World Series Game 7: Five Teams Have Comeback from 3-1 Down to Win
The Chicago Cubs are trying to become the sixth team in Major League Baseball History to Comeback from 3-1 down to capture a World Series Title.
The last time a team rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win the World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 1985 against the Saint Louis Cardinals. In the interim since the Royals were the last team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series, six teams have done so in the League Championship Series. It has happened four times in the American League Championship Series and twice in the NLCS.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the last team to do so on the Road. The Pirates are the last team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win the series on the road. The Pirates captured their fifth World Series Title against the Orioles in Baltimore. They are the only National League team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a World Series.
The irony in this is that the last two teams to blow 3-1 Series leads are the Cubs and the Indians. The Indians blew a 3-1 lead against the Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS after having a chance to clinch at home in game five.
The Cubs blew a 3-1 series lead with the final two games at Wrigley Field against the Marlins in the National League Championship Series in 2003. This, of course, included the infamous game six with Steve Bartman, Alex Gonzalez’ dropped potential double-play ball and an eight-run Marlins sixth.
Game Seven in that series was epic. The Marlins scored three runs in the top of the first. The Cubs responded with three in second and two in the third to take a 5-3 lead. The game tying Home Run in the second was by Cubs Pitcher Kerry Wood.
The Marlins responded with three in the fifth to regain the lead and tacked on one in the sixth, and two in the seventh and won 9-6 to capture their second national league pennant.
The 1985 Kansas City Royals are the are the only team in Major League history and one of only two teams in the Big Four Sports to come back from 3-1 down twice in the same postseason. The 2003 Minnesota Wild rallied from 3-1 series deficits in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche and the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. The Wild got swept in the conference finals by the Anaheim Ducks.
The New York Islanders are the only team in the Big Four to come back from a 3-1 deficit in back to back seasons when they did so in the 2014 and 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The New York Islanders are the only team in the Big Four to come back from a 3-1 deficit in back to back seasons when they did so in the 2014 and 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks almost did it a year before the Islanders. The Blackhawks rallied from 3-1 down against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals. They rallied from 3-1 down to force game seven at the United Center in Chicago in the 2014 Conference Finals. They fell just short, losing to the L.A. Kings in overtime.
Ironically, Indians Manager Terry Francona is one of only two managers to comeback from 3-1 down twice. He is the only manager to do it in two different seasons. The last time he did it in 2007 with the Red Sox against the Indians.
Dick Howser led the Royals to a pair of comebacks from 3-1 down in 1985.