halladay limited the damage, the ace settled into his usual Cy Young Award-like self, though Chris Carpenter matched him with no such early hiccups. The Phillies failed to generate much traffic at all throughout the game, with their best opportunity coming in the fourth inning. With runners at the corners and two outs, Raúl Ibañez failed to capitalize after a 3-2 battle and flied out to right field to end the frame.
Halladay ultimately went eight innings before Ryan Madson handled the top of the ninth inning, while Carpenter went the distance in a 110-pitch complete game shutout. Beyond the knockout punch that was the Cardinals ending a 101-win season with a 1-0 Game 5 win on the road, Phillies star Ryan Howard tore his Achilles tendon while running to first base on the game’s final out. The injury dramatically affected Howard’s production for the remainder of his career, and also signaled an emphatic end of a wildly successful era of Phillies baseball.
3. 2017 NLDS (Chicago Cubs over Washington Nationals 3-2)
I will spare everybody a write-up on this series as a detailed breakdown of all five of these games can be found in an earlier piece I wrote here.
With that said, this series featured it all – sky-high expectations for a Nationals team eager to get over the hump, a defending champion Cubs team looking to brush off a World Series hangover and some of the best postseason pitchers of this generation.
Each game in this series featured a wealth of drama, particularly with the Nationals’ five-run eighth inning that paved the way for their Game 2 victory, in addition to a late Michael A. Taylor grand slam at Wrigley Field that secured Game 4 for Washington.
What made an already unreal series one to remember for the ages was Game 5, a back-and-forth affair that surely took several years off the lives of not only Cubs and Nationals fans, but baseball fans in general. Ultimately a 9-8 win for Chicago, the victory secured the Cubs’ third consecutive NLCS appearance while the Nationals had lost in the NLDS for a fourth consecutive time in the 2010’s.
2. 2003 ALDS (Boston Red Sox over Oakland Athletics 3-2)
Okay, I promise this is the last Oakland A’s heartbreaker we’re going to talk about here.
With the A’s at 96 wins and the Wild Card Red Sox at 95 wins, it was hard to find two more evenly matched teams as the series approached, both with hopes of breaking through to a World Series not seen by either franchise in more than a decade.
Game 1 in Oakland lived up the hype, as Pedro Martínez and Tim Hudson both allowed limited damage and pitched deep into the game to set up a late bullpen battle. A wrench into the plan was thrown by Todd Walker with a two-run go-ahead shot in the seventh inning, which wasn’t answered until a two-out ninth inning single from Erubiel Durazo off Alan Embree tied the game, forcing extra innings.
After squandered chances by both sides in extra innings, a two-out bases-loaded rally from Oakland finally produced a run in the bottom of the 12th, with a Ramón Hernández bunt single securing the 5-4 Game 1 win for Oakland.
The A’s powered themselves in Game 2 with a second inning five-run outburst against the late knuckleballer Tim Wakefield as lefty Barry Zito tossed seven innings of one-run ball en route to a 5-1 win, giving Oakland a 2-0 series lead as the series shifted to Boston.
Game 3 was a bona fide pitcher’s duel, with Ted Lilly and Derek Lowe each allowing just one unearned run in seven innings of work as a nervous Fenway Park crowd watched the Red Sox flirt with elimination. Thanks to a shutdown effort from relievers Mike Timlin and Scott Williamson, Oakland was left without opportunities in the late and extra innings before Boston broke through on a walk-off two-run bomb from Trot Nixon in the 11th inning, extending the series and season for the Red Sox with a 3-1 win.
The Red Sox were once again on the fences in a back-and-forth Game 4 that saw Tim Hudson face off against John Burkett. Though Boston held a 2-1 lead into the middle innings, Oakland broke through in the sixth against Burkett, as an RBI triple from Adam Melhuse was followed by a two-run home run off the bat of Jermaine Dye that gave the A’s a 4-2 lead.
Though Todd Walker instantly answered back with a lead-off homer the following inning, the Red Sox still trailed by a run heading into the eighth, where the clutch duo of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz combined for their first of many playoff triumphs together. With a runner on second and two outs, a Ramirez base hit extended the inning for Ortiz, who came to the plate with runners at the corners.
After enduring a full count battle with A’s closer Keith Foulke, Ortiz ripped a double into the right field gap, scoring two runs and giving Boston a 5-4 lead they ultimately held on to, as Scott Williamson shut down the A’s in the ninth inning to force a Game 5 back in Oakland.
In a matchup of Pedro Martínez and Barry Zito, Boston got all of their offense for the night in the sixth inning while trailing by a run. After a lead-off home run from Jason Varitek tied the game, Zito walked Johnny Damon and hit Todd Walker, retiring Nomar Garciaparra in between to leave the Red Sox with runners at first and second base with one out. Facing Manny Ramirez, Zito missed his spot on a 2-2 offering that was absolutely demolished, giving the Red Sox a 4-1 lead.
Oakland immediately punched back in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double from Miguel Tejada to get a run back, and later got within one after an RBI single from Billy McMillon in the eighth inning. After the Red Sox failed to score in the top of the ninth inning, Oakland rallied with a great chance to win the game and the series against Scott Williamson and later Derek Lowe.
With just a one-run lead, Williamson walked both Scott Hatteberg and José Guillén to lead off the inning before being replaced by Lowe with still nobody out. Lowe induced a bunt grounder from Ramón Hernández that moved the winning run into scoring position before freezing pinch-hitter Adam Melhuse on a called strikeout for the second out of the inning.
Lowe was unable to finish off Chris Singleton, who walked on a 3-2 pitch to extend the game and load the bases for Terrence Long, who ultimately struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch as the Red Sox found a way to escape with a 4-3 victory.
