Top 10 Game 6s in World Series history

Not much compares to the drama and mystique of a Game 7 in the World Series -- but a Game 6 is as close as it gets.

One team enters with a chance to clinch a World Series title, while the other battles to keep its season alive and force one of those winner-take-all Game 7s. Past Game 6 classics have etched into our collective memory the names of Hall of Famers who lived up to their superstar billing, and role players who had career-defining moments.

Here is a countdown of the most exciting Game 6s in World Series history:

1. 2011: Cardinals 10, Rangers 9 (Forced Game 7)
Texas took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth and had St. Louis down to its last strike before David Freese's game-tying triple over the head of right fielder Nelson Cruz. A Josh Hamilton two-run homer in the 10th put the Rangers back in front, but the Cardinals again survived being down to their last strike, as Lance Berkman knotted things up with an RBI single. Freese then played hero once more with his walk-off homer in the 11th, and St. Louis took Game 7 the next night.

2. 1986: Mets 6, Red Sox 5 (Forced Game 7)
The Red Sox, trying to close out their first championship since 1918, lost a 3-2 lead when Gary Carter hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. Boston scored twice in the 10th, including Dave Henderson's leadoff homer, but with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the frame, things unraveled. After three straight singles, a wild pitch and Mookie Wilson's grounder through the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner, the Mets walked off to set up their Game 7 triumph.

3. 1975: Red Sox 7, Reds 6 (Forced Game 7)
Facing elimination, Boston rallied from a 6-3 deficit when Bernie Carbo launched a two-out, two-strike, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. The game then stretched to the 12th, when the Sox got out of a two-on, one-out jam before Carlton Fisk led off the bottom of the frame with a blast that just managed to stay fair as it cleared the Green Monster and ricocheted off the foul pole. Unfortunately for Boston, Cincinnati still took Game 7 and the Series.

4. 1993: Blue Jays 8, Phillies 6 (Clinched series)
Toronto became the first team since the 1977-78 Yankees to repeat as World Series champs – but needed a dramatic moment to complete the feat. Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Paul Molitor got on base against Phillies closer Mitch Williams in the bottom of the ninth, setting the table for Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter to hit the second World Series-clinching, walk-off home run in history (Bill Mazeroski, ‘60).

5. 1991: Twins 4, Braves 3 (Forced Game 7)
The day before Minnesota's Jack Morris won his famous duel with John Smoltz to clinch the World Series, Kirby Puckett did his own Superman impersonation in Game 6 to keep the Twins alive.

In the third inning, Puckett made a leaping catch against the Metrodome's plexiglass boards in left-center field and saved a potential run. Then, with the game knotted at 3 in the bottom of the 11th, Puckett took Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt deep over that same plexiglass. The walk-off homer inspired broadcaster Jack Buck's famous call, "And we'll see you ... tomorrow night!"

6. 1985: Royals 2, Cardinals 1 (Forced Game 7)
Known today as the "Don Denkinger Game," this contest began with a terrific pitchers' duel, with Danny Cox of the Cardinals and Leibrandt of the Royals trading zeros for the first seven innings. St. Louis finally broke through against Leibrandt with an RBI single by Brian Harper to give the Cards a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth.

Rookie Todd Worrell came on to try to close out a title for the Redbirds in the ninth, but Denkinger -- the first-base umpire -- called Kansas City's Jorge Orta safe at first on a ground ball, despite video replay clearly showing he was out. Pinch-hitter Dane Iorg would later deliver a bases-loaded single to score two runs and deliver a controversial walk-off win to the Royals, who would complete their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit with an 11-0 win the next evening.

7. 2002: Angels 6, Giants 5 (Forced Game 7)
This was a game that would haunt then-Giants manager Dusty Baker until he finally claimed his first World Series crown 20 years later with the Astros.

The Giants led 5-0 and were eight outs away from their first championship after moving to San Francisco in 1958, but the Angels and their Rally Monkey-inspired fans charged back. Baker removed starter Russ Ortiz from the game with runners on in the seventh, memorably giving Ortiz a game ball to keep as a souvenir on his way to the dugout. Scott Spiezio immediately hit a three-run homer after the pitching change, and Darin Erstad and Troy Glaus added big hits in the eighth to complete the comeback. The Halos won Game 7 the following night, clinching their first title.

8. 1958: Yankees 4, Braves 3 (Forced Game 7)
Baseball fans not only got a rematch of the 1957 Series between New York and Milwaukee – they also got another seven-game installment, thanks to an absolute thriller in ‘58 Game 6.

The Braves began dreaming of a repeat until Yogi Berra tied it with a sacrifice fly off Warren Spahn in the sixth. The game stayed deadlocked until the 10th, when Gil McDougald homered and Bill Skowron added an insurance run for the pinstripes in the top half. Hank Aaron sliced the deficit with an RBI single in the bottom half, but Frank Torre lined out with runners on the corners to end the contest.

The next day’s Game 7 was also a nail-biter, with the Yankees finally bursting through with a four-run eighth inning to clinch revenge for ‘57.

9. 1956: Dodgers 1, Yankees 0 (Forced Game 7)
One of only three contests in World Series history to remain scoreless through the first nine innings, this game between two fierce intracity rivals featured brilliant complete-game performances by Brooklyn's Clem Labine and New York's Bob Turley. The Dodgers' winning run in the bottom of the 10th was classic small ball -- a walk by Jim Gilliam, a sacrifice bunt by Pee Wee Reese and an intentional walk to Duke Snider before Jackie Robinson knocked the walk-off single to left. The Yankees' offense would get revenge the following day in a dominant 9-0 win in Game 7 at Ebbets Field.

10. 1995: Braves 1, Cleveland 0 (Clinched series)
This was Hall of Famer Tom Glavine’s shining moment. The lefty shoved with eight scoreless innings and just one hit allowed, but for a while his offense didn’t break through for him – stranding multiple baserunners in both the fourth and fifth frames. David Justice finally broke the ice with a leadoff, solo homer in the sixth, giving Glavine the only run support he needed as the Braves finally claimed their first World Series title after moving to Atlanta.

Honorable mentions

• 1992: Blue Jays 4, Braves 3 (Clinched series)
• 1979: Pirates 4, Orioles 0 (Forced Game 7)
• 1971: Orioles 3, Pirates 2 10 innings (Forced Game 7)
• 1952: Yankees 3, Dodgers 2 (Forced Game 7)
• 1945: Cubs 8, Tigers 7, 12 innings (Forced Game 7)
• 1935: Tigers 4, Cubs 3 (Clinched series)
• 1923: Yankees 6, Giants 4 (Clinched series)