World Series Comebacks

The New York Yankees, down 2-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series, are trying to become the 12th team to come back from that deficit and win the Series. A look at the teams that accomplished the feat:

1996 NEW YORK YANKEES

Defeated ATLANTA BRAVES, 4-2

Atl. 12, at N.Y. 1

Atl. 4, at N.Y. 0

N.Y. 5, at Atl. 2

N.Y. 8, at Atl. 6 (10)

N.Y. 1, at Atl. 0

at N.Y. 3, Atl. 2

The Braves were the defending champions and were heavily favored to win again. Things looked even worse for the Yankees after they were outscored, 16-1, in losing the first two games at Yankee Stadium. In Atlanta for Game 3, David Cone allowed four hits in six innings of a New York victory. The Braves rebounded to take a 6-3 lead into the eighth inning of Game 4, but Jim Leyritz hit a tying, three-run homer off Mark Wohlers in the top of the eighth and the Yankees went on to win in 10 innings. Andy Pettitte and John Wetteland shut out the Braves on five hits in Game 5, and the Yankees scored three runs off Greg Maddux in the third inning of Game 6 and made it hold up.

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1986 NEW YORK METS

Defeated BOSTON RED SOX, 4-3

Bos. 1, at N.Y. 0

Bos. 9, at N.Y. 3

N.Y. 7, at Bos. 1

N.Y. 6, at Bos. 2

at Bos. 4, N.Y. 2

at N.Y. 6, Bos. 5 (10)

at N.Y. 8, Bos. 5

In the Series best remembered for Bill Buckner’s error, many forget the Red Sox once led, 2-0. After losing the first two games at home, the Mets got strong pitching performances from Bob Ojeda and Ron Darling to win Games 3 and 4 in Boston. Bruce Hurst won his second game of the Series in Game 5 to give Boston a 3-2 lead. In Game 6, Roger Clemens took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth but left the game because of a blister. Calvin Schiraldi came in and gave up the tying run, sending the game into extra innings. Boston scored twice in the top of the 10th, but the Mets scored three with two out in the bottom of the 10th, the winning run coming in on Buckner’s error. In Game 7, the Mets broke a 3-3 tie and took the lead for good by scoring three runs off Schiraldi in the seventh.

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1985 KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Defeated ST. LOUIS CARDINALS, 4-3

St. Louis 3, at K.C. 1

St. Louis 4, at K.C. 2

K.C. 6, at St. Louis 1

at St. Louis 3, K.C. 0

K.C. 6, at St. Louis 1

at K.C. 2, St. Louis 1

at K.C. 11, St. Louis 0

The Royals were shut down by John Tudor and Danny Cox at home in Games 1 and 2 before Bret Saberhagen righted the ship with a six-hit victory in Game 3. After being shut out in Game 4, the Royals were down, 3-1, in the Series. But Danny Jackson held the Cardinals to one run in a Game 5 victory. In Game 6, the Cardinals were three outs away from winning the World Series when Jorge Orta opened the bottom of the ninth with a disputed single. The replay showed that he was clearly out at first base, but umpire Don Denkinger blew the call. Another single and a walk loaded the bases, and Dane Iorg won the game with a two-run single off Todd Worrell. The Cardinals fell apart in Game 7 as Manager Whitey Herzog and pitcher Joaquin Andujar were ejected.

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1981 LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Defeated NEW YORK YANKEES, 4-2

at N.Y. 5, Dodgers 3

at N.Y. 3, Dodgers 0

at Dodgers 5, N.Y. 4

at Dodgers 8, N.Y. 7

at Dodgers 2, N.Y. 1

Dodgers 9, at N.Y. 2

Ron Guidry and Tommy John held the Dodgers to three runs over the first two games at Yankee Stadium before Fernando Valenzuela, in the year of Fernandomania, gutted out a complete-game victory in Game 3, giving up nine hits and walking seven. The Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead in Game 4, but the Dodgers battled back to win, thanks in part to a Jay Johnstone homer and a Reggie Jackson error. In Game 5, the Yankees took a 1-0 lead behind Guidry into the bottom of the seventh, but consecutive homers by Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager gave the Dodgers a win. Game 6 was a laugher, as Yankee Manager Bob Lemon pinch-hit for Tommy John in the bottom of the fourth of a 1-1 game and the Dodgers pounded the Yankee bullpen for eight runs.

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1978 NEW YORK YANKEES

Defeated LOS ANGELES DODGERS, 4-2

at Dodgers 11, N.Y. 5

at Dodgers 4, N.Y. 3

at N.Y. 5, Dodgers 1

at N.Y. 4, Dod. 3 (10)

at N.Y. 12, Dodgers 2

N.Y. 7, at Dodgers 2

The Dodgers won Game 2 when, with the go-ahead runs on base, Bob Welch struck out Reggie Jackson to end the game. However, Dodger fans best remember the Series for one thing: Graig Nettles. He made several stellar defensive plays that saved at least six runs in a Game 3 Yankee victory. In Game 4, the Yankees won thanks to Jackson’s right hip, which deflected Bill Russell’s relay throw to first, preventing an inning-ending double play and leading to a run in a one-run Yankee victory. The Yankees then easily won Games 5 and 6.

