Let's take a look back at some of the best Halloween moments in World Series history
When the Astros and Dodgers meet in World Series Game 6 tonight (7:30 p.m. ET air time | 8 p.m. ET game time on FOX), it will mark just the fifth time that a Major League game has been played on Halloween. But that doesn't mean our spookiest holiday hasn't seen plenty of baseball history: Those previous four games featured everything from all-time pitching performances to dramatic rallies to one of the most iconic home runs the postseason has ever seen.
So, before Houston and L.A. inevitably add to that list in a few hours, let's review -- and yes, costumes are mandatory.
Game 4, 2001: Derek Jeter becomes Mr. November
Well, Game 4 of the 2001 World Series started on Halloween, at least. And then, after Tino Martinez sent things to extras with a two-out, game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees and D-backs gave us something we'd never seen before: November baseball.
Just a few minutes later, Derek Jeter laid claim to this uncharted baseball territory with a walk-off homer -- becoming Mr. November to Reggie Jackson's Mr. October:
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Game 3, 2009: #PitchersWhoRake in the postseason
Things are bound to get weird on Halloween, and Game 3 of the 2009 World Series wasted little time.
In the bottom of the fourth, Alex Rodriguez lined one deep down the right-field line. The ball appeared to carom off the wall, but replays revealed that the ball had actually hit the lens of a camera just above the yellow line -- the first postseason home run ever to be overturned on review.
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Of course, the next inning was even weirder: With Nick Swisher on second, Andy Pettitte stroked an RBI single to center. Yes, that Andy Pettitte, the pitcher with a career .138 average:
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Game 4, 2010: The Legend of Madbum is born
Heading into the 2010 World Series, Bumgarner was a 21-year-old rookie who had struggled a bit in the first two postseason starts of his career. But Bruce Bochy gave him the ball in Game 4 against the Rangers anyway, and a fire-breathing October monster was born:
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Texas had no answer for Bumgarner, who gave up just three hits while striking out six over eight shutout innings. While the Rangers didn't win the game, their fans did win the costume battle:
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Game 4, 2015: The Royals rally
Throughout the 2015 season, the Royals had pulled off the improbable -- whether it was coming out of nowhere to win the AL Central or scoring seven runs in two innings to stave off elimination against the Astros. Heck, in Game 1 of the World Series just a few days earlier, they'd rallied against seemingly unhittable Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the ninth.
So, when Kansas City found itself down, 3-2, heading into the top of the eighth of Game 4, the team didn't panic ... despite a truly terrifying crowd at Citi Field that had no trouble getting into the Halloween spirit.
Even the condiments came alive:
Instead, The Royals simply found a way to get it done -- with an unintentional assist from Daniel Murphy:
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With one out and runners on first and second, Eric Hosmer's grounder slipped underneath Murphy's glove, allowing the tying run to score. The Royals added two more in the inning, and while New York's Lucas Duda stepped to the plate as the winning run in the ninth, Wade Davis shut the door in suitably improbable fashion: