Best Postseason Pitching Debuts

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 8, 2010

Best Postseason Pitching Debuts

Tim Lincecum

Oct 7, 2010 - NLDS Game 1 Line: 9.0, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K One day after Roy Halladay delivered the second no-hitter in postseason history, Tim Lincecum followed up with a dominant debut of his own. 'The Freak' pitched a two-hitter and tallied 14 strikeouts in the Giants' 1-0 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS. The two-time Cy Young winner's 119-pitch masterpiece lasted just two hours and 26 minutes and set a franchise record for most K's in a playoff game.

Roy Halladay

Oct 6, 2010 - NLDS Game 1 Line: 9.0, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Roy Halladay had already proved he was the best regular season pitcher of his generation, but he longed to show he could shine under the glare of the bright postseason lights. Halladay finally got that chance in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, and boy did he shine. Facing a Cincinnati Reds lineup that led the NL in hitting, Halladay hurled a no-hitter, the second in postseason history and his second of the season.

Cliff Lee

Oct 7, 2009 - NLDS Game 1 Line: 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Going into the 2009 postseason, the question on every Philly fan's mind was: Who is going to close? Cliff Lee rendered that question moot in Game 1 of the NLDS by firing nine innings of six-hit ball against the Colorado Rockies. In front of the largest crowd in Citizen Bank Park history, Lee threw 25 of 32 first-pitch strikes and during one stretch he retired 16 consecutive batters.

Fausto Carmona

Oct 5, 2007 - ALDS Game 2 Line: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K The infamous gnats that plagued Joba Chamberlain get most of the press from this 2007 ALDS game, but they unfortunately overshadow one of the better postseason debuts in history. After an assertive regular season in which he went 19-6, Fausto Carmona again showed no fear in facing a robust Yankees lineup. Despite nine innings of nearly impeccable ball, Carmona couldn't garner enough run support for the win.

Mark Prior

Oct 3, 2003 - NLDS Game 3 Line: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K It was a pitcher-perfect evening in October 2003 when four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux faced what many thought was a Cy Young waiting to happen in Mark Prior. Making his postseason debut after his best year in the majors, Prior stymied the best offense in the NL by throwing nine innings of two-hit ball. He was the first Cub to throw a complete game in the postseason since Claude Passeau did so in 1945. Unfortunately, this was not a harbinger of things to come for the young Prior.

Bobby Jones

Oct 8, 2000 - NLDS Game 4 Line 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K After getting hammered by the Yankees on June 10, 2010, Bobby Jones was sent down to Triple A Norfolk. He worked on his mechanics and returned to the majors a different pitcher. It was this hurler that New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine had complete faith in for Game 4 of the NLDS. Jones made Valentine look like a genius when he threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout in his postseason debut.

Kevin Milwood

Oct 6, 1999 - NLDS Game 2 Line: 9.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Despite a staff owning seven Cy Young, Braves manager Bobby Cox went with an unproven Ken Milwood in a critical Game 2 of the NLDS. The young hurler rewarded his manager's faith by throwing nine innings of one-hit ball against the Houston Astros. Milwood gave up only one hit, a home run to Ken Caminiti, and did not issue any walks.

Steve Avery

Oct 10, 1991 - NLCS Game 2 Line: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K After a mediocre 1990 season, Steve Avery and the Braves turned a corner in 1991. The Braves went from worst to first and Avery established himself as one of the better young starters in the NL. In his postseason debut, he threw 8.1 shutout innings to lead the Braves to a 1-0 victory. It would be the start of something great for the Braves, who would go on to make the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons.

Mike Scott

Oct 8, 1986 - NLCS Game 1 Line: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K Mike Scott was the best pitcher in the NL in 1986. He won 18 games, struck out a league-high 306 batters and sported a 2.22 ERA. On Sept. 25, Scott pitched a no-hitter to send the Astros to the playoffs, where they would face the New York Mets. The Mets were terrified of Scott and shifted blame away from their ineptitude by claiming Scott doctored balls. Altered balls or not, Scott mowed down the Mets in his postseason debut, recording an NLCS-record 14 K's. Despite Houston falling to the Mets in seven games, Scott was named the NLCS MVP.

Dave Stieb

Oct 8, 1985 - ALCS Game 1 Line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K After leading the league in ERA in 1985, Dave Stieb also led the Blue Jays to their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Stieb was fantastic in his playoff debut, holding the Royals to three hits over eight innings. Stieb was not as fortunate later in the series, losing Game 7 after giving up six earned runs.

Mike Boddicker

Oct 6, 1983 - ALCS Game 2 Line: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 14 K Never blessed with overpowering stuff, Mike Boddicker got by on guile and deception. He threw a splendid slurve and his trademark pitch was a change-up he called "the fosh." Tasked with digging the Orioles out of an 0-1 series hole, Boddicker was marvelous, pitching nine shutout innings against the White Sox and striking out 14. Boddicker did hit two batters, but luckily for them it didn't even leave a mark.

