Memorable Moments in LCS History

Here are the memorable moments in MLB League Championship Series history.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 13, 2012

Memorable Moments in LCS History

1973 Mets-Reds

Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson scuffled in the fifth inning after Rose slid hard into second base trying to break up a double play, instigating a 10-minute bench-clearing brawl. Rose was pelted with garbage and bottles when he went out to left field in the bottom of the inning.

1976 Yankees-Royals

Chris Chambliss' leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth off Mark Littell snapped a 6-6 tie and ended New York's 12-year pennant drought. Chambliss needed a police escort to reach home plate after pandemonium broke out at Yankee Stadium.

1979 Pirates-Reds

Willie Stargell fueled Pittsburgh's sweep of Cincinnati with a three-run homer in the 11th inning of Game 1, a double and single in Game 2 and a homer, double and three RBIs in Game 3.

1980 Royals-Yankees

George Brett's three-run homer into the upper deck at Yankee Stadium off longtime rival Goose Gossage in the top of the seventh inning sealed a three-game sweep of New York, sending Kansas City to its first World Series.

1985 Cardinals-Dodgers

Ozzie Smith's ninth-inning solo shot off closer Tom Niedenfuer gave St. Louis a 3-2 victory and a 3-2 series lead. It was the first home run batting left-handed for the switch-hitting shortstop in 3,001 career at-bats.

1986 Red Sox-Angels

On the brink of advancing to the World Series, the Angels blew a 5-2 ninth-inning lead when Donnie Moore allowed a two-out, two-run home run to Dave Henderson. Boston eventually won the game 7-6 in the 11th on Henderson's sacrifice fly.

1986 Mets-Astros

The teams split the first two games in Houston, and when the series shifted to New York, the Mets got a two-run, walk-off home run from Lenny Dykstra to win Game 3, 6-5, and a 12th-inning single from Gary Carter to win Game 5. In Game 6 at the Astrodome, the Mets came fom 3-0 down to tie the game in the ninth inning and went ahead in the 14th. The Astros' Billy Hatcher tied it with a home run, but New York scored three times in the 16th and held on for a 7-6 win.

1989 A's-Blue Jays

Jose Canseco became the first player to hit a home run into the fifth deck at SkyDome as Oakland took a 3-1 series lead. The official estimate was 480 feet, but most observers agreed that the distance from home plate to section 540, Row 5, Seat 4 was well over 500 feet.

1992 Braves-Pirates

Trailing 2-0 through eight innings, Atlanta stunned Pittsburgh with a three-run rally. Pinch-hitter Francisco Cabrera won the series with a two-out, two-run single that scored David Justice and Sid Bream, one of the slowest runners in baseball history.

1993 Blue Jays-White Sox

Armed with a fierce glare and a devastating split-fingered fastball, Dave Stewart ran his ALCS record to 8-0 with a 2.03 ERA as Toronto returned to the World Series. It was Stewart's fourth pennant-clinching victory in six seasons.

1996 Yankees-Orioles

Twelve-year-old Jeffrey Maier created a game-tying homer by Derek Jeter in the eighth inning when he reached out of the stands and grabbed a ball that was about to be caught by Tony Tarasco. Bernie Williams homered in the 11th to give New York a 5-4 victory.

1997 Marlins-Braves

With some help from Eric Gregg's generous strike zone, rookie Livan Hernandez tossed a 15-strikeout three-hitter to outduel Greg Maddux and beat Atlanta 2-1.

1999 Mets-Braves

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th inning, Robin Ventura took Kevin McGlinchy deep to force a Game 6. Ventura was mobbed by his teammates and never reached second base, changing his homer to a single and making the final score 4-3 instead of 7-3.

2002 Angels-Twins

Usually a light-hitting second baseman, Adam Kennedy became the fifth player to hit three homers in a postseason game as Anaheim blasted Minnesota 13-5 to reach its first World Series.

2003 Marlins-Cubs

Five outs from Chicago's first trip to the World Series in 58 years, Moises Alou moved toward the left-field stands to catch a foul fly when lifelong Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached up and deflected the ball. Umpire Mike Everitt ruled no interference. The Marlins then scored eight unanswered runs for an 8-3 victory.

2003 Yankees-Red Sox

Pedro Martinez couldn't hold leads of 4-0 and 5-2, and Boston couldn't score against Mariano Rivera. Enter Aaron Boone, who set off bedlam in the Bronx with a leadoff home run in the 11th inning off Tim Wakefield to give New York a 6-5 victory and its 39th American League pennant.

