World Series Game 2: The 10 most decisive moments in MLB history

The World Series is the oldest national team sports championship in the world. Contested since 1903 and this year in its 119th iteration, that span of experience has given the Series plenty of time to develop a legendary history.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers will try to write some of that history for themselves this week. But as they do, it might be fun to look back on the best moments from past Series.

This article focuses on the 10 most decisive moments from World Series Games 2

The standard of measurement is Win Probability Added, a relatively new statistic that calculates the extent to which the play in question influenced the game’s outcome.

Historically, the stars of Games 2 are an eclectic mix. They include two Hall of Famers (Tony Perez and Tris Speaker) but also several lesser-knowns enjoying their one moment in the sun. Whatever happened to Ed Sprague, anyway?

You can keep an eye open for installments looking at the 10 most decisive moments from World Series Games 3, 4 and right on through to Game 7. For tonight, here are the 10 most decisive moments of Games 2.

10. Tony Perez, 1976 Cincinnati Reds. The defending champion Reds had rolled the American League champion Yankees 5-1 in the Series’ first game, but New York fought back in Game Two. After the Reds took an early 3-0 lead, the Yanks scored once in the fourth and twice in the seventh to tie the game entering the bottom of the ninth at Riverfront Stadium.

Yankee starter Catfish Hunter retired the first two Reds, then coaxed a ground ball out of Ken Griffey that looked like a routine third out. But shortstop Fred Stanley threw wildly, allowing Griffey to take second and prompting Hunter to intentionally walk Joe Morgan and throw the issue of extra innings to the next batter, Perez.

The Reds first baseman vetoed the notion of extra innings, lining a single over shortstop Dave Concepcion’s head into left field. With two out, the fleet Morgan scored easily with the run that gave the Reds a 4-3 victory and a two-games to none Series lead. Two games later they wrapped up the Series sweep. Perez Win Probability Added: 39 percent.

9. Scott Podsednik, 2005 Chicago White Sox. There was drama aplenty in the Game two of the 2005 World Series at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field, some of which will be discussed later in this article.

It will suffice for the moment to say that the Sox held a 6-4 lead and were three outs away from taking a 2-0 Series advantage when closer Bobby Jenks experienced issues. After Jeff Bagwell singled and Chris Burke drew a one-out walk to begin he top of the ninth, Jose Vizcaino came up to pinch hit with two out and the game on the line. Vizcaino lined a game-tying base hit that sent the game to the bottom of the ninth as a 6-6 tie.

But that only ratcheted up the spotlight on Podsednik, who poled Brad Lidge’s one-out 2-1 pitch in that bottom of the ninth into the right field seats for a walk-off home run. Podsednik was the least likely candidate for such dramatics; it was his only home run in more than 570 plate appearances that entire season. Go figure. Podsednik Win Probability Added: 41 percent.

8. Gene Tenace, 1973 Oakland A’s. With four home runs and a .348 batting average, Tenace had been the star of Oakland’s 1972 World Series triumph over the Cincinnati Reds. But his most decisive post-season moment occurred a year later, and it came in an Oakland defeat.

Having won Game One, the A’s trailed the underdog New York Mets 6-4 entering the ninth inning of Game Two. Deron Johnson gave the home fans reason for hope with a ringing double off Mets closer Tug McGraw, but McGraw steadied and retired Bert Campaneris and Joe Rudi before walking Sal Bando. That put the tying runs on base for Reggie Jackson, who singled, sending Allen Lewis, a pinch runner for Johnson, across.

It also gave Tenace another shot at the role of post-season hero. No game-winning home run was to be found, but he did manage a single to left that scored Bando with the tying run.

It wasn’t ultimately enough because the Mets won the game 10-7 in 12 innings. But Oakland held on to win the Series in seven tense games. Tenace Win Probability Added: 42 percent.

7. Ron Cey, 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers. Having lost the 1977 World Series to New York, Cey’s Dodgers badly wanted to claim the rematch, and they made a good start of it with an 11-5 Game One win. But the Yankees held a 2-1 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning of Game Two at Dodger Stadium.