Bob Forsch

Oct 7, 1982 - NLCS Game 1 Line: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Bob Forsch was not even in Game 1 of the NLCS, which originally occurred on Oct. 6, 1982. The Cardinals were trailing 1-0 when, three outs shy of an official game, umpires mandated a rain delay. The rain never subsided, and the teams were forced to start from scratch the next day with Forsch on the hill. He was brilliant all day, holding the Braves to three hits while his offense gave him ample support.

Dave Righetti

Oct 8, 1981 - ALDS Game 2 Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K In his first full season with the Yankees, Dave Righetti threw like a seasoned veteran. He led the league with a 2.05 ERA and bolstered a rotation featuring the likes of Tommy John. Manager Gene Michael called Righetti's number in a crucial Game 2 and Righetti responded by throwing six shutout innings along with a dominant 10 K's. The Yankees would go on to lose in the World Series, but Righetti pitched brilliantly all postseason.

Mike Norris

Oct 6, 1981 - ALDS Game 1 Line: 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Mike Norris had a historic year in 1980, going 22-9 with a meager 2.53 ERA. He was snubbed in the Cy Young voting however, finishing second to Steve Stone, who finished 25-7 for the Orioles. Unable to replicate his brilliance during the 1981 regular season, Norris rediscovered his form for Game 1 of the playoffs. Facing the Royals, Norris threw nine shutout innings to help the A's reach the ALCS.

Joe Niekro

Oct 10, 1980 - NLCS Game 3 Line: 10.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Joe Niekro carried the Houston Astros to the playoffs in 1980. He led the team with 20 wins and a 3.55 ERA, and he had started and won the play-in game that clinched the Astros' playoff berth. In his first appearance in the postseason, Niekro was once again the Astros' workhorse. Using his signature knuckle ball, he fluttered his way through 10 scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, but was still saddled with a no-decision.

Scott McGregor

Oct 6, 1979 - ALCS Game 4 Line: 9.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K The California Angels made the postseason for the first time in 1979, the same year that Scott McGregor made his postseason debut. Unfortunately for the Angels, McGregor loved the pressure of the postseason. He marched out to the mound and threw nine shutout innings against a helpless Angels offense. It wasn't a luck outing for McGregor either. In four postseason appearances, he had an ERA of 1.63.

Jon Matlack

Oct 7, 1973 - NLCS Game 2 Line: 9.0, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K Plagued by a poor Mets offense throughout his career, Jon Matlack finished the 1973 season with 3.20 ERA but a 14-16 record. In his postseason debut, Matlack made offense a non-issue with nine shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds. Even on a staff featuring Tom Seaver, Matlack started the first, second and seventh game of the World Series in what would be the only postseason trip of his career.

Ross Grimsley

Oct 10, 1972 - NLCS Game 4 Line: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K The only thing keeping Ross Grimsley from perfection in this 1972 NLCS Game was Roberto Clemente, who in his penultimate game went 2-for-4 off Grimsley. The pitcher would go on to have one 20-win season with the Montreal Expos, but he was better remembered for the idiosyncratic fact that he didn't bathe on days he pitched

Jim Lonborg

Oct 5, 1967 - WS Game 2 Line: 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K After a dominating 1967 season in which he led the AL in wins and strikeouts, Jim Lonborg was hailed as the next great Red Sox ace. He added further fuel to this fire in his postseason debut in Game 2 of the World Series. Facing the St. Louis Cardinals, Lonborg carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before a double by Cardinals second baseman Julian Javier broke it up. Lonborg still managed to throw a one-hitter, but an unfortunate skiing accident the following offseason derailed his career.

Whitey Ford

Oct 7, 1950 - WS Game 4 Line: 8.2 IP, 7 H, 0 ER; 1 BB, 7 K It's crazy to think of Whitey Ford as the fourth-best starter in any rotation, but such was the case during the 1950 World Series. Many doubted whether Ford would even get a chance to pitch, but manager Casey Stengel called Ford's number for Game 4, and Ford didn't let his manager down. The cocky rookie was one out away from a shutout when leftfielder Gene Woodling dropped a fly ball, which let a runner score. Luckily for Ford, it wouldn't be his last chance to pitch at the World Series.

Don Newcombe

Oct 5 1949 - WS Game 1 Line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K Game 1 of the 1949 World Series was a game of many firsts for Don Newcombe. It was Newcombe's postseason debut, and the first time a black pitcher started a World Series game. Unaffected by the enormity of the situation, Newcombe was flawless almost all game. He struck out 11, and the only mistake he made was a fat fastball to Yankee Tommy Henrich, who lifted the pitch over the rightfield fence.

Waite Hoyt

Oct 6, 1921 - WS Game 2 Line: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K Waite Hoyt was the ace of the famed 1927 Yankees staff, but before then he was the third-best pitcher on the 1921 squad that faced the crosstown Giants in the World Series. Hoyt would pitch three complete game shutouts, the best of which was his postseason debut: nine innings of two-hit ball.

Christy Mathewson

Oct 9, 1905 - WS Game 1 Line: 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K In the 1905 World Series, Christy Mathewson pitched three complete games over six days, none of which were more impressive than his postseason debut. Facing future Hall of Famer Eddie Plank, Mathewson hurled nine shutout innings of four-hit ball and cemented his status as a superstar in his own right. Send comments to si_feedback@timeinc.com.

Best Postseason Pitching Debuts