Every team's best extra-inning moment
Extra innings send a fan’s excitement to another level, and add pressure to players and fans alike. When a team wins an extra-inning game in dramatic fashion, it’s the kind of game that fans are likely to remember their own personal details from -- where they were, what they were doing, as they watched it.
Here’s a look at every team’s best extra-inning moment.
AL East
Blue Jays: We Are the Champions
1992 World Series Game 6 at Braves
The Blue Jays had a chance to seal the series in Game 5, which they entered up 3-1 in the series, but weren’t able to do it. In Game 6, they got another chance -- with the pressure mounting to avoid a decisive Game 7. They appeared set to clinch the title in the bottom of the ninth, before Otis Nixon’s two-out RBI single off Tom Henke tied the game at 2 each. The Blue Jays broke through in the top of the 11th, on a Dave Winfield two-run double. Jimmy Key allowed a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Blue Jays still won, 4-3, to clinch the World Series.
Orioles: Robinsons Force Game 7
1971 World Series Game 6 vs. Pirates
The defending-champion Orioles were just seven outs away from a World Series-ending loss to the Pirates in Game 6 when Davey Johnson tied up the contest at 2 with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning. That's where the score stayed until the 10th, and after 21-game winner Dave McNally came out of the Baltimore bullpen and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the frame, the O's put runners on the corners with one out and Brooks Robinson at the plate in the bottom half. When Robinson lifted a fly ball to shallow center field, another Robinson -- Frank, no relation -- boldly charged home and slid under Pittsburgh catcher Manny Sanguillen, who had to jump to snag Vic Davalillo's throw, for the winning run, forcing Game 7.
Rays: Longoria’s Game 162 Homer
Sept. 28, 2011, vs. Yankees
This was one of the craziest days in baseball history, wrapping up the year, no less, and the Rays had the last laugh. The Rays entered the day tied with the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race, needing a win and a Red Sox loss in order to avoid missing out altogether or having to play a Game 163. It was hard not to keep an eye on the scoreboard. At 8:52 p.m ET, Andruw Jones hit a homer for the Yankees to go up, 7-0, on the Rays. At 9:34 p.m. ET, the Red Sox and Orioles went into a rain delay with Boston up, 3-2. While the Red Sox were in their delay, the Rays found a way back into the game -- scoring their first run on a bases-loaded walk in what turned in a six-run eighth inning. That inning culminated with an Evan Longoria home run. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Dan Johnson’s solo homer tied the game up with two outs. They headed to extras. The Orioles won, 4-3, on a Robert Andino walk-off single at two minutes after midnight. Three minutes later, Longoria belted a walk-off homer to send the Rays to the playoffs.
Red Sox: Papi's Game 4 Blast
2004 ALCS Game 4 vs. Yankees
The first comeback from a, 3-0, postseason series deficit in MLB history had to start somewhere. Step 1 came in the ninth inning of Game 4, when Dave Roberts pinch-ran for Kevin Millar, stole second and came home on Bill Mueller's single off Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera to tie the contest. Three innings later, David Ortiz delivered one of the signature moments of his illustrious career, crushing a two-run, walk-off homer off Paul Quantrill to give Boston its first win of the series. The slugger would notch another walk-off hit in Game 5, and after two more wins in the Bronx, Boston went on to the World Series, where it swept the Cardinals for its first title in 86 years.
Yankees: Boone Game 7 Hero
2003 ALCS Game 7 vs. Red Sox
The Yankees had lost to the Red Sox in Game 6 with a chance to clinch the series, and trailed early against them again in Game 7 before tying it up. In the 11th inning, Aaron Boone stepped to the plate against Tim Wakefield. The Yankees had acquired him in a Deadline deal from the Reds, and he had played 54 regular-season games for New York, hitting .254 with six home runs. He had already faced Wakefield in 11 plate appearances that season, mustering just one hit -- a single in his first-ever PA against him on Aug. 31. He took the first pitch from Wakefield and hit it out, winning the series for the Yankees. It’s one of just two walk-off home runs to win a winner-take-all postseason game in extras.
