Since tonight is Game Seven of the ALCS, here is a look at all of Game 7s in the Championship Series since 1985. Again in Chronological order
1985 ALCS: Kansas City 6 @ Toronto 2. The Royals had been down 3-1 in the series. They had a 2-0 lead on early offense from Jim Sundberg. The KC catcher had an RBI single in the second and a solo homer in the fourth off Dave Steib. Brett Saberhagen got the start for the Royals and went three scoreless innings . Then, Charlie Leibrandt entered the game. Willie Upshaw doubled in a run in the fifth. The Royals loaded the bases in the sixth inning and Sundberg tripled for a 5-1 lead. An RBI single by Frank White put this game away for the Royals.
'86 ALCS: California 1 @ Boston 8. All Red Sox in this one as they also erased a 3-1 series deficit. John Candelaria was let down by his defense and the seven runs scored off him in the first 3-2/3 innings were all unearned. Roger Clemens allowed one run in seven innings to get Boston into the series for the first time since 1975.
'87 NLCS: San Francisco 0 @ St. Louis 6. The Giants failed to score for the second game in a row and the Cards won the series. Jose Oquendo hit a three run homer off Atlee Hammaker in the bottom of the second inning for a 4-0 lead. Danny Cox pitched a complete game 8-hit shutout with no walks and five strikeouts.
'88 NLCS: New York 0 @ Los Angeles 6. Orel Hershiser laughed at mere mortals in 1988. A complete game 5-hit shutout to get the Dodgers into the Series. A run in the first and five in the second were more than enough off Ron Darling for LA and Hershiser.
'91 NLCS: Atlanta 4 @ Pittsburgh 0. Another Game Seven shutout. John Smoltz tossed a complete game 6-hitter with a walk and eight strikeouts. Brian Hunter's two-run homer off John Smiley capped a three-run first for the Braves. Hunter would knock in one more run later in the game and the Braves were in their first World Series since 1958.
'92 NLCS: Pittsburgh 2 @ Atlanta 3. This was setting up to be another Game 7 shutout and a Pirate win to get into the Series for the first time since 1979. Pittsburgh led 2-0 with a pair of runs (1st inning and 6th inning) off Smoltz. Doug Drabek was working on a 5-hit shutout through eight innings. Terry Pendelton doubled, David Justice reached on an error, and Sid Bream walked. (You all know where this is going, right?). Stan Belinda came into the game. Ron Gant's sac fly to left got the run home. Then, Damon Berryhill walked to reload the bases. Hunter, a hero of he '91 Game Seven, came in as a pinch hitter. But, he popped out. Jeff Reardon was due up next, but this Cabrera guy...um Rafael Cabrera stepped in as a pinch hitter. Single to left. Justice scores. Bream just beat the throw from Barry Bonds and the Braves win! Braves win!
'96 NLCS: St. Louis 0 @ Atlanta 15. Back to the shutouts. Braves scored six in the bottom of the first off Donovan Osborne. Tom Glavine gave up three hits in seven innings and drove in three runs in four at bats. Fred McGriff, Andrew Jones, and Javy Lopez all homered as the Braves erased a 3-1 series deficit.
2003 NLCS: Florida 9 @ Chicago 6. Do you remember that the Cubs had a lead in this game? Florida scored three in the first against Kerry Wood on a Miguel Cabrera homer. The Cubs scored a run in the second and tied the game on a two-run homer by Wood later in the inning. A two-run homer by Moises Alou in the third inning made it 5-3. The score stayed that way until the fifth. A double by Ivan Rodriguez tied the game, and RBI grounder by Cabrera, and an RBI single by Derek Lee made it 6-5. Florida tacked on a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to deny the Cubs.
'03 ALCS: Boston 5 @ New York 6 (F/11). Aaron Boone never has to buy a drink in New York again. Boston was up 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth. A David Ortiz homer in the top of the eighth gave the Red Sox that three run lead. New York got something brewing in the bottom of the inning. Should Grady Little pull Pedro Martinez or keep him in the game. Pedro stayed and the Yankees rallied for three to tie the game. Bernie Williams singled in the first run. Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to tie the game 5-5. The game stayed that way until the first pitch of Yankee half of the eleventh. Boone hit a Tim Wakefield pitch out to left and New York went back to the Series.
'04 NLCS: Houston 2 @ St. Louis 5. Houston had a 2-1 lead...until the bottom of the sixth. Clemens got the start for the Astros and he was facing the following situation: Tying run at third, two outs, Albert Pujols at the plate. Pujols doubled in the tying run and Scott Rolen homered for a 4-2 Cardinal lead. Game over pretty much at that point as Houston only got one base runner over the final three innings.
'04 ALCS: Boston 10 @ New York 3. Boston came all the way back. Down 3-0 in the series, they come back to win the pennant for the first time since 1986. This one was over early as they had a 6-0 lead after two innings: Ortiz with a two-run homer in the first and Johnny Damon with a grand slam in the second. Kevin Brown lasted just 1-1/3 innings in the loss and Derek Lowe allowed one run on one hit in six innings for the win.
'06 NLCS: St. Louis 3 @ New York 1. Tied 1-1 in the top of the ninth inning at Shea Stadium. Scott Rolen singles with one out. Yadier Molina homers. Cardinals lead 3-1. Bottom ninth. Adam Wainwright comes into close out the game, but the first two Mets reach base on singles. Wainwright gets the next two, but walks Paul LoDuca to load the bases. Carlos Beltran at the plate. Wainwright strikes Beltran out looking. Cardinals are in the World Series.
'07 ALCS: Cleveland @ Boston???
Of the dozen Game Sevens in LCS history that have been completed, I'll rate them like this:
12. Braves-Cardinals '96
11. Red Sox-Angels '86
10. Cardinals-Giants '87
9. Dodgers-Mets '88
8. Red Sox-Yankees '04
7. Braves-Pirates '91
6. Royals-Blue Jays '85
5. Marlins-Cubs '03
4. Cardinals-Astros '04
3. Cardinals-Mets '06
2. Red Sox-Yankees '03
1. Braves-Pirates '92
How would you rate them? Where will tonight's game rank?
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