World Series Game 5: The most decisive moments in MLB history

t-1. Tom Tresh, 1964 New York Yankees. Tresh was heroic in a losing effort for the Yankees against St. Louis in the fifth game of the 1964 Classic at Yankee Stadium.

New York trailed 2-0 having been shut out by Bob Gibson as the game moved into the bottom of the ninth inning. Gibson had shut out the Yanks on just four hits. But when normally sure-handed Cardinal shortstop Dick Groat fumbled Mickey Mantle’s grounder to open the ninth, a window opened.

Gibson responded by fanning Elston Howard and retired Joe Pepitone on a grounder – for what would have been the game-ending out – as Mantle advanced to second. Tresh was next and he exacted a major penalty for Groat’s misplay, driving a Gibson pitch into the right-center field seats for a game-tying home run.

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The Cardinals rode Tim McCarver’s three-run 10th inning home run to a 5-2 victory and won the Series in seven games. Tresh Win Probability Added: 49 percent.

t-1. Scott Brosius, 2001 New York Yankees. Brosius is the only player to have produced the most decisive play in the history of two different World Series games. His 1998 hit was recounted in the installment covering Game Three. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game Five of the 2001 World Series, Brosius did it again.

The Series was tied at two games each but Arizona led 2-0 late in the fifth game behind starter Miguel Batista.  To begin the ninth, Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly turned to his closer, Byung-Hyun Kim for the final three outs.

Kim had been touched for two home runs one day earlier, surrendering a 3-1 Arizona lead. With two out and Jorge Posada at second base, history stunningly repeated itself.

Brosius got a fat 1-0 pitch and pulled it into the seats down Yankee Stadium’s left field line. His two-run home run tied the game, and the Yankees went on to win in 11 innings. Arizona, however, came back to win Games 6 and 7 in Phoenix and win the Series. Brosius Win Probability Added: 49 percent.