Greatest postseason moments for every 2018 MLB playoff team

Lemke was locked in during the 1991 World Series, hitting .417 against the Minnesota Twins, highlighted by a World Series record-tying three triples. His most enduring moment came in Game 3 when he slapped a game-winning single into left field that scored David Justice and sealed Atlanta’s first win of the series.

Among all things, Sid Bream was certainly not known for his speed. But he put that aside in 1992 when reserve catcher Francisco Cabrera lined a single into left field and Bream came barreling around third base in a desperate effort to beat a Barry Bonds throw to the plate. Bream did exactly that, scoring the NLCS-clinching run and returning the Braves to the World Series.

The ever-composed Glavine was at his very best in the ’95 World Series. In a game that had little margin for error, Glavine was nearly perfect, allowing just one hit over eight shutout innings against the Cleveland Indians. The Braves won the game 1-0, securing their only World Series win of their record 14-consecutive NL East Championship run.

When the Braves again reached the World Series in 1996, it was not established stars such as Fred McGriff, David Justice or a young Chipper Jones who made the most memorable impact. Instead, it was Andruw Jones, then a 19-year-old rookie who arrived on the scene in a resounding fashion. Jones became the youngest player ever to homer twice in a World Series game, sending one out in his first two at-bats.

With the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the win-or-go-home game, Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma let an Andrelton Simmons pop fly land between himself and left fielder Matt Holliday, scoring what would have been the go-ahead run in the game. However, umpire Sam Holbrook called Simmons out via the infield fly rule despite the ball being clearly in shallow left field. The Braves ultimately lost the game and a spot in the NLDS in what also ended up being the final game of Chipper Jones’ career.

In Game 2 of the 1916 World Series, Babe Ruth put on a legendary show on the mound. Over the course of a record two-hour-and-32-minute marathon (which would hold the record for longest World Series game for 89 years), Ruth worked a 14-inning complete game, holding the Brooklyn Robins to one run and just six hits.  It remains the longest World Series complete game ever, a record that is likely safe forever.

One the most memorable moments in baseball history came in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, courtesy of Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. As Fisk launched a ball down the left field line toward the Green Monster, he seemingly "willed" the ball to stay fair, heaving his arms toward it to stay in fair territory. Of course it did, giving the Red Sox a walk-off win against Cincinnati’s "Big Red Machine."

At the peak of his powers in 1999, Pedro put the Red Sox season on his back in a very literal sense. After being pulled from Game 1 due to severe back pain, Martinez entered Game 5 of the ALDS as an emergency option, with the score 8-8 in the fourth inning. Without the ability to throw either his fastball or changeup due to his condition, Martinez amazingly threw six no-hit innings, using essentially only his curveball and allowing the Red Sox to win 12-8.

Amid Boston’s incredible comeback in the 2004 ALCS, it was David Ortiz’s walk-off homer in Game 4 that really shot the jolt of life into the Sox that carried them all the way through the World Series. In the 12^th inning of Game 4 — with the Yankees up 3-0 in the series — Ortiz sent a Paul Quantrill delivery into the Boston bullpen for a 6-4 win. It is a hit that lit a fire, unlike any in MLB history, under the club.

In a game that would come to be known for a very precise "red sock," Curt Schilling gutted through an evident injury to keep an unlikely Red Sox run alive. After dropping the first three games of the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox had battled back to win Games 4 and 5. Schilling took the mound for Game 6 with a noticeable limp due to an injured ankle — one that began to bleed through his sock. But in his signature postseason performance, Schilling held the Yankees to one run over seven innings and set the table for a historic Game 7 comeback for the Sox.

By 1908, the Cubs were the National League’s perennial top team, having captured the pennant in three straight years. The Cubs clinched the National League title on Oct. 8 over the New York Giants, which was a continuation of a game from two weeks prior. The original outcome was reversed after fans stormed the field in protest of Giants rookie Fred Merrell missing second base en route to scoring the game-winning run. The Cubs won the replayed game and ultimately the World Series — their last for another 108 years.

Fan inference again intervened in the Cubs’ postseason destiny in 2003, this time to their detriment. With two outs in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the NLCS and with the Cubs up 3-0 over the Florida Marlins, a fan by the name of Steve Bartman leaned over the railing to catch a foul ball that was still within range of Cubs outfielder Moises Alou. Following the incident, the Marlins would score eight runs in the inning and win Games 6 and 7 of the series. Bartman would require police protection following the incident then ultimately fade from the public eye for good.

