World Series 2011: 10 Most-Wasted Big-Game Starts in World Series History

Seven innings, three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts and no runs. If that sounds like a winning baseball line to you, normally you'd be right. Not last night though. Not for tough-luck St. Louis starting pitcher Jaime Garcia. 

That was his line last night. Garcia didn't get the loss, but his team did—squandering one of the best starts of Garcia's career in the process. The Cardinals were totally shut down by Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis and only Rangers manager Ron Washington's inexplicable decision to pull Lewis and bring in relief pitcher Alexi Ogando to face a hitter he was victimized by less than 24 hours ago allowed St. Louis to scrap for the one run they did score.

Lewis wasn't as dominant as Garcia was but he was aided by two Ranger double-plays. Either one of them could be one of the plays of the year and the Rangers got them fewer than three innings apart.

Tough-luck losses happen in baseball. Sometimes a starter can go out and throw a mediocre game and win 11-7. Sometimes you can be nearly perfect and lose 1-0. Jaime Garcia was a tough-luck loser last night but he's not alone.

The Fall Classic has had its share of tough-luck losing pitchers throughout history. Here's an overview of some of the more memorable ones.  

2005 World Series Game 4 : White Sox 1 Astros 0

In 2004 the Boston Red Sox broke a decades-long curse to finally win a World Series. In 2005 the Chicago White Sox had their chance at curse-breaking and like the Red Sox, who swept a team from the National League Central, the White Sox would follow suit by closing out the Houston Astros in a 4-0 sweep. 

Every game was close but every game was won by Chicago and Game 4 was no exception. Brandon Backe took the mound for Houston that night and his line was more than good enough to get a win: seven innings, five hits, no walks, no runs and seven strikeouts.

That didn't cut it that night though. White Sox starter Freddy Garcia registered a line of seven innings, four hits, three walks and seven strikeouts to get the win and with it the World Series ring. A tough loss for sure but there's more where that came from.  

2003 World Series Game 6: Marlins 2 Yankees 0

After the Yankees won one of the most dramatic ALCS in baseball history with an Aaron Boone walk-off home run, many people assumed they'd easily dispatch of the National League champion Florida Marlins. 

Of course, no one told Florida that. Led by young pitching, the Florida Marlins seemed to have more gas in their tanks than the Yanks, who seemed exhausted by their epic series against the rival Red Sox. 

Down 3-2 and but returning home to the Bronx, the Yankees still felt like they had a chance. Win Game 6 and force a Game 7 at home and surely the Marlins would wilt under that type of pressure.

So the Yankees sent veteran Andy Pettitte to the mound in Game 6 under the impression that he would throw a gem and the Yanks would win. The Yankees were half-right. They got a great performance from Pettitte who went seven innings, allowed two runs but only one earned along with six hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. 

The problem, of course, was that Josh Beckett would end up going all nine innings, allowing just five hits, two walks and striking out nine in a spectacular 2-0 shutout and World Series title-winning effort. Pettitte's efforts were valiant but Beckett was unstoppable that night even for the Yankee Stadium ghosts. 

2001 World Series Game 7: Diamondbacks 3 Yankees 2

Apart from the steroid scandals, Roger Clemens really only has one major blemish on his career as a pitcher. His postseason record isn't as good as many think it should be. On the night of November 4th, 2001, Clemens sought to put those that doubted his postseason abilities to rest as well as wrap up the Yankees' 27th World Championship. He would accomplish one of those two. 

Clemens was masterful on this night in Arizona. He was "The Rocket" that fans in Boston watched strike out 20 batters in a single game—twice. He was the guy that won back-to-back pitching Triple Crowns in Toronto in 1997 and 1998. A line of 6.1 innings pitched, seven hits, one earned run, one walk and 10 strikeouts should get a pitcher a win most nights, but not this one. 

Not with Curt Schilling toeing the mound for Arizona and not with the great Mariano Rivera blowing a postseason save in the ninth and the Diamondbacks walking off with their first World Series title. Clemens was great on this night, just not quite great enough. 

1996 World Series Game 5: Yankees 1 Braves 0

How is this possible? 

Eight innings, four hits, three walks, 10 strikeouts and no earned runs. Yet there is an "L" next to the pitcher's name in the box score. 

