The only good thing for Braves fans watching Game 3 of the NLCS was this: At least it was over quickly. The Dodgers scored 11 first-inning runs en route to a 15-3 victory, a sinking feeling of deja vu as Atlanta supporters remembered their favorite team giving up 10 runs in the first inning of a 13-1 loss to the Cardinals in Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS.
The difference, of course, is the loss to the Cardinals ended Atlanta’s season. The loss to the Dodgers was just one game in a best-of-seven series, and the Braves still own a 2-1 series advantage.
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I was curious how teams have responded to playoff pummelings in the past, so I turned to Baseball-Reference’s fantastic Stathead feature. Turns out, there have been an even 20 postseason games — including Wednesday’s contest — in MLB history decided by a dozen runs or more. Let’s take a deeper look.
We’ll start here: Those previous 19 games took place in 17 different series; in the 1996 NLCS, the Braves beat the Cardinals by at least 12 runs twice — 14-0 in Game 5 and 15-0 in Game 7 to clinch the series — and in the 1960 World Series, the Yankees beat the Pirates by at least 12 runs twice — 16-3 in Game 2 and 12-0 in Game 6.
You’ll remember, of course, the Pirates won the 1960 World Series, when Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off homer in Game 7.
So, of the previous 17 series that included at least one game decided by 12 runs or more, only two of those series saw a team trailing by two games in the series explode for the dozen-plus-run win. The first time was that 1996 NLCS; the Cardinals led the Braves 3 games to 1 before being outscored 32-1 in the final three games. Good for the 1996 Braves, but not the pattern the 2020 Braves would like to follow.
The other one — and this is the only one that follows the exact pattern of the 2020 NLCS — offers more comfort for Braves fans. In the 1999 ALCS, the Yankees won the first two games, and then the Red Sox won Game 3 by 12 runs (13-1). The Yankees bounced back from that trouncing by winning Games 4 and 5 to claim the AL’s spot in the World Series.
Feels weird to say Braves fans should hope their team channels the 1999 Yankees, though (*ducks*).
OK, now for the other 15 overall series results from the dozen-win club …
- Three of the dozen-plus games happened in the series opener. The teams that won those blowouts went on to win the series twice.
- Four of the series were tied in non-elimination games when the dozen-plus game happened. The winning teams went on to take the series twice, with the other two losing.
- One of the series was in a winner-take-all elimination game when the dozen-plus game happened.
- In six of the series, the team that won the dozen-plus game trailed by one game heading into the dozen-plus game. Those dozen-plus victors went on to win five of the six series.
- In one of the series, the team that won the dozen-plus game had a one-game series lead, and that team went on to win the series.
Got it?
Here’s a capsule for each of the previous 17 series that involved a game decided by a dozen runs or more. All series, listed chronologically, are best-of-seven unless noted.
1936 World Series, Game 2
Setup: NY Giants led series, 1-0
Game result: Yankees beat Giants, 18-4
Series result: Yankees won Games 3, 4 and 5 to clinch title
1951 World Series, Game 5
Setup: Series was tied, 2-2
Game result: Yankees beat NY Giants, 13-1
Series result: Yankees won Game 6 to clinch title
1960 World Series, Game 2 (and 6)
Setup: Pirates led 1-0 heading into Game 2
Game result: Yankees beat Pirates, 16-3, in Game 2 and 12-0 in Game 6
Series result: Pirates won Game 7 to clinch title
1968 World Series, Game 6
Setup: Cardinals led, 3-2
Game result: Tigers beat Cardinals, 13-1
Series result: Tigers won Game 7 to clinch title
1982 World Series, Game 6
Setup: Brewers led, 3-2
Game result: Cardinals beat Brewers, 13-1
Series result: Cardinals won Game 7 to clinch title
1984 NLCS, Game 1
Setup: Series opener (best-of-five)
Game result: Cubs beat Padres, 13-0
Series result: Cubs won Game 2, but Padres won Games 3, 4 and 5 to claim series
1996 NLCS, Game 5 (and 7)
Setup: Cardinals led 3-1 heading into Game 5
Game result: Braves beat Cardinals, 14-0 in Game 5 and 15-0 in Game 7
Series result: The Game 7 win, obviously, clinched the series for the Braves
1999 ALDS, Game 4
Setup: Indians led 2-1 (best-of-five)
Game result: Red Sox beat Indians, 23-7
Series result: Red Sox won Game 5 to claim series
1999 ALCS, Game 3
Setup: Yankees led, 2-0
Game result: Red Sox beat Yankees, 13-1
Series result: Yankees won Games 4 and 5 to claim series
2001 ALDS, Game 3
Setup: Series was tied, 1-1 (best-of-five)
Game result: Indians beat Mariners, 17-2
Series result: Mariners won Games 4 and 5 to claim series
2001 World Series, Game 6
Setup: Yankees led, 3-2
Game result: Diamondbacks beat Yankees, 15-2
Series result: Diamondbacks won Game 7 to clinch title
2002 World Series, Game 5
Setup: Series was tied, 2-2
Game result: Giants beat Angels, 16-4
Series result: Angels won Games 6 and 7 to clinch title
2005 ALDS, Game 1
Setup: Series opener (best-of-five)
Game result: White Sox beat Red Sox, 14-2
Series result: White Sox swept Red Sox to claim series
2007 World Series, Game 1
Setup: Series opener
Game result: Red Sox beat Rockies, 13-1
Series result: Red Sox swept Rockies to clinch title
2015 ALCS, Game 4
Setup: Royals led, 2-1
Game result: Royals beat Blue Jays, 14-2
Series result: Blue Jays won Game 5, but Royals won Game 6 to claim series
2018 ALDS, Game 3
Setup: Series was tied, 1-1 (best-of-five)
Game result: Red Sox beat Yankees, 16-1
Series result: Red Sox won Game 4 to claim series
2019 NLDS, Game 5
Setup: Series was tied, 2-2 (best-of-five)
Game result: Cardinals beat Braves, 13-1
Series result: Winner-take-all game, Cardinals claim series
So what does this all mean? What type of impact might this have on the Braves-Dodgers series? Absolutely no impact, of course. But it’s still fun to look back.
