Greatest MLB Postseason Moments in Recent Memory

Almost every year during the MLB postseason, there is at least one player or one moment that stands out. Players come up with walk-off hits, great catches and outstanding pitching performances.

These moments come at all points of the postseason. Some help keep a team alive, while other big moments have led to World Series titles.

This list looks at the past 15 MLB postseasons and identifies their greatest moment. For fans of these teams, these moments will always be a part of their memory.

1997: Edgar Renteria Wins the World Series for the Flordia Marlins

In just their fifth season as a professional baseball franchise, the Florida Marlins were able to reach the postseason. The Marlins were the Wild Card team and they faced off against the San Francisco Giants in the first round. Florida swept them.

Next they faced the National League powerhouse Atlanta Braves. It was a hard fought series and the Marlins won it by four games to two. The Marlins then faced off against the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.

The two teams went back and forth winning games and the series was all tied up at three games apiece. During Game 7, the Marlins fell behind early, but scored in the seventh and the ninth to tie up the game. The World Series was going to be decided in extra innings.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Florida had the bases loaded and two outs. Twenty year old Edgar Renteria came up to the plate with a chance to win the game. He hit a single off of pitcher Charles Nagy's glove and won the World Series for the Marlins.

1998: Chipper Jones' NLDS Walkoff

After dominating the National League and winning 106 games during the 1998 season, the Atlanta Braves entered the postseason as the favorite to reach the World Series. They faced off against the Wild Card winners, the Chicago Cubs.

Game 2 of the NLDS was a pitchers' duel between Kevin Tapani and Tom Glavine. The Cubs took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. A Javy Lopez home run in that half of the inning tied things up.

Atlanta did not waste any time picking up the win once the game reached extra innings. Following a Walt Weiss bunt and an error by Terry Mulholland, Chipper Jones came up to the plate with two men on. He hit a line drive single to give the Braves the victory.

1999: Pedro Martinez Is Lights Out

The New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry is always special, but it takes on a bit of extra meaning during the postseason. These two teams squared off with a shot at the World Series on the line in 1999.

Pedro Martinez was coming off an incredible season in which he won the American Cy Young award after he went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA. Martinez took the ball for his start during Game 3 of the ALCS.

It was the only start that Martinez made in the series and he was fantastic. Over seven innings, Martinez allowed just four base runners (two walks and two hits), while striking out 12. That outing helped demonstrate why Martinez was the best pitcher in baseball in the late 1990s.

2000: Roger Clemens Performance in Game 4 of the ALCS

The 2000 ALCS saw the New York Yankees matched up against the Seattle Mariners. Entering Game 4 of the series, the Yankees had a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 had the potential to be an important swing game in the series. Whoever won it would have the momentum the rest of the way.

37-year-old Roger Clemens started on the mound for the Yankees and put in one of the best performances of his career. Clemens was practically unhittable. He threw nine innings, striking out 15 and coming just a Al Martin double short of a postseason no-hitter.

2001: Luis Gonzalez Gives the Diamondbacks Their First World Series Title

Few World Series have been more eventful than the one between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees in 2001. Arizona won the first two games and the Yankees picked up a one run win in the third game.

The Yankees were down in Game 4, they scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth when Tino Martinez hit a home run off of Byung-Hyung Kim. Arizona sent Kim back out there for the 10th inning. Derek Jeter hit a huge home run to earn the nickname "Mr. November" and tie the series up at two.

It was deja vu the next night as the Yankees were once again down two in the bottom of the ninth. This time, Scott Brosius was the hero that hit the two run home run off of Kim. New York would win the game in the 12th on a Alfonso Soriano hit.

Arizona came back with a vengeance in Game 6 and laid a 15-2 drubbing on the Yankees to force a Game 7.

New York took a one run lead into the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 and sent superstar closer Mariano Rivera to the mound. It looked like they were about to take home yet another World Series title.

