The 25 Greatest World Series Pitcher's Duels of All Time

This season's World Series was dominated by the Giants, and while both teams got some strong pitching performances, none of the four games quite qualified as a pitcher's duel.

Over the years, however, there have been some truly memorable pitching showdowns in the World Series. There were games where one run made the difference, and both pitchers truly deserved to win.

So here is a look at the 25 greatest pitcher's duels in World Series history.

1905 Game 4: New York Giants 1, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Giants Pitching Lines

Joe McGinnity (9 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Athletics Pitching Lines

Eddie Plank (8 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 Ks, 1 R, 0 ER, L)

Overview

In a matchup of future Hall of Famers, McGinnity came out on top after taking the loss in Game 2 of the series, while Plank fell to 0-2 after losing to Christy Mathewson in Game 1 of the series.

The lone run of the game was unearned, as Sam Mertes led off the fourth inning by reaching on an error by A's shortstop Monte Cross and eventually coming around to score on a Billy Gilbert single.

1906 Game 4: Chicago Cubs 1, Chicago White Sox 0

Cubs Pitching Lines

Mordecai Brown (9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 0 ER, W)

White Sox Pitching Lines

Nick Altrock (9 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

After the same pitching matchup resulted in a 2-1 White Sox win in Game 1, Brown and the Cubs came out on top to even the series at 2-2 in Game 4.

Frank Chance led off the top of the seventh with a single, and after back-to-back sacrifice bunts, Johnny Evers came through with a two out RBI single to give the Cubs their only run of the game and the victory.

1914 Game 2: Boston Braves 1, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Braves Pitching Lines

Bill James (9 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 8 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Athletics Pitching Lines

Eddie Plank (9 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 6 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

Plank appears on the list again here and is again outdueled, although this time not by a future Hall of Famer but a relative unknown.

James went 26-7 with a 1.90 ERA during the 1914 season but just 11-24 the rest of what was just a four-year career.

The pair matched zeroes through eight innings before Charlie Deal doubled with one out in the top of the ninth and was driven home by leadoff hitter Les Mann for the game's only run. 

1916 Game 2: Boston Red Sox 2, Brooklyn Robins 1 (14 Innings)

Red Sox Pitching Lines

Babe Ruth (14 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 1 ER, W)

Robins Pitching Lines

Sherry Smith (13.1 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 2 Ks, 2 ER, L)

Overview

The Robins struck first in this one, with Ruth allowing an inside-the-park home run to Hi Myers in the top of the first inning. The Red Sox tied things up in the bottom of the third, though, when none other than Ruth drove in Everett Scott with an RBI groundout.

That was followed by 10 straight scoreless innings, before the Red Sox finally scratched on across in the bottom of the 14th when pinch-hitter Del Gainer drove in pinch runner Mike McNally with an RBI single.

1918 Game 1: Boston Red Sox 1, Chicago Cubs 0

Red Sox Pitching Lines

Babe Ruth (9 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Cubs Pitching Lines

Hippo Vaughn (9 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

Just two years after his epic 14-inning win, Ruth again turned in a gem in the World Series with a complete game shutout of the Cubs in Game 1.

He faced off against Vaughn, who won the Pitching Triple Crown during the regular season with a 22-10, 1.74 ERA, 148 Ks season.

An RBI single by Stuffy McInnis in the top of the fourth proved to be the game-winner, as Vaughn did not allow a hit the rest of the way after that, but Ruth outdid him.

1920 Game 6: Cleveland Indians 1, Brooklyn Robins 0

Indians Pitching Lines

Duster Mails (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Robins Pitching Lines

Sherry Smith (8 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 ER, L)

Overview

While Smith appears on this list for the second time, having been a part of the 14-inning game with Babe Ruth, Mails is relatively unknown.

The left-hander pitched just seven seasons, going 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA in just eight starts in 1920, by far, his most successful season in the league.

Smith allowed his lone run in the bottom of the sixth, as Tris Speaker hit a two-out single and George Burns drove him in with an RBI double. 

