The Five Best Division Series Games of the Decade

Here you go, the best of the LDS.


5.) 2003 NLDS Game 4: Giants @ Marlins, October 4, 2003. A collision at home plate ends the series.
With the Marlins on the brink of pulling off a huge upset against the defending National League Champion-Giants, they sent their ace Dontrelle Willis out to the mound for Game Four to slam the door. After the first five innings, the Marlins were ahead 5-1, and it looked like they were going to cruise to the NLCS. However, the Giants would not go down quietly, as they scored four times in the top of the sixth to tie the game. The youthful Marlins kept their composure though, as they took back the lead in the bottom of the eighth, by a score of 7-5. The Giants scored one more time in the top of the ninth to make it a one-run game, and they nearly tied the game again. However, Ivan Rodriguez managed to hold on to the ball after a home plate collision with J.T. Snow, thus preserving the final out of the series, and a trip to the NLCS.


4.) 2003 ALDS Game 5: Red Sox @ A's, October 6, 2003. Red Sox complete the comeback.
The Red Sox were down 2-0 at one point in the series, but they managed to fight back to force a deciding Game Five in Oakland. The game was a showdown between a pair of Cy Young Award winners, as Pedro Martinez for the Red Sox and Barry Zito of the A's squared off against each other. The A's held a slim one-run lead into the sixth inning, when the Red Sox scored four times to take a 4-1 lead. The A's slowly chipped away though, and by the bottom of the ninth, it was a 4-3 game. The A's had the bases loaded with two outs that inning, with the winning run in scoring position, when closer Derek Lowe struck out Terrence Long looking to end the series.


3.) 2001 NLDS Game 5: Cardinals @ Diamondbacks, October 14, 2001. Diamondbacks win their first-ever playoff series.
This game would prove to be a classic, as a pair of 22-game-winners squared off in Game Five. Matt Morris was on the hill for the Cardinals, and Curt Schilling was on the mound for Arizona, and the matchup lived up to the hype, as the game was tied at one entering the ninth inning. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the bullpen could not keep the Diamondbacks at bay, as they squeaked across the winning run on a Tony Womack single in the bottom of the ninth to win their first-ever playoff series.


2.) 2001 ALDS Game 3: Yankees @ A's, October 13, 2001. The flip.
The Yankees were down 2-0 in the series entering Game Three in Oakland, and they were facing the prospect of getting swept for only the fourth time in postseason history. With 17-game-winner Barry Zito taking the hill before a raucous crowd of 55,861 at the Coliseum, the three-time-defending-World Champions appeared to be doomed for certain. However, Yankees starter Mike Mussina proved to be a perfect opponent, as he threw up zeroes himself to keep the Yanks alive. They had a 1-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh, when the A's mounted a minor threat by putting Jeremy Giambi on via a two-out single. The next hitter, Terrence Long, proceeded to hit a sharp double down the left-field line. It seemed like Giambi would definitely score from first, when Derek Jeter intercepted an errant throw from right fielder Shane Spencer. Jeter then flipped the ball to catcher Jorge Posada, who tagged out Giambi to end the inning. To me, the only thing that was more shocking than Jeter's awareness was the fact that Giambi didn't even bother to slide. The Yankees went on to win the game 1-0, to hold off elimination.


1.) 2005 NLDS Game 4: Braves @ Astros, October 9, 2005. An 18-inning thriller ends in dramatic fashion.
You could easily make a case for this game being one of the best in the decade in all of sports, let alone in baseball. The Braves were looking to avoid elimination and send the series back to Atlanta for Game Five, and entering the bottom of the eighth inning, that seemed to be the case. The Braves held a 6-1 lead with Tim Hudson on the mound, before he got into trouble and had to be relieved by Kyle Farnsworth. He proceeded to give up a grand slam to Lance Berkman to cut the lead to 6-5. He returned back to the mound in the bottom of the ninth, and quickly recorded the first two outs before facing Brad Ausmus. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Ausmus took him deep to tie the game. The game stayed this way deep into extra-innings, as Roger Clemens eventually had to pinch hit for reliever Dan Wheeler in the bottom of the 15th. Clemens came on the hill in the 16th inning, and proceeded to hold down the Braves for two innings, setting up the drama for the bottom of the 18th. With one out in that inning, Chris Burke took Braves reliever Joey Devine deep to end the marathon game, as well as the series.

Fun Facts: This game was the longest game in postseason history in innings (18) and in time (five hours and fifty minutes). This game broke the innings record formerly held by Game Six of the 1986 NLCS between the Mets and Astros, and it also broke the time record for a postseason game, formerly held by Game Five of the 2004 ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox. This game broke their record by one minute. Thankfully, for the people watching at home and for the fans at the game, the Braves/Astros game was a day game.

Honorable Mention:
2000 NLDS Game 4: Giants @ Mets, October 8, 2000. Mets starting pitcher Bobby Jones pitched the game of his life, tossing a complete game one-hitter to send the Mets to the NLCS.

2002 ALDS Game 5: Twins @ A's, October 6, 2002. The Twins were able to take down the heavily-favored A's to advance to the ALCS, but it came with some high drama in the bottom of the ninth, as they nearly blew a four-run lead to Oakland. They held on by an eyelash, 5-4, to head back to the ALCS for the first time since 1991.

2003 NLDS Game 3: Giants @ Marlins, October 3, 2003. This 12-inning nail-biter was won by the Marlins 4-3, when an error by right fielder Jose Cruz, Jr. with nobody out in the bottom of the 12th sparked a Marlins rally.