The Diamondbacks were able to put two men on and Tony Womack came to the plate with one out. He laced a double down the line that tied the game.

After hitting Craig Counsell to load the bases, Luis Gonzlaez came up to the plate. Gonzalez was in he middle of a career year, having hit 57 home runs during the regular season.

Gonzalez was able to get a a piece of a Rivera pitch and it went just far enough to land behind the Yankees drawn in infield and win the World Series for the Diamondbacks.

2002: Kenny Lofton Sends the San Francisco Giants to the NLCS

The San Francisco Giants acquired Kenny Lofton prior to the 2002 trade deadline with the hope that he would make an impact. Turns out that it was a great move by the Giants.

After splitting the first four games of the series with the National League Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals, the two teams were involved in a tight Game 5.

St. Louis struck first when they scored on a Fernando Vina sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. San Francisco answered in the eighth with a sac fly of their own from Barry Bonds.

Tim Worrell kept the Cardinals at bay in the top of the ninth and gave the Giants a chance to win the game before it went to extra innings.

Cardinals starter Matt Morris got the first two outs of the inning, but then allowed back-to-back singles to David Bell and Shawon Dunston. The Cardinals then turned to Steve Kline to try to get the last out of the inning.

He was unable to do it as Lofton hit a game-winning single that sent the Giants to the World Series.

2003: Aaron "Bleeping" Boone

It seems that every time the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox meet up in the postseason, something entertaining happens. There are always a lot of tense moments and one player rises to the top. In 2003, that player was Aaron Boone.

The two teams were evenly matched when the played each other in the 2003 ALCS and the series went to seven games.

Boston jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the time the fourth inning was over and it looked like they would be going to the World Series. The Yankees scored once in the fifth and once in the seventh, but when the Red Sox answered with a run of their own in the eighth, their lead seemed comfortable.

Red Sox manager Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in during the eighth inning even though he seemed tired and the move cost them. The Yankees tied up the game at five.

Fast-forward to the bottom of the 11th inning and Tim Wakefield is on the mound for the Red Sox. Boone took the first pitch he saw and knocked it over the fence to send the Yankees to the World Series and to keep the "Curse of the Bambino" alive for another year.

2004: Curt Schilling's Bloody Sock

The 2004 American League Championship Series was a rematch of the series from the year before. This time around, the New York Yankees looked to end things much earlier.

New York jumped out to a three game lead in the series and had the Boston Red Sox on the brink of elimination. The Yankees were up by one in Game 4 and had the Red Sox down to their final three outs.

Mariano Rivera walked Kevin Millar to begin the inning. The Red Sox sent in Dave Roberts to pinch run and he proceeded to steal second base. Bill Mueller then hit a single that brought home Roberts and tied the game. Boston would complete their comeback when David Ortiz hit a two run walk off home run in the 11th inning.

The Red Sox won Game 5 in extra innings and sent Curt Schilling out to the mound for Game 6. Schilling had a torn tendon sheath and was pitching with sutures in his ankle. That did not prevent him from an outstanding performance.

Schilling pitched seven innings and gave up just one run on four hits. His outing was good enough to help the Red Sox force a Game 7.

After their three straight victories, all of the momentum was with the Red Sox. They came out hot and beat the Yankees 10-3 to go to the World Series. Boston became the first MLB team to come back from a three game deficit in a seven game series.

2005: Chris Burke Finally Ends the NLDS

After the first two games of the 2005 NLDS, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves looked fairly even as the series was tied up at one game apiece. Houston then took care of business in Game 3, winning by a score of 7-3.

The Atlanta Braves got out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to a third inning grand slam from Adam LaRoche. Following the top half of the eighth inning, the Braves had a 6-1 lead and were poised to take the series to a fifth game. Houston scored four in the bottom half of the inning, but the Braves still clung to the lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Brad Ausmus hit a solo home run off of Kyle Farnsworth to tie the game. That would be the last scoring for a while.