Jake Arrieta was a force of nature in 2015, going 22-6 and winning the NL Cy Young Award. So it was only logical that he would take the ball with the Cubs’ breakout season on the line in the NL Wild Card Game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Arrieta’s dominance continued as he struck out 11 during a complete game shutout to give the franchise its first postseason win since 2003.

In Game 1 of the 2016 NLDS, the Cubs’ Jon Lester and the Giants' Johnny Cueto were embroiled in a gruesome pitcher’s duel, both tossing shutouts into the eighth inning. It was Javier Baez who finally broke the gridlock when he crushed a home run into the Wrigley Field bleachers, providing the game’s only run in a 1-0 victory.

Ben Zobrist had terrorized Indians pitching throughout the Series, hitting .357. After enduring an Indians comeback against closer Aroldis Chapman and a rain delay, it was Zobrist who supplied the most important hit in Cubs history, via a 10 ^th- inning double that scored Albert Almora to put the Cubs ahead for good. Zobrist was World Series MVP, and the "Billy Goat Curse" was finally lifted.

In a series where numerous big moments took place (such as Bill Wambsganss' unassisted triple play), it was the effort of Stan Coveleski on the mound that leaves the most memorable impact. Coveleski issued back-to-back shutouts in Games 4 and 7, respectively, to defeat the then Brooklyn Robins (soon to be known as the Dodgers).

The Indians first postseason game in 41 years was a marathon to say the least. The contest between the Indians and Red Sox carried into the 13^th inning before veteran catcher Tony Pena hit a walk off home run at close to 2:00 am.

One of the premier speedsters in baseball history, Kenny Lofton put his full array of skills on display in one decisive trip around the bases against the Mariners. In the eighth inning of ALCS Game 6 against Seattle ace Randy Johnson, Lofton reached first via a bunt then stole second base and scored from there on a passed ball by catcher Dan Wilson. The Indians won the game 4-0 and returned to the World Series for the first time since 1948.

After salvaging a lost early lead following an eight-run eighth inning with a Sandy Alomar Jr RBI double in the eighth inning, the Indians were able to push Game 3 of the 1995 World Series into extra innings. It was there that Eddie Murray would connect for an 11 ^th-inning base hit that would score pinch runner Alvaro Espinoza and seal the Tribe’s first World Series victory since 1948 and cut the Braves series lead in half.

One of the most unlikely, clutch home runs in World Series history came off the bat of Rajai Davis — but will ultimately fall short of potentially iconic status. Not known for his power, Davis crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a five-run comeback for the Indians against dominant closer Aroldis Chapman. However, the Cubs comeback in the top of the next frame negated the previous inning’s heroics and completed the loss of a series in which Cleveland was once up 3-1.

Game 2 of the 1981 NLCS between the Astros and Dodgers reached extra innings and still yet to see the first run of the game cross the plate. But after a pair of unintentional walks followed by an intentional one to Cesar Cedeno, Denny Walling singled into right field to clinch a win for the Astros and put the club up 2-0 in the series.

In the first postseason game ever in Colorado, Vinny Castilla delivered. After a two-run homer in the sixth inning to put the Rockies ahead, the Braves came back and tied things up in the bottom of the ninth, 5-5. But in the top of the 10^th, Andres Galarraga and Castilla delivered back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the 10^th inning to seal the first playoff win in Rockies history.

The most memorable moment in Rockies history came just on the brink of the 2007 postseason. In a winner-goes-home game for the NL West title, the Rockies and Padres went into extra innings before the Padres plated two runs in the top of the 13^th inning. Matt Holliday followed by dashing home on a controversial sacrifice fly by Jamey Carroll (there are plenty in San Diego who will say he didn’t touch the plate) to send the Rockies to the postseason.

After Holliday’s dramatic dash, the Rockies kept the momentum rolling into the postseason. The Rockies made quick work of the Phillies in the NLDS, with closer Manny Corpas shutting the door in each game of a sweep over the Phillies. Corpas ultimately converted saves in five of the Rockies seven wins throughout the playoffs.

The Rockies carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning when the Diamondbacks tied the score after a Tony Clark ground out. After a clean 10th inning from Arizona closer Jose Valverde, he went back out for the 11 ^th. After a hit and two walks to load the bases, Valverde’s control struggles ultimately doomed the D’Backs, as he walked outfielder Willy Taveras to force in the winning run.

