The Five Best World Series Games of the Decade

Merry Christmas, everyone! Here is my list of the five best World Series games of the decade. I'm separating the World Series from the LCS and LDS because I feel that a lot of great postseason games would get slighted if I just did one general list of the best postseason games overall. Anyway, here we go:


5.) 2005 World Series Game 3: White Sox @ Astros, October 25-26, 2005. An unlikely hero steps up in the 14th inning.
This game would end up becoming the longest game ever played in World Series history in elapsed time (five hours and forty-one minutes), and would tie for the longest in innings (14) in Series history as well. The game- which was the first-ever World Series game played in the state of Texas- had all of the elements of compelling drama in it, as the Astros looked to avoid going down 3-0 in the Series. They took an early 4-0 lead with ace Roy Oswalt on the mound, but could not hold it, as the Sox scored five times in the top of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. The Astros tied the game at five-all in the bottom of the eighth, and that's when the fun began. The game continued on into the wee small hours of the morning, when, in the top of the 14th, little-used bench player Geoff Blum took Astros reliever Ezequiel Astacio deep for a solo home run to make the game 6-5. The Sox would add on one more run, before slamming the door on the Astros, 7-5, to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Series. Here's a fun side note about the game: The Astros left a whopping 15 men on base during that game, with 10 of the 15 coming from the ninth inning on. Now that hurts.


4.) 2001 World Series Game 5: Diamondbacks @ Yankees, November 1, 2001. Yankees walk 'em off again.
Arizona looked to regain their composure after a heartbreaking loss in Game Four, and it looked like they were going to be successful in their endeavor, as they held a 2-0 lead going into the ninth inning. In fact, D'backs manager Bob Brenly was so confident in his team's short-term memory that he sent out closer Byung-Hyun Kim (who blew the game the night before) to try to slam the door once again. He couldn't do it though, as he surrendered another two-out, game-tying home run, this time to third baseman Scott Brosius. Kim didn't stay in the game long enough to get the loss like the night before, as Albie Lopez eventually surrendered the game-winning single to Alfonso Soriano in the 12th inning. The victory gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the Series.


3.) 2002 World Series Game 6: Giants @ Angels, October 26, 2002. That @#$&*@# rally monkey strikes again!
The Giants were sitting pretty in Game Six, needing only eight more outs to be crowned as World Champions. Giants fans have waited a long time for this moment to come, as they were seeking their first title in 48 years. Making things even better was the fact that they had a commanding 5-0 lead in that game. Oh, how soon things change...

Giants starter Russ Ortiz was chased from the game after surrendering two singles with one out in the seventh. In came hard-throwing reliever Felix Rodriguez in his place to face Scott Spiezio, and in came the rally monkey, which came on the jumbotron in Anaheim whenever the Angels needed inspiration for a rally. There must have been something to that little creature, as Spiezio hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to two. The Angels would tack on three more runs in the very next inning, as Troy Glaus' go-ahead double off of Robb Nen proved to be the fatal blow to the Giants. The Angels hung on to win the game 6-5, and would even the Series up at three games apiece. Not surprisingly, they won Game Seven the very next night to win their first-ever championship. The Giants' title drought continues to this day, 54 years and counting.


2.) 2001 World Series Game 4: Diamondbacks @ Yankees, October 31-November 1, 2001. Tino ties it, and Jeter walks 'em off.
Before you had the drama of Game Five, you had the drama of Game Four, and oh boy, what a game it was. The Diamondbacks were just one out away from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, when Tino Martinez stepped up to the plate with one man on. On the very first pitch he saw from closer Byung-Hyun Kim, he took him deep for a two-run homer. Game tied. In the bottom of the tenth, with Kim still in the game, Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate with two outs as well. Jeter worked Kim for eight pitches, before taking the ninth one he saw from him out over the right field fence. The Yankees won the game 4-3, evening the Series up at two games apiece. 'Twas here that the legend of Mr. November was born, as Jeter hit the home run just after the clock struck midnight on November 1.


1.) 2001 World Series Game 7: Yankees @ Diamondbacks, November 4, 2001. Luis Gonzalez ends a game for the ages.
The Diamondbacks regained their composure from the heartbreaking losses in New York by thrashing the Yankees 15-2 in Game Six, to set up the do-or-die Game Seven. This game would easily go down as one of the best World Series games of all time, as Yankees starter Roger Clemens and Diamondbacks starter Curt Schilling engaged in a scintillating pitching duel. The game was tied at one in the eighth inning, when Alfonso Soriano took Schilling deep to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. They would hold on to this lead into the bottom of the ninth, when they sent out Mariano Rivera to try to close out their fourth consecutive World Series title. During this time, Rivera was practically invincible in the postseason, as he would get through nerve-racking postseason games with a cool demeanor and relative ease. Arizona was not fazed by this postseason legend however, as they rallied back to win the game, 3-2, to take their first-ever World Series title. Luis Gonzalez, who hit 57 home runs for Arizona during the season, proved to be the hero as he hit the Series-winning bloop single over Derek Jeter's head to win it all for the Diamondbacks.

Honorable Mention:
2002 World Series Game 7: Giants @ Angels, October 27, 2002. The Angels ride the momentum from their exhilarating Game Six win to take Game Seven, 4-1, to win it all.

2003 World Series Game 4: Yankees @ Marlins, October 22, 2003. Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez hits a walk-off homer to give the Marlins a 4-3, 12 inning victory. The Marlins would go on to win the next two games to take their second-ever World Series title.

2005 World Series Game 2: Astros @ White Sox, October 23, 2005. Scott Podsednik, who did not hit a single home run in 507 at-bats during the 2005 season, hits a walk-off shot off of Astros closer Brad Lidge to give the Sox a 7-6 victory, as well as a 2-0 lead in the World Series.

Fun fact: There have only been 14 walk-off home runs hit in World Series history.