The game continued to carry on and the Astros had to call upon one of their starters, 43-year old Roger Clemens for three innings. In the bottom half of the 18th inning, Chris Burke came up to face Braves reliever Joey Devine.

It was only Burke's second at-bat since he had only entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch runner. Burke hit a 2-0 pitch out of the park to clinch the series for the Astros.

2006: Endy Chavez Brings One Back

Although Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS is one that New York Mets fans want to forget, there is one positive moment from it that they will always remember.

With the final game at the series tied at one in the sixth inning and a spot in the World Series on the line, Scott Rolen came to the plate to face Oliver Perez. Rolen made solid contact with a pitch and drove it to the left field wall.

Endy Chavez ran back to the wall, went up and extended himself above it to make a stunning catch and rob Rolen of a home run. Chavez then had the wherewithal to throw the ball into the infield so that the Mets could turn a double play.

Unfortunately for the Mets, they could not rally around Chavez's outstanding catch and they would go on to lose the game.

2007: Josh Beckett's ALDS Game 1 Start

Getting off to a good start is absolutely huge for a playoff team. The Boston Red Sox started things off on the right foot during the 2007 postseason thanks to Josh Beckett.

Boston sent Beckett to the mound in Game 1 of the ALDS to face the Los Angeles Angels. The opposing hitters had a very difficult time figuring Beckett out. He pitched all nine innings and gave up just four hits while striking out eight.

Beckett's success would continue throughout the postseason. He would go on to become the ALCS MVP and Beckett allowed one run in seven innings during his only start in the World Series.

2008: Evan Longoria's ALDS Game 1 Performance

For the first time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Rays reached the postseason in 2008. This was certainly a big accomplishment for a team that had finished in last place of their division in nine out of the previous ten years.

Evan Longoria and the Rays did not waste anytime getting started once they got to the playoffs. Longoria hit a home run in his first postseason at-bat during the second inning of Game 1 of the ALDS.

The next chance Longoria got to come to the plate was in the third inning. He followed his first at-bat with another home run in his second postseason at-bat. Tampa would go on to win the game and they would eventually make it to the World Series. 

2009: Hideki Matsui Is an RBI Machine

After defeating the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels earlier in the postseason, the New York Yankees found themselves playing for yet another World Series title. In 2009, the Philadelphia Phillies would be the last team standing in their way.

The Yankees took three out of the first four games and looked fairly dominant in doing so. Philadelphia was able to turn things around during Game 5 and they came up with a win.

With a chance to bring the title to the Bronx in Game 6, Hideki Matsui kicked things up to another level. He went 3-4 with a home run and a double and he tied the World Series record by driving in six runners in one game.

In the previous games, Matsui had hit two more home runs. His outstanding performance earned him the 2009 World Series MVP award.

2010: Roy Halladay's No-Hitter

Roy Halladay did not make his postseason debut until 2010 and he made sure that his debut was one that everyone would remember.

The Philadelphia Phillies turned to Halladay for Game 1 of the NLDS and they got one of the best pitching performances in postseason history from him.

Halladay was unhittable. He threw a complete game and only a walk to Drew Stubbs stood between him and a perfect game. Eight Cincinnati Reds struck out against Halladay that game and the rest of them struggled to make solid contact.

2011: David Freese Delivers

During the 2011 World Series, the Texas Rangers were looking to win their first title in franchise history. They had won three of the first five games in the series and had the St. Louis Cardinals down to their final out in Game 6.

With two on and two outs and the St. Louis Cardinals trailing by two, David Freese stepped to the plate. Rangers' closer Neftali Feliz got Freese into a 1-2 count. Freese proceeded to hit a triple down the line to tie the game up.

After both teams scored two in the 10th and a scoreless top half of the 11th, Freese was the first batter to come to the plate for the Cardinals. On the mound for the Cardinals was Mark Lowe. Freese drove a 3-2 pitch out to dead center and over the fence to force a Game 7.

Freese's home run was one of the biggest home runs in World Series history.