The 10 best moments in London Series history

The third London Series has drawn to a close, as the Phillies and Mets split a thrilling two-game set rife with special moments at London Stadium.

But even before the notorious NL East rivalry made its UK debut, previous editions of the series -- the Yankees took both games against the Red Sox in the inaugural series in 2019, while the Cubs and Cardinals split their 2023 matchup -- had no shortage of excitement of their own.

With this in mind, here's a look back at the top moments from MLB's London Series matchups.

1. Yankees spark comeback win with nine-run inning

After a wild first London Series game that saw the Yankees beat the Red Sox 17-13, the two clubs did not disappoint in the second game. Boston jumped out to an early lead with a four-run first inning and held a lead through the sixth inning. The game turned upside down when the Yankees plated nine runs in the seventh inning and took a lead that they held onto for good. Gary Sánchez's go-ahead, two-run single was the decisive blow in an inning where the Yankees reached base 11 times.

2. Bryce Harper hits the soccer celly

Speaking of six-run innings, the Phillies used one in the fourth inning of the opening game of the 2024 London Series, providing the backbone of the team's 7-2 victory. The most memorable moment of that frame came when Bryce Harper hit a solo shot to right field to tie the game at 1-1, before honoring the host country by hitting a soccer-style celebration, sliding on his knees near the Phillies dugout. He admitted he had been "planning that for years" in the Philadelphia dugout after the fact, and the moment sparked the Phillies to their game-changing rally.

3. Yanks and Sox each score six runs in the first London Series inning

Talk about a way to kick off the London Series. In the first inning of the first London Series, the Yankees and Red Sox each exchanged six runs. After three straight run-scoring doubles from the Yankees, Aaron Hicks put the finishing touches on their inning with a two-run home run. The Red Sox wasted no time responding with a six-run inning of their own, capped by Michael Chavis's game-tying three-run homer. This was a sign of things to come in a game where the two teams combined to score 30 runs.

4. Torrens saves Game 2 with incredible double play

In the final game of the 2024 London Series, the Mets, having trailed for much of the afternoon, pulled ahead with a three-run rally in the top of the ninth. But in true London Series fashion, there was another outburst to come. The Phillies pulled back within a run in the bottom of the ninth and, with the bases loaded and just one out, looked set up to hand the Mets a gut-wrenching death-by-a-thousand-cuts style loss when Nick Castellanos hit a slow-rolling grounder in front of home plate. Enter Mets catcher Luis Torrens, who turned this daring 2-3 double play -- while taking a hit at home plate -- to save the day and secure a series split.

5. Cards score in four straight innings in comeback win

Comeback wins have been a common theme in the London Series games. The Yankees erased a four-run deficit in a comeback win against the Red Sox in the 2019 series finale. Ditto for the Cardinals against the Cubs in the final game of the '23 series. Following Chicago's series-opening win, the Cubbies plated four runs in the top of the first inning in Game 2. The Cardinals were not fazed, scoring runs in four straight innings beginning in the second inning. Paul Goldschmidt's go-ahead RBI single in the fourth inning proved to be the game-winner.

6. Didi, Gleyber secure win with dazzling double play

Offense might have been the name of the game in the 17-13 slugfest between the Yankees and Red Sox, but it was a spectacular defensive effort that completed it. With a runner on first base and one out in the ninth, Boston's Sam Travis lined a hard-hit grounder at a diving Didi Gregorius. From his knees, the Yankees shortstop flipped it to Gleyber Torres at second base for the first out. Catching it barehanded, Torres threw to first base to secure the double play and a thrilling Yankees win.

7. Chavis clubs a pair of three-run homers

The Red Sox might have been swept in the two-game set, but you could hardly blame a Boston offense that scored 21 runs in two games. Chavis was a key cog in that offensive performance, blasting a pair of three-run home runs in the first game. His first homer tied up the game at six runs apiece in a chaotic first inning between the two clubs, while his second home run sparked a six-run inning that helped the Red Sox get within reaching distance of completing a comeback. Chavis can proudly claim the honor of being the London Series' first player with a multi-homer performance.

8. Happ goes yard twice

Ian Happ -- one of the longest-tenured Cubs -- was the star of the show for Chicago in the first game of the '23 London Series. Happ homered in each of his first two plate appearances against the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright and helped the early offensive fireworks from the Cubs offense. Dansby Swanson's homer later in the game was the only other long ball hit by the Cubs in the series.

9. Bogaerts and J.D. go back-to-back

What better way to try to rebound from a loss against your division rivals? Following the Red Sox's 17-13 loss against the Yankees, Boston's offense came out of the gate hot in the second game. Three batters into the game, Xander Bogaerts crushed a two-run homer to put the Red Sox on the board. J.D. Martinez followed up with a homer of his own, making it 3-0 Red Sox. Christian Vázquez, too, hit a homer two batters later to give Boston a 4-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the Yankees' late comeback outshined Boston's early offensive production.

10. Steele fans eight Cardinals batters

Along with Happ, Justin Steele shined the most in the Cubs' first game against the Cardinals. The Cubs ace dominated with eight strikeouts while allowing just one run in six innings of work. This was Steele's eighth win in a breakout season that saw the left-hander make his first All-Star team and finish fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting.