World Series Game 7: Five Teams Have Comeback from 3-1 Down to Win
1985 Kansas City Royals
The Royals remain the only team in Major League Baseball to come back from a 3-1 deficit twice in the same postseason. The Royals lost the first two games of the series in Toronto. Game two was a heartbreaking loss. The Royals blew a 3-0 lead, fell behind in the eighth to force extra innings, then scored one in the top of the tenth to take a 4-3 lead.
The go-ahead run came with some controversy after Royals leadoff hitter Willie Wilson got on after it was ruled the Blue Jays Centerfielder Lloyd Moseby trapped Wilson’s sinking line drive. Toronto scored two in the tenth to win game two 6-5 and head to Kansas City up 2-0.
Royals ace Bret Saberhagen started game three but lasted only 4.1 innings after giving up five runs that had erased a 2-0 Royals lead. K.C. rallied with one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the eighth to avoid going down three games to none.
Toronto won game four behind their ace Dave Stieb and their closer Tom Henke who allowed two hits and one run to put the Jays up 3-1 and on the verge of their first World Series.
The Royals responded with a complete game shutout in game five by Danny Jackson to win 2-0 and force the series back to Toronto.
In a back and forth game six, the Royals eventually pulled away to win 5-3 and force game seven.
The Royals blew game seven open with a four-run sixth highlighted by lightly hitting catcher Jim Sundberg’s triple to make the score 5-1 at the end time. Sundberg was singled in by second baseman Frank White to push the lead to 6-1.
The Royals eventually won 6-2 to punch their ticket to their the franchise’s second World Series. The Royals became the first team to come back from 3-1 down in a league Championship series.
Unlike the ALCS, the Royals had home field in the World Series. The Cardinals won game one to wrestle home field away from the Royals. KC had a 2-0 lead heading into the ninth inning in game two. The Cardinals erupted for four runs to win 4-2 and take a 2-0 lead heading home.
The Royals rebounded to win game three 6-1 behind Saberhagen to get back into the series, down two games to one. The Cardinals won game four 3-0 behind a five-hit complete game shutout from John Tudor.
The Cardinals were set up to capture their second World Series in four seasons at home in game five. Jackson pitched another outstanding game, going the distance, giving up just five hits and one run in a 6-1 KC win to force the Series back to Kansas City.
Game Six was one of the most controversial in MLB history. After being on the wrong side of a controversial call in the fourth inning, the Royals had the call even out in the ninth. Jorge Orta appeared to be out on a bang-bang play at first but was called safe but first base umpire Don Denkinger.
The Royals would eventually score two runs in the bottom of the inning to win 2-1 and set up a game seven. The Royals won game seven 11-0 to capture their first World Series title.