AL Central
Indians: Comeback Complete
Aug. 5, 2001, vs. Mariners
The Mariners had a magical season in 2001, winning an American League-record 116 games, but the Indians made this a night to forget for Seattle with a comeback for the ages. The game didn't start out well for Cleveland, of course, with the Mariners taking a 12-0 lead into the fourth inning and a 14-2 edge into the seventh. But the Tribe rallied for three runs in the seventh, four in the eighth and five in the ninth -- including three on Omar Vizquel's bases-clearing triple with the team down to its final out -- to force extras. Two innings later, Jolbert Cabrera's single brought Kenny Lofton home with the winning run.
Royals: 2015 World Champions
2015 World Series Game 5 at Mets
After coming so close to winning the World Series in 2014, when they lost to the Giants in seven games, the Royals were not going to be denied the following season. Kansas City came from behind in Games 1, 2 and 4 to take a 3-1 series lead over the Mets, setting the stage for a potential championship-clinching victory at Citi Field in Game 5. While Matt Harvey did his best to prevent that, tossing eight shutout innings, the Royals broke through against the right-hander in the ninth and tied the game on Eric Hosmer's mad dash to the plate following Salvador Perez's grounder to third base. Christian Colon plated the go-ahead run with an RBI single three innings later, and the Royals scored four more times in the frame before giving the ball to closer Wade Davis, who slammed the door on the Mets in the bottom of the 12th to give the Royals their first World Series title since 1985.
Tigers: Cabrera Wins It
Aug. 5, 2012, vs. Indians
Although the Tigers were able to rally from deficits of 3-1, 4-3 and 5-4 earlier in the game, things looked bleak for Detroit when the Tribe scored three times in the top of the 10th inning and handed the ball to All-Star closer Chris Perez, who quickly recorded two outs in the bottom of the frame. But after a pair of walks and an RBI double by Austin Jackson, Omar Infante tied the game again with a two-run single to center field. That set the stage for Cabrera, in the midst of his first MVP Award-winning season, to sock a walk-off homer to deep left field.
Twins: 91 WS Game 6
1991 World Series Game 6 vs. Braves
The Twins had lost three straight games in the 1991 World Series entering Game 6, after getting out to a two games to none lead in the series. Attempting to stave off elimination, they got out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Kirby Puckett RBI triple and Shane Mack RBI single off the Braves’ Steve Avery. The Braves tied it back up in the top of the fifth, but the Twins went ahead in the bottom of the inning. But in the seventh, the Braves tied it up again -- and there the score stayed, until the 11th. That’s when Puckett stepped up to the plate against Charlie Leibrandt and sent a 2-1 pitch into the stands, keeping the Twins alive in the series. They went on to win Game 7 on another walk-off, becoming the eighth team at the time to win the World Series on a walk-off.
White Sox: Blum's Revenge
2005 World Series Game 3 at Astros
Although the crosstown Cubs' lengthy title drought received more attention over the years, the White Sox were working on ending a long wait of their own when they reached the World Series in 2005. While the Sox ultimately took the series from the Astros in a sweep, it was hardly a rout, with all games decided by two runs or less. Nine innings weren't enough to decide Game 3, and the two clubs remained in a 5-5 tie until the 14th. Houston had won an 18-inning affair against the Braves earlier in the postseason to close out the NLDS, but the outcome would be different this time, with Blum -- whom the Astros had traded away in 2003 -- stunning his former club with a pinch-hit solo shot in just his second career postseason at-bat.
AL West
Angels: Eckstein's Grand-Slam Walk-Off
April 28, 2002, vs. Blue Jays
The 5-foot-6, 170-pound Eckstein wasn't known for his power, but he had a knack for coming up big when it mattered most. While the shortstop hit only 35 career homers, four of those were grand slams, including one against Toronto to end a 14-inning game in April 2002. Eckstein's heroic moment, which came with two outs and the Angels trailing by one, was part of an eight-game winning streak that turned the team's season around. The Angels would go on to win the World Series behind an MVP performance from (you guessed it) Eckstein.
A’s: Hernandez’s Walk-Off Bunt
2003 ALDS Game 1 vs. Red Sox
The A’s tied the game at four in the bottom of the ninth, with an Erubiel Durazo RBI single off Alan Embree, the game headed to extras. In the bottom of the 12th, Durazo led off with a walk against Derek Lowe. The next two batters grounded out, before Lowe walked Scott Hatteberg and then intentionally walked Terrence Long. Ramon Hernandez bunted to third, and Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller had no play, giving the A’s a walk-off postseason victory.
