By Ricky Dimon
In the history of the World Series, 11 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to lift the trophy. The Houston Astros hope that number soon becomes 12.
Houston is facing a positively stunning 2-0 hole after dropping the first two games at home to the Washington Nationals. Washington scraped out a 5-4 victory in the opener before dominating Game 2 by a hard-to-believe 12-3 scoreline on Wednesday night. The Astros dropped both contests despite sending two of the best pitchers in baseball to the mound in Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. But if there is one team that can recover it is Houston, which compiled the majors’ best record at 107-55. The Nationals, on the other hand, just barely battled into the playoffs as one of the National League wild-card recipients.
Can the ‘Stros still get it done? Well, find out as our MLB World Series predictions continue with Game 3 on Friday.
If they do get it done, they would join a list that includes the 1921 New York Giants, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, the 1956 Yankees, the 1958 Yankees, the 1965 Dodgers, the 1971 Pirates, the 1978 Yankees, the 1981 Dodgers, and the three most recent teams to do it: the 1985 Royals, the 1986 Mets, and the 1996 Yankees.
1985 Kansas City Royals
Like Houston, Kansas City lost the first two games at home. The Royals also faced a 3-1 deficit after losing Game 4 in St. Louis, but they took it back to K.C. with a 6-1 victory in Game 5 before taking the final two at home. Kansas City made a laugher out of the decisive Game 7, triumphing 11-0, but not before the most memorable moment occurred in Game 6. Down to their final three outs with a 1-0 deficit in the ninth, the Royals got their first man on base thanks to a terrible call by umpire Don Denkinger to start a rally that led to a 2-1 win.
1986 New York Mets
This, of course, was the Bill Buckner series. The Mets also lost the first two games at home only to level up right away in Boston before dropping Game 5. They returned to New York for Game 6 and trailed 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs and no one on base. Three singles and a Bucker error later, the Mets were still alive. They ended up recovering from a 3-0 sixth-inning deficit to win Game 7 by an 8-5 score.
1996 New York Yankees
Just like the Royals, the Mets, and these Astros, the Yankees fell behind 2-0 despite playing the first two contests at home. Nonetheless, New York reeled off four consecutive wins thereafter at Atlanta’s expense and thus did not even require a Game 7. The real difference was Game 4, in which the Braves led 6-0 in the sixth inning—well on their way to a 3-1 series advantage. But they blew that lead, lost it 8-6 in 10, and never recovered.