Fansided

Top 25 MLB pennant races of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park.
(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park. /
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MILWAUKEE – SEPTEMBER 28: CC Sabathia of the Milwaukee Brewers is sprayed by champaign as he and the Brewers celebrate clinching the National League Wild Card after the game against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park on September 28, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers defeated the Cubs 3-1. (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – SEPTEMBER 28: CC Sabathia of the Milwaukee Brewers is sprayed by champaign as he and the Brewers celebrate clinching the National League Wild Card after the game against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park on September 28, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers defeated the Cubs 3-1. (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images) /

16. CC Sabathia puts the team on his back, 2008

Left-hander CC Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7, 2008. At the time, the Brew Crew was 49-40 and four games out of first place in the NL Central. Over the next three months, Sabathia would literally put the team on his massive shoulders and propel them to the playoffs. He went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA and threw seven complete games.

Without Sabathia, the Brewers do not make the playoffs for the first time since losing the World Series in 1982. Down the stretch, Sabathia often pitched on three days rest to ensure that the Milwaukee stayed in a playoff spot. He pitched on short rest three times and went 2-1 with a 0.83 ERA. August was his best month, where he went 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA and three complete games.

The magic would not carry into the postseason for the Brewers. They lost the NLDS 3-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Sabathia was clearly gassed by the end, and 0-1 with five earned runs allowed in 3.2 innings.

The Sabathia trade to the Brewers is one of the best deadline deals in MLB history. Milwaukee knew they were not going to be able to re-sign the ace, so they pushed him as hard as humanly possible and got 17 outstanding starts. They defeated the New York Mets by a single game for the Wild Card. In a race that tight, the blockbuster trade made the difference.

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