The 25 most memorable World Series game comebacks

Amid the infamous Black Sox gambling scandal, the White Sox didn't win the 1919 World Series, but they kept the Reds from clinching the title a little earlier than they did. In Game 6, Chicago trailed 4-0 after four innings, but clawed back and eventually won in 10 innings on an RBI single from Chick Gandil. A legend has it that White Sox players were never paid their alleged bribes from gamblers for losing earlier games in the series, so they apparently played fully focused in this one.

The Yankees won their first-ever World Series championship by overcoming a 4-1 deficit in this historic Game 6. They did so with a five-run rally in the top of the eighth inning against the rival Giants. A two-run single by Bob Meusel highlighted the rally for the Yankees, who also got a home run earlier in the contest from Babe Ruth. Meusel had seven hits and eight RBIs in the series.

The A's cruised to a five-game victory in the 1929 World Series, and the highlight of that run came with their memorable comeback in Game 4. Chicago led 8-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning of that contest. That's when the A's came storming back at famed Shibe Park, scoring 10 runs in the frame. Mule Haas delivered a three-run, inside-the-park home run, and a go-ahead two-run double from Jimmy Dykes capped what remains the second-most runs scored in a postseason MLB inning.

New York opened a 3-0 lead, then trailed 4-3 after five innings. It stayed that way until the top of the ninth. With two outs, the Yankees' Tommy Henrich swung at a low breaking ball from Brooklyn's Hugh Casey for what seemed like the final out. However, catcher Mickey Owen couldn't field the pitch cleanly, allowing Henrich to reach on the dropped third strike. In stunning fashion, that opened the door toward a four-run rally for New York to win the contest and take a 3-1 series lead.

Finally, an opponent beats the Yankees in the Fall Classic. Although New York won the series in seven games, the rival Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead by overcoming a 6-0 hole after 1 1/2 innings. Brooklyn answered with six runs in the bottom of the second, then kept adding runs and held off the Yankees.

Let's not forget, the Pirates blew an early 4-0 lead in this memorable contest. They trailed 7-4 before scoring five times in the eighth inning. However, the Yankees plated two in the top of the ninth to tie things at 9-9.  Bill Mazeroski's solo homer in the bottom of the ninth was the first home run to end a deciding Game 7 in World Series history, and still one of the greatest moments in sports history.

Game 6 of the '75 World Series is still talked about in baseball circles. Boston's Bernie Carbo rattled the foundation at Fenway Park with his three-run, game-tying home run in the eighth. The game went to 12, when Carlton Fisk delivered one of the most memorable sports moment s ever with his solo homer, complete with his arm-waving antics, off the left field foul pole atop the Green Monster to give Boston the 7-6 win and force a Game 7.

This decisive contest between the Reds and Red Sox is always overshadowed by the drama of Game 6. However, it should go down as one of the most underrated World Series finales. Boston led 3-0 heading into the sixth, when Cincinnati started chipping away. The visitors eventually went ahead on Joe Morgan's bloop single in the ninth, which ultimately gave the Reds the title with a 4-3 victory.

The famed "I-70 Series" is best remembered for the Royals' controversial Game 6 victory, which led to their eventual win in the decisive seventh game. However, the Cardinals led 2-0 in the series after scoring four times in the ninth. Kansas City manager Dick Howser stuck with starter Charlie Leibrandt for the ninth instead of opening the frame with legendary closer Dan Quisenberry. Terry Pendleton's two-out, three-run double highlighted the comeback.

There are World Series rallies; then there was the 10th inning of this legendary Game 6. Boston was one strike away from winning its first World Series since 1918. But the Mets had other ideas, scoring three times in the bottom of the frame and capping the improbable 6-5 victory when Mookie Wilson's roller went through the legs of Bill Buckner  to allow Ray Knight to score the winning run and turn Shea Stadium upside down. 

It's fitting that perhaps the most "Hollywood" moment in World Series history happened not far from Hollywood. Dealing with leg problems, Los Angeles star  Kirk Gibson  came off the bench and promptly deposited a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off elite Oakland closer  Dennis Eckersley  to give the Dodgers, who also trailed 4-2 early in the contest, a seemingly improbable 5-4 win. The image of Gibson barely circling the bases while still pumping his fist is one of the great individual moments in World Series history.

Not the prettiest games of all time. But it sure was exciting. The game was sloppy, and the pitching downright awful, but plenty kept baseball fans interested. The Phillies led 4-3 after one inning and 14-9 after seven. Then the visiting Blue Jays broke out for six runs in the eighth, highlighted by Devon White's two-run triple, and eventually earned the one-run victory.

The greatest moment in Blue Jays history came courtesy of Joe Carter, but Toronto, notably, blew a 5-1 lead after the Phillies scored five times in the top of the seventh. Facing the "Wild Thing," Mitch Williams, with Toronto trailing 6-5, Carter belted a three-run homer down the left-field line in the bottom of the ninth to deliver an 8-6 victory and the franchise's second straight World Series title.