1921 Game 8: New York Giants 1, New York Yankees 0

Giants Pitching Lines

Art Nehf (9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 3 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Waite Hoyt (9 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 7 Ks, 1 R, 0 ER, L)

Overview

After matching up with Hoyt in Game 2 and Game 5 and taking the loss, Nehf got the last laugh in the 1921 series when he threw a shutout to clinch the series, which was then a best-of-nine.

For what it's worth, Hoyt threw three complete games in the series and did not allow an earned run, as he tossed shutouts in the first two games and was done in by an unearned run in Game 8.

The lone run scored on an error by shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh in the top of the first inning, as Dave Bancroft came around to score after reaching on a walk.

1923 Game 3: New York Giants 1, New York Yankees 0

Giants Pitching Lines

Art Nehf (9 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Sad Sam Jones (8 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Bullet Joe Bush (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

Two years after tossing a shutout against the same Yankees team in the clinching game of the series, Nehf did it again to give the Giants a 2-1 series lead. This time, the Yankees would get the last laugh though, as they won the series in six games.

Jones gave up a solo home run to Casey Stengel in the seventh inning for the game-winning blow, as the Yankees got a strong performance from the 21-game winner, though it wasn't enough in the end.

1948 Game 1: Boston Braves 1, Cleveland Indians 0

Braves Pitching Lines

Johnny Sain (9 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Indians Pitching Lines

Bob Feller (8 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

There was a long stretch where the World Series was without a true pitcher's duel, but Game 1 of the 1948 series proved to be well worth the wait.

Entering the bottom of the eighth, Feller had allowed just one hit and one walk in the game, but he walked the first batter of the inning and then intentionally walked the third hitter after a sacrifice bunt.

After getting Sain to line out for the second out of the inning, Feller allowed an RBI single to Tommy Holmes that proved to be the difference, as the Braves took the game but eventually lost the series 4-2.

1949 Game 1: New York Yankees 1, Brooklyn Dodgers 0

Yankees Pitching Lines

Allie Reynolds (9 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 9 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Dodgers Pitching Lines 

Don Newcombe (8 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 11 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

One in a long line of classic Yankees and Dodgers battles, Reynolds came out on top in a battle with the NL Rookie of the Year Newcombe.

Both pitchers were essentially untouchable, with the lone mistake coming on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth as No. 2 hitter Tommy Henrich launched a walk-off home run to dead center for the 1-0 victory.

1949 Game 2: Brooklyn Dodgers 1, New York Yankees

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Preacher Roe (9 IP, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Vic Raschi (8 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Joe Page (1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

The day after the Henrich heroics gave the Yankees a 1-0 victory in Game 1, the Dodgers turned around and won a 1-0 game of their own to even the series.

Raschi settled in after allowing an RBI single to Gil Hodges that scored Jackie Robinson in the top of the second inning, but the Yankees couldn't get anything going against Roe and wound up getting shut out.

1950 Game 1: New York Yankees 1, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Yankees Pitching Lines

Vic Raschi (9 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Phillies Pitching Lines

Jim Konstanty (8 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 0 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Russ Meyer (1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

For the third straight season, Game 1 of the World Series was a classic pitcher's duel with the winning team coming away with a 1-0 victory each time.

After dropping a duel with Preacher Roe in Game 2 the previous season, Raschi came out on top in this one, as he allowed a pair of singles in the fifth inning and a walk in the sixth, but nothing else.

Konstanty took the loss, allowing a lead-off double to Bobby Brown in the fourth inning and then a sacrifice fly to Jerry Coleman later in the inning for the lone run of the game. 

1956 Game 6: Brooklyn Dodgers 1, New York Yankees 0

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Clem Labine (10 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Bob Turley (9,2 IP, 4 H, 8 BB, 11 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

As impressive as the 10-inning shutout Labine threw in this game was, it was almost more impressive that Turley was able to allow just one run, despite having 19 runners reach base.

The Dodgers finally broke through against him in the bottom of the 10th, as Jim Gilliam reached on a walk and eventually scored on an RBI single from Jackie Robinson. The win forced a Game 7, which the Yankees took decisively 9-0 for the title.

1957 Game 5: Milwaukee Braves 1, New York Yankees 0

Braves Pitching Lines

Lew Burdette (9 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 5 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Whitey Ford (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Bob Turley (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

A winner in Game 2, Burdette took the ball again for the Braves in Game 5 and outdueled the great Whitey Ford.

Ford allowed consecutive singles to Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron and Joe Adcock in the sixth inning, with Adcock driving home Mathews to tally the only run the Braves would need.

Burdette would get the ball again for Game 7, and again throw a shutout, as he finished the series with three complete-game victories and just two earned runs allowed.

1959 Game 5: Chicago White Sox 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

White Sox Pitching Lines

Bob Shaw (7.1 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 ER, W)
Billy Pierce (0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 ER)
Dick Donovan (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 ER, SV)

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Sandy Koufax (7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Stan Williams (2 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 ER)

Overview

In one of the more unlikely duels on this list, Bob Shaw who went 108-98 with a 105 ERA+ during an ho-hum 11-year career was able to get the best of Sandy Koufax with the White Sox facing elimination.

The game was, in fact, without an RBI, as Nellie Fox led off the fourth inning for the White Sox with a single, Jim Landis moved him to third base with a single of his own and Fox scored when Sherm Lollar grounded into a double play.

The Dodgers would finish things off in the next game to take the series 4-2.

1962 Game 7: New York Yankees 1, San Francisco Giants 0

Yankees Pitching Lines

Ralph Terry (9 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Giants Pitching Lines

Jack Sanford (7 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 3 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Billy O'Dell (2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 ER)

Overview

Up 3-2 in the series, the Yankees threw ace Whitey Ford in Game 6, looking to close out the series, but he made it just 4.2 innings before being chased, and the Giants forced a Game 7 with a 5-3 victory.

Game 5 winner Ralph Terry took the ball for his third start of the series for the Yankees, and he dominated the Giants in scattering four hits and walking none.

The lone Yankees run came when Moose Skowron scored on a Tony Kubek double-play groundout in the fifth inning, as there were no RBI in the game.

1963 Game 3: Los Angeles Dodgers 1, New York Yankees 0

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Don Drysdale (9 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Lines

Jim Bouton (7 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 4 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Hal Reniff (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 ER)

Overview

A Cy Young winner the previous season and one of the best pitchers of the decade, Drysdale made the most of his one start in the 1963 series with a three-hit shutout of the rival Yankees.

Bouton, a 21-game winner during the regular season, allowed an RBI single to Tommy Davis that was set up by a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning for the Dodgers only run of the game. 

1966 Game 3: Baltimore Orioles 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

Orioles Pitching Lines

Wally Bunker (9 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Claude Osteen (7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Phil Regan (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 ER)

Overview

The second of what were three consecutive shutouts for the Orioles to close out a sweep of the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, Bunker went just 10-6 with a 4.29 ERA during the regular season but came up big in the playoffs.

Osteen allowed a solo home run to Paul Blair in the fifth inning for what was essentially his only mistake of the contest, but it was enough to propel Baltimore to victory.

1966 Game 4: Baltimore Orioles 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

Orioles Pitching Lines

Dave McNally (9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Dodgers Pitching Lines

Don Drysdale (8 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 1 ER, L)

Overview

In what was nearly a carbon copy of the previous game, the Orioles again won 1-0 to close out a sweep of the Dodgers in what was, perhaps, the most one-sided World Series of all time.

Again, it was a solo home run, this time by Frank Robinson in the fourth inning, that proved to be the difference, and Robinson took home MVP honors for his decisive blast.