The series marked the second time in three years that the A’s blew a 2-0 lead in the ALDS, while the Red Sox earned a 1999 ALCS rematch with the New York Yankees.
1. 2012 NLDS (St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals 3-2)
It was truly difficult to choose the order of the top three series, but the absolute insanity that the last two games of this series provided ultimately pushed it over the top for me.
The series saw the 98-win Nationals hold home-field advantage over the 88-win defending champion Cardinals, who were fresh off of an NL Wild Card Game victory over the Atlanta Braves that was not without controversy. Due to the unusual 2-3 format of the 2012 LDS, the series’ first two games were held in St. Louis.
Game 1 was a pitcher’s duel between Cy Young Award contender Gio Gonzalez and Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, with St. Louis erasing an early 1-0 Washington lead with a two-run second inning. That advantage would be held by the Cardinals for most of the game until an eighth inning rally from the Nationals.
A Pete Kozma error allowed Mike Morse to reach base to start the inning, which was followed by an Ian Desmond single that gave the Nationals runners at the corners with nobody out. A Danny Espinosa bunt moved the go-ahead run into scoring position before Mitchell Boggs struck out Kurt Suzuki for the inning’s second out. Boggs was then replaced on the mound by Marc Rzepczynski, who allowed a two-strike single to Tyler Moore that gave Washington a 3-2 lead.
Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen held off St. Louis the rest of the way to secure the series opening win on the road, though St. Louis answered back emphatically in Game 2. After falling behind 1-0 in the second inning, the Cards responded with four runs in their half of the inning, just the start of an offensive outburst that had its spurts throughout the contest.
The Cardinals got two home runs from Carlos Beltrán along with long balls from Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso as part of a 12-4 win that evened the series as it moved to Nationals Park for the remaining three games.
St. Louis showed no signs of easing up in Game 3, with Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis bullpen shutting out the Nationals while an early three-run shot from Pete Kozma set the tone for an 8-0 Cardinals victory, giving St. Louis two opportunities to move on to the NLCS for the second consecutive year.
Game 4 was a pitcher’s duel with unexpected participants, as Kyle Lohse and Ross Detwiler exchanged lengthy outings of one-run ball, with Detwiler’s run unearned as the game entered the late innings knotted at 1 apiece. After Drew Storen stranded a runner on base in the top of the ninth inning, usual starter Lance Lynn entered the game in relief for St. Louis, where he was immediately greeted with a lengthy battle against Jayson Werth.
On the 13th offering of the at-bat, Werth hit an absolute missile beyond the left field fence, coming out of the lengthy at-bat as a triumphant winner with a 2-1 Nationals victory that forced a Game 5.
The home run made it feel like destiny for Nationals fans, and it’s easy to see why the start of Game 5 would have only furthered that feeling. Unfazed by Adam Wainwright, the Nationals struck three times in the bottom of the first inning before scoring another three runs two innings later, chasing the St. Louis ace from the winner-take-all contest in just the third inning.
Holding a 6-0 lead in front of their home fans in an elimination game, the Nationals may have felt like they were going to cruise towards the series-clinching victory too easily, something the defending champion Cardinals who won it all the previous year on the virtue of never quitting certainly smelled and exploited.
The battle back began in the fourth inning with an RBI double from Matt Holliday off Gio Gonzalez that cut the lead to five, though Gonzalez retired the next three hitters with little stress as the game moved into the fifth. Gonzalez encountered plenty more trouble in this frame, allowing the first three hitters to reach before finally getting Jon Jay to pop out. A wild pitch to Carlos Beltrán allowed Daniel Descalso to score, with a bases-loaded walk later in the inning giving the Cardinals their third run of the game, cutting their original deficit in half.
Though held at bay in the sixth inning, ex-Cardinal Edwin Jackson allowed a walk and double to start the seventh inning, with one of those runners coming home on a Matt Holliday RBI groundout that cut the deficit to two. The following inning, Tyler Clippard surrendered a leadoff home run to Daniel Descalso that cut the lead to just one run, officially turning what was expected to be a smooth victory into a brewing nightmare.
Thoughts of that nightmare subsided in the bottom of the eighth however, as a clutch two-strike, two-out single from Kurt Suzuki with a runner on third base gave the Nationals a desperately needed insurance run as they looked to close out the series. Closer Drew Storen was entrusted with protecting the lead, and despite yielding a leadoff double to Carlos Beltrán, the righty looked to be in control after getting Matt Holliday to ground out and striking out Allen Craig.
Just a strike away from ending the series against Yadier Molina, the infrequent walker Yadier Molina drew a free pass, which was matched by ensuing hitter David Freese who also walked in a 3-2 count.
It was then Daniel Descalso with the bases loaded, who ripped a hard grounder up the middle on the first pitch he saw that ricocheted off the glove of Ian Desmond, easily allowing two runners to score to tie the game, moments after Storen had two chances to close out another hitter on a 3-2 pitch.
With the game tied, Descalso then stole second base before the typically light-hitting Pete Kozma struck again, roping a line drive double to right field that all of a sudden gave the Cardinals a two-run lead, leaving a sold-out Nationals Park crowd shellshocked.
St. Louis closer Jason Motte faced little difficulty in the ninth inning, dispatching the heart of Washington’s lineup in Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman to complete the improbable comeback victory, securing their second straight NLCS berth.
For Washington, it was the first of many heartbreaks in the NLDS during the 2010’s, though the decade would end with the franchise winning their first World Series title over the Houston Astros in 2019.
This series was ultimately everything that playoff baseball is about – heart-stopping moments, constant unpredictability, stars both in, after and before their primes as well as the display of just how important defense, pitching and timely hitting are in October. This was the most baseball of any baseball series you could find, and that’s why it’s on top.
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