Reviewing the Record of Teams that Force a Game 7

The Diamondbacks will play the Philadelphia Phillies later tonight in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. The winner will take on the Texas Rangers, who punched their ticket into the World Series last night with an 11-4 win over the Houston Astros. The D-backs will look to do the same, winning Game 7 on the road after trailing 3-2.

In postseason play, there have been 32 Game 7s since the LCS went from five to seven games in the 1985 season. After the Rangers win last night, here's how teams in a similar situation to the D-backs break down.

Teams that force a Game 7 are:

Overall: 22-10 (.688)
LCS: 13-7 (.650)
At Home: 14-4 (.778)
On Road: 7-5 (.583)
On Road, LCS: 5-4 (.556)

These record makes sense as all the pressure on Game 7 falls upon the team that failed to close out the series in Game 6, like the Phillies failed to last night. The bottom number should come as the most interesting for the D-backs, as they will play Game 7 on the road at Citizens Bank Park. Before the Rangers win, teams were 4-4 when on the road for a Game 7. The last team to do it was the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who famously came back from down 3-0 to the New York Yankees.

One oddity that has emerged is the fact that the Phillies have never played in a Game 7 in their entire franchise history, dating back to 1883.

Before their Game 6 win, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo referred to a Game 7 as a crap shoot where one bounce could make or break their season. In a win or go home game, it's all hands on deck for the pitching staff as they try to shut down the Phillies offensive momentum at almost all costs. The good news for the D-backs is they were able to find their offensive identity in Game 6, taking an early lead and mounting up the pressure on the bases with their speed. They'll need to do the same in Game 7 to quiet the crowd in Philadelphia.