1972 Game 3: Cincinnati Reds 1, Oakland Athletics 0

Reds Pitching Lines

Jack Billingham (8 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 Ks, 0 ER, W)
Clay Carroll (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER, SV) 

Athletics Pitching Lines

Blue Moon Odom (7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 11 Ks, 1 ER, L)
Vida Blue (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)
Rollie Fingers (1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

A largely unheralded member of the Big Red Machine, Billingham won 87 games with a 3.85 ERA during his six seasons with the Reds.

While it was Billingham who got the win, Odom was dominant himself through seven innings with an impressive 11 strikeouts. However, the Reds managed to manufacture a run in the seventh inning as Tony Perez led off with a single, Dennis Menke bunted him over and Cesar Geronimo singled him in for the eventual game-winner.

1981 Game 5: Los Angeles Dodgers 2, New York Yankees 1

Dodgers Pitching Line

Jerry Reuss (9 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 Ks, 1 ER, W)

Yankees Pitching Line

Ron Guidry (7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 Ks, 2 ER, L)
Rich Gossage (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead against the Dodgers in this game, when Reggie Jackson doubled and was driven in on a single by Lou Piniella in the top of the second inning.

However, Guidry couldn't hold that lead, as he allowed back-to-back solo home runs to Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager in the bottom of the seventh inning.

1986 Game 1: Boston Red Sox 1, New York Mets 0

Red Sox Pitching Line

Bruce Hurst (8 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 8 Ks, 0 ER, W)
Calvin Schiraldi (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 ER, SV) 

Mets Pitching Line

Ron Darling (7 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 8 Ks, 1 R, 0 ER, L)
Roger McDowell (2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER) 

Overview

From 1983-1988, Hurst won 81 games, and he earned the Game 1 start ahead of Cy Young and MVP winner Roger Clemens.

Hurst went on to pitch a gem, outdueling 15-game winner Ron Darling who allowed just one unearned run when second baseman Tim Teufel committed an error and allowed Jim Rice to score in the seventh inning.

1990 Game 4: Cincinnati Reds 2, Oakland Athletics 1

Reds Pitching Lines

Jose Rijo (8.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 9 Ks, 1 ER, W)
Randy Myers (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER, SV)

Athletics Pitching Lines

Dave Stewart (9 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks, 2 R, 1 ER, L)

Overview

The Reds closed out a dominant sweep of the Athletics with a pitcher's duel between two of the best in the business at the time in Rijo and Stewart.

An RBI single from Carney Lansford in the bottom of the first gave the A's an early lead, but the Reds struck for a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead for good and clinch the series.

1991 Game 7: Minnesota Twins 1, Atlanta Braves 0

Twins Pitching Lines

Jack Morris (10 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 8 Ks, 0 ER, W)

Braves Pitching Lines

John Smoltz (7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER)
Mike Stanton (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)
Alejandro Pena (1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 ER, L)

Overview

In a game that harkened back to the old-school days, Morris took the ball in Game 7 and pitched the game of his life in completing the 10-inning shutout.

Morris spent just one season with the Twins, winning 18 games and delivering the title the team hoped he could when they put him atop the staff.

The Braves finally won it when pinch-hitter Gene Larkin drove in Dan Gladden with a walk-off RBI single.

1996 Game 5: New York Yankees 1, Atlanta Braves 0

Yankees Pitching Lines

Andy Pettitte (8.1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 0 ER, W)
John Wetteland (0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER, SV)

Braves Pitching Lines

John Smoltz (8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 10 Ks, 1 R, 0 ER, L)
Mark Wohlers (1 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 Ks, 0 ER)

Overview

A 21-game winner in his first full season in the Yankees rotation, Pettitte came up big in his first postseason and threw the best game of his postseason career in Game 5.

The Yankees scored their lone run off Smoltz when Charlie Hayes reached on an error, and Cecil Fielder doubled him in. 

There have been some terrific pitching performances since 1996 but nothing that stacks up to the rest of these as a great pitcher's duel.

So when will we have are next great duel?