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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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – SEPTEMBER 28: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds the bases after his game-winning walk off home run in the twelfth inning against the New York Yankees during the game at Tropicana Field on September 28, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – SEPTEMBER 28: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds the bases after his game-winning walk off home run in the twelfth inning against the New York Yankees during the game at Tropicana Field on September 28, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /

3. The Wild Final Day, 2011

It’s incredibly rare in MLB history that more than one playoff spot is still up in the air on the final day of the regular season, but that’s exactly what happened in 2011. Both Wild Cards were still up for grabs, and dramatic finishes were needed to determine who would be taking the final spot in each league’s postseason bracket.

Let’s start with the American League side of things. Entering September, the Boston Red Sox had a very comfortable grip on a playoff spot. You’ll remember, though, this was the year of the epic Chicken and Beer Collapse that cost Terry Francona and Theo Epstein their jobs in Boston. The Red Sox lost 17 of 23 games from September 1 to September 25, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to stay in the race.

All the Red Sox needed to do on the final day of the season was beat the lowly Baltimore Orioles and they would be in the playoffs. They took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning where closer Jonathan Papelbon got two quick outs. Then, Chris Davis and Nolan Reimold doubled in succession, setting up the stage for Robert Andino to break the hearts of Red Sox Nation.

At nearly the exact same time that Andino was becoming a cult hero in Baltimore, Evan Longoria was hitting a walk-off shot in Tampa Bay to send the Rays into the playoffs. Over on the NL side, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals were fighting to win the Wild Card. The Cards won 20 of their final 28 games, while the Braves went 10-19 down the stretch with their bullpen aces Craig Kimbrel and Johnny Venters falling apart. On the final day of the year, the Braves lost their fifth in a row and gave up the playoff spot to St. Louis.

After this exciting end to the year, MLB made the smart decision to begin all games on the final day of the year at the same time. While the races have not quite delivered the same dramatics since, the 2011 race is one that will never be forgotten.

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