Astros: Bregman Wins It
2017 World Series Game 5
In one of the most epic battles in World Series history, the Astros had an answer for everything the Dodgers threw at them. When Los Angeles went up by four runs early in the game, Houston quickly charged back and pulled even on Yuli Gurriel's three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. When the Dodgers regained the lead on Cody Bellinger's three-run blast in the top of the fifth, Jose Altuve came back with one of his own in the bottom of the frame. And when Bellinger put L.A. ahead once again with an RBI triple in the top of the seventh, George Springer, Altuve and Carlos Correa combined to give the Astros their first lead of the night in the next half-inning. The Dodgers made sure that this one would need to be decided in extras, however, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 12, where it would stay until the 10th. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was just one out away from sending the game to the 11th, but he plunked Brian McCann and walked Springer, bringing Alex Bregman to the plate. The young third baseman rose to the occasion, notching one of the biggest hits in Astros history -- a flare to left field that scored pinch-runner Derek Fisher and gave Houston a 3-2 series lead.
Mariners: The Double
1995 ALDS Game 5 vs. Yankees
The Mariners had dropped each of the first two games of the series to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, and appeared to be headed for an early exit before storming back to a 7-4 win in Game 3. With that, they were off, winning three straight games to take the series and head to the ALCS. They won Game 5 in particularly exciting fashion. The game headed to extras tied at 4, and made it through the 10th without any new scoring. In the top of the 11th, Randy Johnson, pitching in relief, allowed a run on a Randy Velarde single. But Joey Cora led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and Ken Griffey Jr. added a single of his own. That brought Hall-of-Famer Edgar Martinez to the plate, and he had his most iconic moment -- knocking a two-run double off Jack McDowell to walk it off.
Rangers: Nelly’s ALCS Walk-Off Slam
2011 ALCS Game 2 vs. Tigers
Nelson Cruz had hit a game-tying homer off Max Scherzer to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and the game remained tied and headed to extras. Ryan Perry came in for the Tigers in place of Jose Valverde, and allowed a single to lead off the inning to Michael Young. Then Adrian Beltre followed with another single, and Mike Napoli with another. Cruz stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered, knocking a walk-off grand slam. It’s the only walk-off grand slam in postseason history (remember, Robin Ventura’s infamous hit was marked as a single since he did not touch a base beyond first).
NL East
Braves: Chipper's Game-Winner
May 17, 2006, vs. Marlins
Still one of the top hitters in the National League more than a decade into his career, Jones carried the Braves to a thrilling win over the Marlins in this May 2006 game, going 3-for-5 and plating five of Atlanta's six runs. After tying the contest with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the ninth, Jones came to bat with the Braves facing another deficit in the 11th and delivered again, crushing a three-run homer to right-center field to lift Atlanta to victory.
Marlins: Marlins Win it All
1997 World Series Game 7
An expansion franchise in 1993, the Marlins didn't take long to make an impact in the Majors, reaching the World Series in their fifth year of existence. After an 8-7 win over Cleveland in Game 5, the club returned home with a chance to clinch but lost Game 6 and faced a 2-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7. With two-time All-Star closer Jose Mesa on the mound, the Marlins managed to push a run across on Craig Counsell's sacrifice fly to force extras. Two innings later, it was Counsell who stood on third base as Edgar Renteria came to the plate against Charles Nagy and laced a single to center field, giving the Marlins their first World Series title.
Mets: Mets' Delirious Walk-Off
1986 World Series Game 6 vs. Red Sox
The Mets found themselves trying to stave off elimination in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. They tied the game at three runs apiece in the bottom of the eighth, and the game headed to extras. In the top of the 10th, Rick Aguilera allowed two Red Sox runs on a Dave Henderson homer and Marty Barrett RBI single. Calvin Schiraldi got two quick outs in the bottom of the 10th, then Gary Carter hit a single to prolong the game. Kevin Mitchell followed up with another single, and there were two on for Ray Knight, who hit a single to score Carter. After a pitching change, Mookie Wilson stepped into the box against Bob Stanley. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Wilson dodged a pitch headed for him, and it was a wild pitch to score MItchell. He stepped back into the box, and three pitches later hit his infamous slow roller up the first base line, which went through Bill Buckner’s legs and allowed Knight to score the winning run. The Mets went on to win the World Series in 7 games.
