Choke
The second greatest choke belongs to the 1986 Red Sox. They won the first two games of the World Series on the road, in New York, then they lost the next two at home. They won Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in games and with Game 6 tied at 2-2 in the seventh inning, scored an unearned run to go ahead. Few remember that Jim Rice was at second with two outs and that Rich Gedman singled to left but that Rice was thrown out attempting to score a run that would have given the Red Sox a two run lead and which would have won the World Series.
The Mets tied the game in the eighth, the Red Sox scored two in the tenth, and the Shea Stadium scoreboard declared that Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett was the Series Most Valuable Player. It was the shortest held MVP award in World Series history.
In the bottom of the tenth, with the Mets trailing by two runs and with two outs and two strikes, Gary Carter singled. With two outs and two strikes, Kevin Mitchell singled Carter to second, putting the tying runs on base. With two outs, two on, and two strikes, Ray Knight singled home Carter, advancing Mitchell to third with the tying run. Bob Stanley threw a wild pitch and the game was tied.
Forget Buckner's error. Three times the Red Sox were within one strike of winning the World Series. Maybe it is a worse choke than San Francisco's. Three strikes and you're out? No, one strike any one of three times and you're World Champions. No team ever got any closer---three times.
In Game 7, The Red Sox took a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning, just as they had in Game 7 in 1975 against the Reds when they lost, 4-3. In this sixth inning, the Mets scored three runs to tie the game and then scored three more runs the next inning to take a lead they never lost.
The 2004 Yankees choked trying to win the pennant, not the World Series. There have been many memorable comebacks or chokes, depending on one's view and rooting preferences.
The greatest comeback after the All-Star break was the 1978 Yankees, who trailed the Red Sox by 14 games. The teams ended tied for the pennant and despite leading the playoff game 2-0 after six innings, the Red Sox lost
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