Up 3-0 in Game 4 of the 2007 NLCS, the Rockies twice delivered a pair of blows to the Diamondbacks that Arizona was unable to bounce back from. Already up 3-1 in the fourth inning after a Seth Smith double and Willy Taveras scoring on an error, Matt Holliday delivered the death blow. Holliday connected for a three-run homer to put the Rockies up 6-1, sealing the club’s first trip to the World Series.

This was a game that was far from short on time or drama. An eighth inning that included a Lance Berkman grand slam, followed by a game-tying solo shot by Brad Ausmus, saw the Astros make up a five-run lead late. But the affairs carried on well beyond then, finally reaching the 18^th inning. That is when Chris Burke sent a solo walk-off homer 10 innings later to give Houston a 7-6 win.

On the heels of a 16-win turnaround season, the Astros reached the postseason for the first time as an American League team. On just three day’s rest, the season’s eventual Cy Young Award winner, Dallas Keuchel, authored a three-hit gem against the New York Yankees in the wild card game, pulling out a 3-0 victory.

Faced with the formidable task of the Red Sox’s Chris Sale in Game 1 of the postseason, the Astros responded in a hostile fashion. They took the fight to the AL East champions, launching two first-inning home runs courtesy of Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. Altuve was far from finished however, taking Sale deep again in the fourth inning and connecting for a third against reliever Austin Maddox in the seventh inning.

It is fair to say that it is neither hyperbole or recency bias in saying that Game 5 of the 2017 World Series between the Astros and Dodgers is the most exciting baseball game of all time. At the very least, it is on the short list. It was an extra innings game with four ties, five lead changes and seven home runs, with 25 total runs scored. It was as high octane of a game as imaginable and was capped off by a walk-off single by Alex Bregman in the bottom of the 10 ^th inning.

Despite having a hollowed, beloved history, the Dodgers had been New York’s third-most successful ball club throughout their history. By 1955, despite making the World Series four times in the past eight seasons, they still were short of their first title. In the ’55 Series, the Dodgers rallied from 0-2 to push a seventh game with the Yankees, and behind a complete-game shutout by Johnny Podres, Brooklyn finally had its championship.

Sandy Koufax opted out of working Game 1 of the ’65 Series due to it falling on Yom Kippur. Despite drawing criticism for putting his faith over his role on the diamond, Koufax quickly got back to putting on one of the great World Series efforts ever. After working both Games 2 and 5, Koufax took the ball again in Game 7 on only two days' rest. Koufax was unbothered, tossing a complete game shutout, his second over three days, and winning a second World Series in three years for L.A.

With the score tied 1-1 in the ninth inning of Game 5 in the 1981 NLCS, Rick Monday stepped forward as an unlikely hero yet again. His solo homer provided the decisive run that sent the Dodgers on to the World Series. Monday had already singled and scored the first run of the game for L.A. earlier on.

One of baseball’s all-time signature moments came in the final minutes of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, when a hobbled Kirk Gibson stepped into the box against Oakland ace reliever Dennis Eckersley. Despite falling behind 0-2 in the at-bat, the NL MVP took a mighty cut and sent a game-winning homer over the wall in right field. The visage of the fist-pumping, limping Gibson rounding the bases is still an essential moment in MLB history.

It is only appropriate that one of the great out-of-the-"blue" performances in postseason history came courtesy of a Dodger. Hernandez provided a one-man knockout punch against the defending World Series champions in Chicago, connecting for three home runs in a Dodger rout of the Cubs — including a grand slam. All in all, he produced an NLCS-record seven RBI and returned the Dodgers to the World Series for the first time in 20 years.

In what is still the single most important hit in Brewers history, Cecil Cooper stepped up big in the 1982 ALCS. In the seventh inning of Game 5, Cooper enthusiastically provided a two-run single against Angels’ reliever Luis Sanchez that provided the final runs of an American League clinching win.

The World Series was always a place where Molitor felt comfortable throughout his career, owning a .377 career average in the Series. He wasted no time in making his presence felt either, connecting for five hits in Game 1 of the ’82 Series. He also drove in two runs amid a 10-0 drubbing of the Cardinals in St. Louis.

