Heaven Knows: Can the Angels Come Back in the ALCS?

Despite what the media would have you believe, the New York Yankees haven’t won their 40th pennant yet.

In fact, after Thursday night’s amazing comeback victory, the Los Angeles Angels are very much alive and kicking in the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees may still be the favorite—especially as the series shifts back to Gotham—but the Angels aren’t done yet. They do, however, have an uphill battle in front of them.

Since the introduction of the seven-game format for League Championship play in 1985 a total of 30 teams—including the 2009 Yankees and Phillies—have jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the series.

Excluding this Yankees team, 23 of the other 29 clubs parlayed their 3-1 lead into a World Series berth.

As one can see, it’s not impossible that the Angels could still pull off a stunning comeback, but history isn’t exactly in their favor.

Here’s a look at the six teams that have rallied back from the daunting 3-1 deficit…

1985: Kansas City Royals defeat Toronto Blue Jays

As fate would have it, the very first season the best-of-seven format was in use, it would play host to an improbable comeback.

The Blue Jays entered the series as odds-on favorites to advance to the World Series and after putting a stranglehold on the series early, an incredible pitcher’s duel in Game 5 between Danny Jackson and Jimmy Key proved to be the tipping point.

Jackson tossed a shutout and an invigorated Royals squad took the momentum into the next two games to outscore the Jays 11-5 and advance to face and defeat their interstate rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, in the World Series.

1986: Boston Red Sox defeat California Angels

The 1986 playoffs are considered by many to be one of the best of all-time. Prior to the final out of the World Series, the Red Sox very well may have agreed.

The club staged an amazing comeback in a see-saw battle against the then-California Angels. The most memorable—and ultimately tragic—moment of the series came on Donnie Moore’s infamous blown save in Game 5.

Still reeling from the gut-wrenching loss in Game 5, the Angels were clubbed by a combined score of 18-5 over the next two games as the Red Sox advanced on to the Fall Classic with ill-fated intentions of breaking a then 68-year-old curse.

1996: Atlanta Braves defeat St. Louis Cardinals

After two dramatic comebacks in the first two years of the seven-game format, it took a decade before we’d see the feat again.

The Atlanta Braves—unquestionably the best team in the National League during the 1990s—rallied back thanks in large part to a trio of future Hall of Famers in Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz.

Additionally, the offense—which had mustered a mere 12 runs through the first four games of the series—outscored the Cardinals 32-1 over the final three games to become the first National League team to rally from a 3-1 deficit in an LCS.

Also, Bobby Cox became the only manager to be on both the winning and losing end of such a comeback in postseason history, having previously blown the aforementioned 1985 American League Championship Series with the Toronto Blue Jays against the Kansas City Royals.

2003: Florida Marlins defeat Chicago Cubs

In a series that involved plenty of incredible young pitching talent, grizzled veterans and two scrappy teams, the series is (unfortunately) best-remembered for the Steve Bartman incident that unfolded in the top of the eighth inning of Game 6.

Cubs’ fans often point to this as further proof that their club is cursed. The Cubs, however, had numerous opportunities to put the Marlins away, but errant fielding and poor pitching performances allowed the Marlins to oust Chicago en route to a second World Series title.

Often overlooked—as a result of the Bartman incident—is what a great series this was. Two games went into extra innings, the clubs were nearly even across the board offensively, and some of the best young pitching in baseball was on display.

2004: Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees

Making their second of three appearances on the list are the Boston Red Sox.

This ALCS is probably the most memorable of all-time undoubtedly is the “comeback of all comebacks.” The Red Sox fell into a 3-0 hole and were essentially left for dead by everyone but the most optimistic of Sox fans.

The Yankees—just mere outs from the World Series—led Game 4 by one run in the ninth before Dave Roberts swiped second base in what is undoubtedly the most important stolen base in Red Sox history.

Bill Mueller ripped a single off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera to tie the game and a walk-off home run by David Ortiz in extra innings gave the Sox a breath of life.

The next game Ortiz ripped a walk-off single in the 14th inning to continue the comeback. Curt Schilling pitched seven innings in the infamous “bloody sock game” in Game 6 for the Red Sox to knot the series up at three games apiece.

The Red Sox put the final nail in the coffin in Game 7 by plastering the Yankees in front of a very subdued home crowd by a score of 10-3.

The Red Sox swept the Cardinals in the World Series for their first championship since 1918.

2007: Boston Red Sox defeat Cleveland Indians

One thing you can always say about the Red Sox is that they’ve got a flair for the dramatic.

The Red Sox took game one after a typically dominant postseason performance from Josh Beckett. The Indians, however, used and abused the Red Sox starters and bullpen over the next three games pushing the Sox to the brink.

Beckett came back in Game 5 with another dominant performance as he went eight innings and struck out 11 batters.

Boston took Beckett’s mojo and used it to absolutely clobber Cleveland by a combined score of 30-5 over the final three games and advance to the World Series where they dissected the Colorado Rockies to earn a second World Series title in four years.