Nationals: Soto’s upper-deck blast
April 9, 2019, at Phillies
The Phillies got out to a 6-0 lead through the fourth inning, but the Nationals began chipping away, scoring a run in the sixth, then three in the seventh. Victor Robles hit a solo homer to tie the game in the top of the ninth, and Kyle Barraclough and Sean Doolittle kept the Phillies off the board in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extras. In the top of the 10th, Juan Soto came to the plate with two runners aboard and hit a monster homer to the second deck, plating three runs, and the Nationals went on to win 10-6.
Phillies: Phillies Clinch Pennant
1980 NLCS Game 5 at Astros
All but one of the five games of the best-of-five series went to extras, with only the Phillies 3-1 victory in Game 1 coming in nine innings. The Phillies had scored five runs in the top of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead, but allowed two runs to the Astros in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. In the top of the 10th, Del Unser doubled off Frank LaCorte after Mike Schmidt led off the inning with a strikeout. After a Manny Trillo flyout, Garry Maddox plated Unser with a double. Dick Ruthven took down the Astros in order in the bottom of the inning, and the Phillies were headed to the World Series. It was the first postseason series victory in franchise history, and they’d soon tack on their first World Series title, too.
NL Central
Brewers: Brewers Advance
2011 NLDS Game 5 vs. D-backs
The Brewers were in the postseason for the first time since 2008, looking to avenge a four-game NLDS loss to the Phillies that year. The team hadn’t won a postseason series since 1982 ALCS. After getting out to a two-game lead in the five-game series, the Brewers had dropped Games 3 and 4 in Arizona. In the decisive Game 5, the D-Backs had scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the third. The Brewers tied it in the bottom of the fourth, then went ahead in the bottom of the sixth, leading 2-1. But John Axford allowed three straight hits to start the top of the ninth, culminating in a Willie Bloomquist RBI single. The game headed to extras tied at 2. Carlos Gomez got a one-out single in the bottom of the 10th, then stole second with Nyjer Morgan batting. Three pitches later, Morgan hit a single and Gomez raced around the bases, scoring the walk-off run to send the Brewers to the next round. They became the 13th team at the time to win a winner-take-all game in walk-off fashion.
Cardinals: Hometown Hero Delivers
2011 World Series Game 6 vs. Rangers
The Cardinals entered Game 6 of the World Series needing to win to avoid elimination. Then they entered the bottom of the ninth needing two runs to tie the game, and found themselves down to their final strike before David Freese hit a two-run triple off Neftali Feliz. But the game still wasn’t over -- there was still work to be done. In the top of the 10th, Josh Hamilton put the Rangers up by two with a two-run homer. The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring groundout from Ryan Theriot and a Lance Berkman RBI single, and the game wore on. Freese, who was raised in the St. Louis area, came to the plate again, this time against Mark Lowe. He knocked a walk-off home run on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, sending the series to a decisive Game 7, which the Cardinals would win as well.
Cubs: Cubs Win it All
2016 World Series Game 7 at Indians
The Cubs' impossibly long wait for a World Series title got a little longer when Indians outfielder Rajai Davis' two-run homer off Aroldis Chapman tied up Game 7 in the eighth inning and rain halted play for 17 minutes following the ninth. But once the game resumed, a resilient Chicago club plated the go-ahead run on Ben Zobrist's RBI double and added a crucial insurance run on Miguel Montero's single in the top of the 10th. The Indians didn't go down quietly in the bottom of the frame, scoring once to make it 8-7 with the tying run on base and two outs. But Mike Montgomery got Michael Martinez to hit a weak grounder to Kris Bryant, who fielded the ball and fired it across the diamond to Anthony Rizzo for the final out. And with that, the Cubs had their first World Series championship in 108 years.