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1971 PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Defeated BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 4-3

at Balt. 5, Pitt. 3

at Balt. 11, Pitt. 3

at Pitt. 5, Balt. 1

at Pitt. 4, Balt. 3

at Pitt. 4, Balt. 0

at Balt. 3, Pit. 2 (10)

Pitt. 2, at Balt. 1

Steve Blass got the Pirates on the board by holding the Orioles to three hits in Game 3. The Pirates followed with a victory in Game 4--the first night game in World Series history. Nelson Briles pitched a two-hit shutout in Game 5 to put the Pirates up, 3-2, but the Orioles evened the Series in Game 6. Blass then outdueled Mike Cuellar with a four-hitter in Game 7.

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1965 LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Defeated MINNESOTA TWINS, 4-3

at Min. 8, Dodgers 2

at Min. 5, Dodgers 1

at Dodgers 4, Min. 0

at Dodgers 7, Min. 2

at Dodgers 7, Min. 0

at Min. 5, Dodgers 1

Dodgers 2, at Min. 0

The Twins did the unthinkable in Games 1 and 2, defeating Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax. Claude Osteen shut out the Twins on five hits in Game 3 and Drysdale evened the Series with an 11-strikeout performance. In Game 5, Koufax blanked the Twins on four hits, striking out 10. After the Twins won Game 6, Manager Walter Alston asked Koufax to come back on two days’ rest to pitch Game 7. All he did was strike out 10 and pitch a three-hit shutout.

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1958 NEW YORK YANKEES

Defeated MILWAUKEE BRAVES, 4-3

at Mil. 4, N.Y. 3 (10)

at Mil. 13, N.Y. 5

at N.Y. 4, Mil. 0

Mil. 3, at N.Y. 0

at N.Y. 7, Mil. 0

N.Y. 4, at Mil. 3 (10)

N.Y. 6, at Mil. 2

After losing three of the first four games, the Yankees stormed back to win the final three and avenge their loss to the Braves in the 1957 World Series. Bob Turley pitched a five-hit shutout in a Game 5 Yankee win. Gil McDougald and Hank Bauer homered as the Yankees beat Warren Spahn in 10 innings in Game 6, and Turley pitched 62/3 innings of two-hit relief as the Yankees defeated Lew Burdette in Game 7.

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1956 NEW YORK YANKEES

Defeated BROOKLYN DODGERS, 4-3

at Dodgers 6, N.Y. 3

at Dodgers 13, N.Y. 8

at N.Y. 5, Dodgers 3

at N.Y. 6, Dodgers 2

at N.Y. 2, Dodgers 0

at Dod. 1, N.Y. 0 (10)

N.Y. 9, at Dodgers 0

This Series is best remembered for Don Larsen’s perfect game. But Whitey Ford pitched the Yankees to their first victory in Game 3 and Tom Sturdivant shut down the Dodgers in Game 4, setting the stage for Larsen’s Game 5 masterpiece. The Dodgers bounced back to win Game 6 behind Clem Labine’s 10 shutout innings, but Yogi Berra hit a pair of two-run homers as the Yankees easily won Game 7.

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1955 BROOKLYN DODGERS

Defeated NEW YORK YANKEES, 4-3

at N.Y. 6, Dodgers 5

at N.Y. 4, Dodgers 2

at Dodgers 8, N.Y. 3

at Dodgers 8, N.Y. 5

at Dodgers 5, N.Y. 3

at N.Y. 5, Dodgers 1

Dodgers 2, at N.Y. 0

The Dodgers finally won their first World Series. Johnny Podres got the Dodgers on the board with an 8-3 win in Game 3. Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges homered in an 8-5 Game 4 victory and Snider homered twice in a Game 5 victory. Whitey Ford stopped the Dodgers in Game 6, but Podres shut out the Yankees in Game 7 with the help of left fielder Sandy Amoros’ spectacular catch of a Yogi Berra line drive with two on in the sixth inning

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1921 NEW YORK GIANTS

Defeated NEW YORK YANKEES, 5-3

Yanks 3, at Giants 0

at Yanks 3, Giants 0

at Giants 13, Yanks 5

Giants 4, at Yanks 2

Yanks 3, at Giants 1

Giants 8, at Yanks 5

at Giants 2, Yanks 1

Giants 1, at Yanks 0

In the last Series played in a best-of-nine format, the Yankees got shutouts from Carl Mays and Waite Hoyt in the first two games. The Giants won Game 3 in a rout and George Burns had the key hit in a 4-2 Giant Game 4 victory. Hoyt gave up only one unearned run as the Yankees won Game 5, but the Giants came back to win the final three games, beating Hoyt in Game 8 with another unearned run. Although Hoyt pitched for the losing team, he gave up no earned runs in 27 innings.