MLB Playoffs: The Worst Pennant Race Collapses in MLB History

Yogi Berra famously stated, "It' ain't over till it's over." A number of MLB teams have learned that lesson the hard way as they have suffered through a miserable September collapse.

The last day of the 2011 MLB season saw not one, but two teams in the final stages of their epic downfalls. What had looked so promising just a few weeks earlier had slipped away.

5) 1995 California Angles

The California Angels saw their season begin to collapse in mid-August and things just continued to get worse in September. On August 20th, the Angels had a nine-and-a-half-game lead in the division and a 12-game lead in the Wild Card.

By the time September 1st rolled around, the Angels saw their division lead drop to six and a half games and their Wild Card lead fall to less than 10 games. The Angels proceeded to go 11-16 in September and lost the division in a one game playoff against the Seattle Mariners.

4) 2011 Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves opened the month of September with an eight-and-a-half-game led in the National League Wild Card race. It appeared as if they would ride their success into the playoffs.

The Braves began to struggle, but still held a six-and-a-half-game lead over the Cardinals on September 9th. Then, things took a turn for the worse. The Braves went 5-11 over the next 16 games, but still had a chance to force a one-game playoff.

Atlanta took a one-run lead into the top of the ninth and had their star closer, Craig Kimbrel, on the mound. He gave up the tying run and the game went to extra innings. The Phillies would take the lead in the 13th and end the Braves playoff hopes.

3) 2011 Boston Red Sox

Entering September of 2011, there was a debate going on as to if the Boston Red Sox were the best team in all of baseball. By the time that the month was winding to a close, that discussions seemed frivolous.

The Red Sox entered the month leading the New York Yankees in the AL East. They also maintained a nine-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, who were trailing the Yankees in the Wild Card race. 

By September 12th, things began to look shaky. The Red Sox had fallen out of first place and had a four and a half game lead over the Rays for the Wild Card spot. Boston had slipped into a tie with the Rays for the Wild Card spot on the last day of the season.

As the Red Sox and Rays played their respective games, it looked like Boston would be getting the postseason berth. Boston had a lead over the Baltimore Orioles and were in the middle of a rain delay. At the same time, the New York Yankees were putting a 7-0 beating on the Rays in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rays scored six times in the bottom of the eighth to make it a one-run game. They were down to their last strike when Dan Johnson, who entered the game hitting .108 on the season, launched a ball over the outfield wall. The game was sent to extra innings.

While the Rays game continued, the Red Sox got the Baltimore Orioles down to their final strike. Then, Nolan Reimold drive in a run to tie the game. A few pitches later, the Red Sox had lost on an RBI single from Robert Andino.

Tampa Bay still needed to win to knock the Red Sox out of the playoffs. In the 12th inning, just minutes after the Red Sox game ended, Evan Longoria hit his second home run of the game to send the Rays into October.

2) 2007 New York Mets

On September 12th, 2007 it seemed fairly certain that the New York Mets would be going to the playoffs. With just 17 games left to play, the Mets had a seven-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets then proceeded to fall apart. They went 5-11 over the next 16 games, but still had a chance to force a one-game playoff if they could win on the final day of the season. Tom Glavine didn't not bring his A game to the ballpark and the game was over before it started. This collapse ushered in a dark era in Mets' history.

1) 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers

The 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers collapse ended in one of the most famous moments in MLB history. In mid-August, it seemed as if the mighty dodgers would have an easy path to the playoffs. They had a 13-game lead with 51 games left. The odd of them making the playoffs were over 99.8 percent.

The rest of that month, the Dodgers struggled and yet they still held a six-game lead over the New York Giants entering September. The lead fell apart and the Dodgers and Giants found themselves tied at the end of the season. There would be a three-game playoff series to decide who would move on to the World Series.

The Giants won Game 1 and the Dodgers proceeded to return the favor with a 10-0 beating in Game 2. It would all come down to one last game.

Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers had a 4-1 lead. The Giants got two singles to lead off the inning and then Monte Irving popped out. Next, Whitey Lockman hit an RBI double which brought the score to 4-2. Bobby Thompson then stepped up to the plate. The Dodgers brought in Ralph Branca, who pitched in Game 1, to face him.

On an 0-1 pitch, Thompson took a swing. He made contact and the ball sailed over the left field wall. The Giants had won the pennant on "The Shot Heard 'Round the World."