The Yankees dropped the first two games of the '96 World Series, then never lost again en route to the franchise's first title in 18 years. Here, in Game 4, the Braves jumped out to a 6-0 lead at home before New York scored three times in the fifth. In the 10th, an unlikely hero in Jim Leyritz belted a tying three-run homer, and the game went to extras. In the 10th, a two-run rally gave New York the win and evened the series.

Just five years into their existence, the Marlins were World Series champions. However, they needed one of the most thrilling Game 7s in Fall Classic history to do it . Down 2-0 to Cleveland for most of the game, the Marlins tied it on Craig Counsell's sacrifice fly in the ninth. Counsell then scored the winning run on Edgar Renteria's memorable RBI single in the bottom of the 11th.

In perhaps the most emotional and entertaining World Series of all time, New York's Tino Martinez  belted a two-run homer off Arizona's Byung-Hyun Kim to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Then, shortly after midnight on Nov. 1, Derek Jeter was anointed "Mr. November" when he smacked a 3-2 Kim pitch into the right-field bleachers to give the Yankees the  dramatic 4-3 win in 10, adding to an already celebrated legacy.

If the magic of Game 4 wasn't enough, the Yankees were up for doing it again — and perhaps even more dramatically. With Byung-Hyun Kim again looking to protect a ninth-inning lead, Scott Brosius was the hero, this time with a tying two-run homer. New York then won it, 3-2, in the 12th on Alfonso Soriano's RBI single. That gave the Yankees a 3-2 series lead heading back to Arizona.

The 2001 World Series was known for its dramatics, and Game 7 was the crowning jewel of this unforgettable Fall Classic. New York's Roger Clemens and Arizona's Curt Schilling battled on the mound, and the Yankees went ahead 2-1 on Alfonso Soriano's homer in the eighth inning. However, legendary closer Mariano Rivera failed to hold that advantage, as the Diamondbacks scored twice in the ninth, capped by Luis Gonzalez's legendary series-winning RBI single. 

Down 3-2 in the series and trailing 5-0 after 6 1/2 innings of Game 6, the Angels' World Series-title hopes were fading. Then the Rally Monkey was awakened,  and the greatest 2 1/2 innings of Angels baseball took place. Scott Spiezio's three-run homer in the seventh made things interesting, and Troy Glaus ' double scored two to highlight a three-run eighth, helping then-Anaheim pull off a comeback win and paving the way for a 4-1 Game 7 title victory.

Cardinals baseball has produced several notable, memorable games over its long, successful history. But even some old-timers agree it's tough to beat St. Louis' remarkable 11-inning victory over Texas to force a Game 7 and ultimately lead to their most recent World Series title. Twice, the Cardinals staved off elimination to tie the game with two runs each in the ninth and 10th innings. Then in the 11th, David Freese won the game  with his solo homer to center field.

Whatever it meant, the Astros needed to win their first World Series title; they did. And the importance of winning that crazy Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers can't be overstated. With the series tied 2-2, the Astros fell behind 3-0, overcame a 7- 4 deficit, and rebounded from blowing a three-run lead in the ninth by winning 13-12 on a run-scoring single from  Alex Bregman in the bottom of the 11th.

From Boston's most recent World Series title. The Red Sox trailed 4-0 after six innings of Game 4, putting the Dodgers in position to even the series. However, Boston scored nine straight runs, including five in the ninth, to break open a 4-4 contest. Unlikely heroes Steve Pearce and Mitch Moreland homered to help the Red Sox take command of the series. 

The 2022 World Series got off to a promising start for the Phillies with this memorable Game 1 victory. Houston led 5-0 after three innings at home, but by the fifth, the game was tied 5-5, as the Phillies didn't get down on themselves. The contest went to the 10th, where J.T. Realmuto led off the frame by taking Luis Garcia deep. The Astros, though, got the last laugh by overcoming a 2-1 series hole to win the next three for their second title.

Los Angeles needed just five games to dispatch the Yankees and win its first back-to-back World Series title. However, the Dodgers had to work to win the clinching Game 5. The Yankees led 5-0 after three innings, but Los Angeles tied the contest with runs of its own in the fifth. New York regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth. However, a pair of unsexy but effective RBI sacrifice flies in the eighth helped the Dodgers go ahead for good. 

When it comes to World Series Game 7s, this wild gem between the Dodgers and Blue Jays might be the greatest of all time. Toronto was two outs away from winning its third title, but light-hitting, low-lying Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas  became an unlikely hero by hitting a tying solo homer in the top of the ninth. However, the Blue Jays loaded the bases in their half of the inning, but Rojas gloved a grounder and barely threw home in time to complete the force for the second out, then center fielder Andy Pages made a rather acrobatic grab for the final out of the frame. In the 11th, L.A.'s Will Smith sent a 2-0 Shane Bieber slider into the Toronto bullpen, and the Dodgers hung on to become the first repeat World Series champs since the New York Yankees of 1998-2000.