2004 Red Sox-Yankees

After suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Yankees in the ALCS the year before, the Red Sox fell behind 3-0 in 2004, including a 19-8 drubbing in Game 3. But David Ortiz delivered walk-off-hits in Games 4 and 5, Curt Schilling pitched despite a bloody ankle to win Game 6, and Johnny Damon smacked two home runs, including a grand slam, to lead the Red Sox to a Game 7 rout of their archrivals and their first AL pennant since 1986.

2005 White Sox-Angels

2005 Angels-White Sox — Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The turning point of this ALCS came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 2. Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski struck out for what appeared to be the final out but ended up reaching base on a controversial passed ball by Angels backup catcher Josh Paul. The next batter, Joe Crede, doubled to drive in the winning run.

2005 Astros-Cardinals

The Astros were one out away from celebrating their first NL pennant when Albert Pujols hit a shocking three-run home run off closer Brad Lidge to put St. Louis ahead 5-4. Houston wound up winning the NLCS in Game 6.

2006 Cardinals-Mets

Mets left fielder Endy Chavez made quite possibly the most unbelievable catch in postseason history. Chavez perfectly timed his leap and reached far over the wall to rob Scott Rolen of a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, sending Shea Stadium into a frenzy. Unfortunately, the catch couldn't prevent what was to come ...

2006 Cardinals-Mets

Yadier Molina's second homer of the NLCS was off Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth in Game 7. The two-run homer broke up a 1-1 thriller.

2006 Tigers-A's

Magglio Ordonez hit a two-out, three-run homer off Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a 6-3 win and sweep of the Athletics in the ALCS.

2007 Red Sox-Indians

J.D. Drew's debut season in Boston didn't go quite as planned (.270, 11 homers, 64 RBIs), and the much-maligned outfielder was in danger of completely losing yet another fan base. Coming into the game, Drew was 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in the series. But with two outs and the bases loaded in the first inning, Drew blasted a grand slam into the camera box in straightaway center field. The Red Sox, who had trailed the series 3-1, went on to win Game 6 12-2 and Game 7 11-2.

2008 Phillies-Dodgers

In an exhilarating, back-and-forth ballgame, Shane Victorino knotted up the score at 5-5 with a two-run homer off Cory Wade in the eighth inning. After Carlos Ruiz immediately followed the Victorino blast with a single, Los Angeles brought in closer Jonathan Broxton and the Phillies called on pinch hitter Matt Stairs. Broxton fell behind 3-1 and tried to get a fastball past Stairs, but the 40-year-old veteran drove the ball halfway up the right-field pavilion.

2008 Rays-Red Sox

The Rays jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the series, but nearly let it slip away by blowing a seven-run lead in Game 5 and losing 4-2 in Game 6. Tampa Bay built a 3-1 lead in Game 7, but in the eighth inning Boston loaded up the bases with an error, a hit and a walk. With J.D. Drew coming up to the plate, the Rays called on rookie David Price. Price proceeded to strike out Drew and pitch a scoreless ninth, earning the save and sending Tampa Bay to its first World Series.

2011 Rangers-Tigers

Nelson Cruz hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 2 to put Texas ahead 2-games-to-0. He finished with a postseason series record six homers, the last coming in the Rangers' 15-5 win in Game 6 that clinched their second straight American League pennant.

2013 Red Sox-Tigers

Boston was one-hit at Fenway Park in Game 1 and was down to its final four outs of Game 2 trailing Detroit 5-1 when the Red Sox loaded the bases for David Ortiz. Big Papi ripped the first pitch from reliever Joaquin Benoit over the rightfield fence for a game-tying grand slam. Boston went on to win the game in the ninth and took the series in six games en route to its third World Series title in 10 seasons.

2014 Giants-Cardinals

After pinch-hitter Mike Morse tied Game 5 with an eighth-inning homer, San Francisco needed just one run in the ninth to clinch its third National League title in five seasons. With one out and two on, Travis Ishikawa lined a pitch from the Cardinals' Michael Wacha over the wall in right for a walk-off three-run homer. The Giants had won the pennant.

2015 Mets-Cubs

New York second baseman Daniel Murphy continued the tear he had begun in the Division Series by hitting home runs in each game of the Mets' four game sweep of the Cubs. Murphy became the first player ever to homer in six straight postseason games and carried New York to its fifth pennant in franchise history. HIs eighth-inning shot off Chicago's Fernando Rodney was the capper in New York's 8-3 win in Game 4.

Memorable Moments in LCS History