While not really a postseason moment, it was a decisive one in Brewers history. With a chance at a trip to the postseason for the first time in 26 years coming down to the season’s final day, Ryan Braun stepped up and made it a reality. On the first pitch of his eighth-inning at-bat, Braun hit a two-run homer that gave the Crew a 3-1 lead, sealing a Milwaukee return to the postseason.

Yovani Gallardo was one the National League’s best arms when he took the ball to kick off the Brewers’ postseason run in 2011. In what was the first playoff game in Miller Park history, Gallardo shined, allowing one run over eight innings and striking out nine. It was a strong showing in a series that would end with a completely different energy for Milwaukee…

To the Milwaukee faithful, Nyjer Morgan was the ultimate spark plug. To his opponents, he was more of an annoying antagonist. But whatever Morgan — or Tony Plush as he took to calling himself — represented, he stepped up at the biggest moment. Morgan/Plush bounced a base hit into center field in NLDS Game 5, sending the Brewers to the LCS for the first time since 1982.

Whether the Babe did or did not gesture toward the Wrigley Field ivy as part of voicing his intentions to clear the fences remains something that will forever be shrouded in mystery. But in grainy photos of the at-bat, Ruth, the consummate showman, did at least motion toward the outfield just before hitting a home run to center field in the ’32 World Series. It was Ruth’s 15^th (and last) postseason homer of his career.

The greatest postseason pitching performance in history remains that of Don Larsen, who set down 27 straight Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. It came against a Dodger lineup that featured the likes of Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges, among others. It remains the only perfect game in postseason history and one of two playoff no-hitters in history.

In a performance that was as befitting of his personality as possible, Reggie Jackson put on a show for the record books when the lights were the brightest. In Game 6 of the 1977 Series, Jackson took three consecutive pitches over the fence, the crowning moment of a World Series in which he hit .450 with five homers.

Much of the greatness of Derek Jeter was his ability to deliver the right play at all the right times. The play that summed up this preternatural ability was most evident in Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS, when Jeter inexplicably raced across the diamond to field an overthrown ball from outfielder Shane Spencer, who missed his cutoff man. In a single fluid motion, Jeter intercepted the throw and flicked the ball underhanded 20 feet to catcher Jorge Posada, who tagged out Jeremy Giambi just as he reached home plate.

Before his days of guiding the Yankees from the bench, Boone cemented his legacy in pinstripes as the ultimate Yankee antagonist. Boone brought the 2003 ALCS to a close by hammering a Tim Wakefield knuckleball into the seats in the bottom of the 11^th inning. He became the biggest Boston foil in the Bronx since the days of Bucky Dent, and his name picked up a colorful addition when uttered by Bostonians.

Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 4 of the 1929 World Series, the A’s were seemingly buried behind an 8-0 deficit to the Chicago Cubs. But pandemonium would break out in the bottom half of the seventh frame, with the A’s putting up 10 runs to hawk down the Cubs and take home a 10-8 victory to go up 3-1 in the series. It was a comeback that featured a three-run inside the park homer by Mule Haas, the only such round-tripper in Series play for the next 86 years.

The A’s were staked to a 2-0 lead in Game 2 of the 1972 series, when Denis Menke smashed a ball toward the left field wall. Oakland left fielder Joe Rudi made a phenomenal backhanded catch while barreling toward the wall to get the out and keep Tony Perez from crossing the plate. The Series would be the first of three consecutive the A’s would win.

The natural disaster of the Loma Prieta earthquake caused an interruption of the Series, striking just before the beginning of Game 3 between the A’s and Giants. With both teams being located in the San Francisco Bay area, it caused a 10-day delay in continuing the series. By Oct. 27, the Series resumed with the A’s winning 4-1. Rickey Henderson hit a leadoff homer in Game 5, and the A’s never trailed.

A year after being named World Series MVP, Dave Stewart continued his postseason dominance in the 1990 ALCS. Stewart threw a pair of eight-inning outings in Games 1 and 4, allowing a single run in each one and besting Roger Clemens for the Red Sox in both games. He was named ALCS MVP, as the A’s returned to the World Series for a third straight year.

With the score knotted at three in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2012 ALDS, Crisp stepped to the plate with two outs and Seth Smith on second base. Crisp delivered a walk-off single against Tigers closer Jose Valverde that completed a three-run ninth inning comeback for Oakland that set the table for a series-clinching win the following night.