Then with two on and two out, Cey got a 2-0 Catfish Hunter pitch to his extreme liking and deposited it deep into the left field seats for a three-run home run and a 4-2 Dodger lead. Two Dodger relievers took it from there, wrapping up a 4-3 victory and a two-games-to-none Series edge.

 Unfortunately for the Dodgers, that edge did not hold. Thanks to 22 RBIs from Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson and Bucky Dent, the Yanks swept the final four games to claim the Series in six. Cey Win Probability Added: 46 percent.

t-5. Tris Speaker, 1912 Boston Red Sox. More than a century after it was played, the 1912 World Series continues to rank among the classics, and Speaker’s Game Two play is one of the reasons why. Coming off Smoky Joe Wood’s 4-3 victory in Game One, Boston grabbed an early 5-2 lead against John McGraw’s Giants, then lost it on three eighth inning Giants runs. Those runs sent the game into extra innings when an error undermined Christy Mathewson’s pitching work.  

After New York scored a 10th inning go-ahead run, Mathewson returned to the mound to try to wrap up a Series-evening win. Speaker would have none of it. With one out, he sent a Mathewson pitch on a line to deepest center field at the brand new Fenway Park, barreling around third and hoping for a game-tying inside-the-park home run. The relay from shortstop Art Fletcher beat Speaker, but he collided with catcher Chief Meyers, jarring the ball loose.

Speaker was credited with a triple and Meyers charged with an error allowing the tying run to score. Two innings later, with darkness taking over in Boston, the game was declared a draw. Boston eventually won in eight games. Speaker Win Probability Added: 47 percent.

t-5. Enrique Hernandez, 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers. The home-standing Dodgers claimed Game One of its 2017 showdown with the Houston Astros, and led 3-2 entering the ninth inning of Game Two, only to see Marwin Gonzalez even the score with a home run off Dodger relief ace Kenley Jansen.

Then to make matters worse, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back home runs in the 10th to put Houston ahead 5-3. Yasiel Puig narrowed the gap with a leadoff home run of his own in the bottom of the 10th,  then Astros ace Ken Giles settled down to try to preserve the one-run lead.

He fanned Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes before walking Logan Forsythe and wild pitching him into scoring position. It was all the help Hernandez needed. On a 3-1 count, he grounded a seeing-eye single into right field allowing Forsythe to score the tying run.

The game continued into the 11th, Houston winning 7-6. The Astros claimed the Series in seven games. Hernandez Win Probability Added: 47 percent.

4. Frank Crosetti, 1938 New York Yankees. On paper, the 1938  World Series between the Yankees and Chicago Cubs looks like no contest. The Yanks won in four straight, and they outscored the National League champions 22-9 in the process.

But Cubs fans can be forgiven for wondering whether the outcome might have been different had not Crosetti worked some batting magic in Game Two.

Behind Dizzy Dean, the Cubs clung to a 3-2 lead entering the eighth inning that afternoon at Wrigley Field. But Dean, struggling with a sore arm much of the season, was, living on offspeed stuff as Crosetti came up with two out and Myril Hoag aboard. Looking for something slow, Crosetti waited back and launched Dean’s pitch into Wrigley’s left field bleachers for a game-turning two-run home run.

Joe DiMaggio’s two-run home run in the ninth was the knockout blow to the formerly great pitcher as the Yanks won 6-3 and went back to New York to complete the sweep. Crosetti Win Probability Added: 51 percent.

3. Paul Konerko, 2005 Chicago White Sox. Seeking their first World Series championship in nearly nine decades, the White Sox beat Houston 5-3 in Game One at U.S. Cellular Field but faced a 4-2 deficit entering the seventh inning of Game Two. That’s when Chicago’s slugging first baseman stepped up.

Astros reliever Dan Wheeler retired two but issued a double, a walk and a bases-loading hit by pitch before departing in favor of Chad Qualls. Konerko was the first batter Qualls faced and the White Sox slugger – coming off a second straight 40-home run season – launched a grand slam into the left field seats.

The home run turned that 4-2 Houston lead into a 6-4 Chicago advantage, and although Houston fought back the White Sox eventually won 7-6 on the previously discussed Scott Podsednik home run. Konerko Win Probability Added: 58 percent.