The Five Greatest League Championship Series Games of the Decade

This was probably the toughest list for me to compile, since there were so many great moments in the LCS during this decade. I know that I am definitely leaving some of them out, so don't rip me too badly if you don't see one you though should have been on there! Here we go:


5.) 2006 NLCS Game 7: Cardinals @ Mets, October 19, 2006. Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright slam the door on the Mets.
This game had a little bit of everything in it, as it featured a fantastic pitchers' duel between Jeff Suppan and Oliver Perez, and it featured an unreal catch in the sixth inning by Mets left-fielder Endy Chavez that defied logic and gravity. His robbery of a Scott Rolen home-run kept the game tied at one-all into the ninth, when things really became interesting. In the top of the ninth inning, with a man on and one out, Yadier Molina took Aaron Heilman deep for a two-run homer to give the Cards a 3-1 lead. The Redbirds weren't out of the woods yet, as the Mets loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning for Carlos Beltran. A National League pennant wasn't in the "cards" for the Mets though, as Beltran was called out on strikes on an absolutely filthy curveball from Adam Wainwright to end the series. A very, very underrated LCS game.


4.) 2004 NLCS Game 6: Astros @ Cardinals, October 20, 2004. Jim Edmonds sends the Series to a Game Seven.
After Houston swept the three games at home to take a 3-2 lead in the series, they needed only one more win to reach their first-ever Fall Classic. Even though Houston trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth, they were undeterred, as they ended up tying the game on a Jeff Bagwell single. It would remain this way until the bottom of the 12th, when, with a man on, Jim Edmonds launched a majestic game-winning shot over the right field fence to force a Game Seven.


3.) 2004 ALCS Game 5: Yankees @ Red Sox, October 18, 2004. "Big Papi" does it again.
After their exhilarating victory from the previous night, the Red Sox engaged in another battle of epic proportions with their arch-enemy, the New York Yankees. They had some more comeback in them during this game, as they came back from a 4-2 deficit in the eighth inning to tie the game. The game remained tied until the 14th inning, when David Ortiz crashed the Yankees' pennant party once again by hitting a game-winning single off of Esteban Loaiza. The Red Sox, who were once just three outs away from being eliminated in Game Four, were now sending the series back to New York for Game Six. The comeback was on.

Fun Fact: This game lasted a whopping five hours and forty-nine minutes, which was at the time, the longest game in postseason history time-wise. The 14 innings they played were also the second-most in LCS history, trailing only the Mets/Astros 16-inning showdown in Game Six in 1986.


2.) 2004 ALCS Game 4: Yankees @ Red Sox, October 17-18, 2004.
If you're a baseball fan, you likely already know about this game. Boston was just three outs away from elimination, and trailing 3-0 in the series, when Kevin Millar drew a walk against the great Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts pinch-ran for him, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Bill Mueller to tie the game at four. The game remained tied until the bottom of the 12th, when David Ortiz blasted a game-winning home run off of Paul Quantrill to keep the Red Sox alive in the series.

Fun Fact: This game also checked in at over five hours, as it lasted five hours and two minutes. A grand total of 10 hours and 51 minutes of baseball were played during Games Four and Five of this ALCS.


1.) 2003 ALCS Game 7: Red Sox @ Yankees, October 16, 2003. Aaron @#$%^*& Boone.
In 1978, Red Sox fans cursed Bucky @#$%^&* Dent for hitting the go-ahead home run in a one-game playoff that would ultimately send the Yankees to the American League East title. Well, 25 years later, Red Sox fans were cursing another Yankee, as this time it would be Aaron Boone. At one point in the game, the Red Sox were just five outs away from winning their first AL Pennant since 1986. However, fate would intervene as the Yankees rallied from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game. Many Boston fans blamed manager Grady Little for leaving starter Pedro Martinez in for too long. In any event, the game stayed tied until the bottom of the 11th, when Aaron Boone hit a Tim Wakefield knuckleball over the left field fence to win the game 6-5, and to send the Yankees to their 39th American League Pennant.

Honorable Mention:
2004 ALCS Game 6: Red Sox @ Yankees, October 19, 2004. The Bloody Sock Game.
Curt Schilling twirled seven innings of well-pitched ball on a badly-injured ankle to send the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory, which evened the series at three games apiece.

2004 NLCS Game 5: Cardinals @ Astros, October 18, 2004.
Brandon Backe and Brad Lidge combined on a one-hitter of the Cardinals, as Jeff Kent hit a walk-off, three-run homer to win the game 3-0, to put Houston up 3-2 in the series.

2004 NLCS Game 7: Astros @ Cardinals, October 21, 2004.
The Cardinals managed to take out Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt by a score of 5-2, to win their first pennant in 17 years.