Pirates: Harrison Breaks Up No-Hitter
Aug. 23, 2017, vs. Dodgers
Josh Harrison turned a potential franchise moment for the Dodgers into one for the Pirates, instead. Rich Hill was unhittable against the Pirates -- he was perfect through eight innings and had a no-hitter through nine. But the game didn’t end at nine, because the score was 0-0. That is, until Harrison stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 10th. He skied the fourth pitch of the at-bat to left field, knocking a walk-off solo home run -- for the Pirates first hit of the game, no less. It was the first -- and to this point still only -- time that a no-hit bid had ended on a walk-off home run, according to Elias.
Reds: Griffey's Inside-the-Park Walk-Off
Aug. 20, 2001, vs. Cardinals
Ken Griffey Jr. went over 11 years and more than 420 long balls between his second and third career inside-the-park homers, but he couldn't have picked a better time to end the drought. With the Reds and Cardinals knotted at 4 in the bottom of the 11th inning, the legendary slugger laced a fly ball to left-center field that took a fortuitous bounce off the wall and rolled away from Jim Edmonds and Kerry Robinson, allowing Griffey to circle the bases and score the game-winning run in thrilling fashion.
NL West
D-backs: Luis GONE-zalez
Sept. 28, 2001, vs. Dodgers
A little over a month before Gonzalez notched the biggest hit in D-backs' history -- a walk-off, championship-clinching bloop single in Game 7 of the World Series against the Yankees -- he delivered a blast that played a pivotal role in Arizona winning the National League West. The D-backs were neck and neck with the Giants with just 10 days left in the regular season when Gonzalez belted a game-ending home run to right field in the 11th inning against the Dodgers, keeping Arizona's division lead over San Francisco at two games.
Dodgers: Gibson's Quiet Game-Winner
1988 NLCS Game 4 at Mets
While Gibson's pinch-hit, walk-off homer off Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series is undoubtedly the more famous moment, the Dodgers might not have reached the Fall Classic at all if not for the slugger's clutch blast during the previous series. With Los Angeles trailing the Mets two games to one in the NLCS and Game 4 tied at 4 in the 12th, Gibson lifted a towering fly ball that carried over the wall in right-center field and was referred to by broadcaster Al Michaels as possibly "the quietest home run in the history of baseball."
Giants: The Giants Win it All
2012 World Series Game 4 at Tigers
Up three games to none in the World Series and looking for the second World Series sweep in franchise history, the Giants scored first with a Brandon Belt RBI triple off Max Scherzer in the second inning. The Tigers took the lead in the third on a Miguel Cabrera home run, going up 2-1. After a two-run home run from Buster Posey and a solo homer from Delmon Young, the two teams found themselves headed to extras. In the top of the 10th, Marco Scutaro plated a run on a single, and then Sergio Romo struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to clinch the title. His final strikeout? None other than Cabrera, looking.
Padres: Caminiti in the Clutch
1998 NLCS Game 1 at Braves
After Trevor Hoffman allowed a one-out sacrifice fly from Andruw Jones in the bottom of the ninth, the game was tied at two apiece and the Padres’ odds of starting the series off on a good foot looked to be dwindling. But then Ken Caminiti stepped up to the plate with one out in the top of the 10th and rocketed the fifth pitch he saw from Kerry Ligtenberg to left-center to give the Padres a 3-2 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. They went on to win the series in seven games, making their second World Series appearance in franchise history.
Rockies: Holliday Breaks the Tie
Oct. 1, 2007, vs. Padres
Did Matt Holliday touch home plate? It depends whom you ask. The debate still wages on more than a decade later, but all that matters from the Rockies' standpoint is that Holliday was called safe, clinching the National League Wild Card for Colorado and kicking off "Rocktober." The win capped an amazing run that saw the Rockies go 13-1 down the stretch to force a tiebreaker game against the Padres at Coors Field. Colorado continued to show its resiliency during the contest, coming back from an early 5-2 deficit and then tying up the game on a Troy Tulowitzki double and a Holliday triple after San Diego plated two runs in the top of the 13th. Following an intentional walk to Todd Helton, Jamey Carroll lifted a fly ball to Padres right fielder Brian Giles, whose throw home bounced away from catcher Michael Barrett, allowing Holliday to score the winning run.