Major League Baseball is home to some of the most epic comeback wins. Since MLB’s pace of play isn’t anything to write home about, momentum becomes a huge factor if a team wants to overcome a significant deficit. Continue reading to discover what we consider to be three of MLB’s most unbelievable comebacks.
The Boston Red Sox were leading the New York Yankees 9-0 in the sixth inning at Fenway Park in April 2012. Mark Teixeira walked up to the plate and hit a solo home run, putting the Yankees first run on the board.
The next inning, Nick Swisher launched a grand slam over the Green Monster to cut the deficit to 9-5. Three batters later, Teixeira lifted his second home run of the game, a three-run blast, to pull within one at 9-8.. The bleeding continued in the 8th inning after Swisher cranked a two-run double to put the Yankees on top for the first time in the game at 10-9. Two more two-run doubles by Teixeira and Russell Martin added four more runs before Jeter batted in the 15th and final run of the game for the Yankees.
After the Seattle Mariners scored four runs in the top of the second inning, they tacked on another eight runs in the following inning. Although the Cleveland Indians answered with two runs of their own, the Mariners responded with two more. At the halfway mark, the Mariners were ahead 14-2 at Jacobs Field.
The Indians started their comeback with a Russell Branyan leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. They were able to score two more runs before the end of the inning, bringing the score to 14-5. Another solo shot off the bat of Jim Thome followed by three more runs in the eighth made the score 14-9 heading into the ninth.. With just one out remaining, Cleveland catcher Einar Diaz lined the ball into left field, scoring two more runs. With the bases loaded, Omar Vizquel smashed a ball into rightfield to clear the bases. The game headed into extra innings with the score knotted at 14.. Outfielder Kenny Lofton was standing at second as Jolbert Cabrera stepped into the batter’s box. Cabrera swung at the first pitch and hit a broken-bat blooper into left field that scored Lofton and secured the victory 15-14.
After the Orioles chased starter CC Sabathia out of the game scoring seven runs in just 5 2/3 innings, Baltimore looked to be in control leading 9-1 in the sixth. After Yankees’ Aaron Judge drilled his second home run of the game bringing the score to 9-4, the Orioles tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh.
The Yankees would quickly answer in the bottom half of the inning. Jacoby Ellsbury launched a grand slam into the rightfield bleachers to cut the deficit to 11-8. After Ellsbury’s fielder’s choice scored Chase Headley in the ninth, Starlin Castro crushed a two-run home run to tie the game at 11.. With one out in the bottom of the tenth, Matt Holliday elevated a pitch over the centerfield wall for a three-run home run to secure one of the greatest comebacks in MLB history.