You'd have to ask John Smoltz but he's probably not going to want to talk about it. A fourth-inning error by Atlanta center fielder Marquis Grissom put Yankee leadoff hitter Charlie Hayes at second base. Two batters later, Cecil Fielder would drive him home to score the game's only run, an unearned one. The Yanks would win 1-0 on the strength of Andy Pettitte's own pitching masterpiece.

It's hard to pitch better than Smoltz did on this night and still get a loss. 

1993 World Series Game 5: Phillies 2 Blue Jays 0

In 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays were on a mission to repeat as world champs. Loaded up with some decorated veterans such as Jack Morris, Paul Molitor, Ricky Henderson and Dave Stewart and complemented by rising young stars like John Olerud and Roberto Alomar, the Jays were a force to be reckoned with. 

In spite of the presence of Stewart and Morris, the Jays' best pitcher that season may have been Juan Guzman, who led the starting staff in both innings pitched and strikeouts. 

Game 5 of the World Series matched Guzman up against a bright young star from the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Curt Schilling was only 26 years old but he was coming off a spectacular 1992 season. His 1993 was a bit of letdown but everyone knew he could dominate on any given night. October 21st, 1993 became "that given night."

Guzman was great. He pitched seven innings, allowed one earned run and had seven strikeouts. Schilling was better—much better. He went the full nine innings for a shutout with five hits and six strikeouts. It was a tough-luck loss for Guzman but it was a tough-luck conclusion to the World Series for Philadelphia, who would go on to lose on walk-off home run by Joe Carter in Game 6 that delivered a title to Toronto and a tragic ending to the City of Brotherly Love. 

1991 World Series, Game 7: Twins 1 Braves 0

There haven't been a ton of seven-game World Series as of late. The showdown between the Braves and Twins in 1991 was one of the most memorable of the past 30 years. Two teams, one from Minnesota with a collection of determined veterans such as Jack Morris, Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek. 

Across the diamond the Atlanta Braves were a budding dynasty that was making the first of many postseason appearances. Led by a crew of young phenoms on the mound, the Braves had stormed into the playoffs behind the live arms of Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and John Smoltz.

The series was already a classic by the time Game 7 started. Four of the first six games were decided by one run. Game 6 had ended on a walk-off extra-inning home run by Twins All-Star Kirby Puckett. Game 7 would be hard-pressed to top that. 

Twenty-four-year-old John Smoltz and 36-year-old Jack Morris would square off in an epic battle. Smoltz would go 7.1 innings giving up six hits and one walk while striking out four and allowing no runs. That's a career highlight for most players but that night it wasn't nearly the top performance. 

Jack Morris would go the distance, and by the distance I refer to Morris going 10—not nine but 10—innings in the eventual 1-0 game and series-clinching win for the Twins. Morris' night has become a legend. Smoltz threw an amazing game as well but in the end, all he got was a very tough no-decision paired with a tough-to-swallow Braves loss. 

1986 World Series Game 1: Red Sox 1 Mets 0

The Mets took a tough loss in the first game of the 1986 World Series but the Red Sox would end up absorbing one of the toughest losses in major league history just one week later. 

There was no way the Mets and their fans could have known that following Game 1, though. 

Game 1 did not feature the No. 1 starters of the two teams. Those guys, Roger Clemens and Dwight Gooden, would take the mound later in the series. Game 1 instead featured a matchup of No. 2 starters in Ron Darling and Bruce Hurst. 

Both men pitched like No, 1's on this night though. Darling would go seven innings and depart down 1-0. The run was unearned, the result of a seventh-inning error by second baseman Tim Teufel. Darling's seven innings were magnificent as he allowed only three hits, while striking out eight and walking three.  

Hurst would go eight innings though and his fielders were not going to let him down on this night. Hurst would best Darling allowing no runs, earned or unearned, along with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. 

It was great game for both pitchers but a tough loss for Darling. Still, the series would conclude with a far-tougher loss for Boston than anyone could have anticipated. 

1985 World Series Game 6: Royals 2 Cardinals 1

It's tough to tell who the hardest-luck loser in this scenario was. 

Was it relief pitcher Todd Worrell, who was victimized by first base umpire Don Denkinger's blown call to lead off the ninth inning? Perhaps it was Cardinal starting pitcher Danny Cox who left the game with a lead in the seventh only to see the lead and eventually the World Series hopes of the St. Louis Cardinals implode following Denkinger's call in the bottom of the ninth. 

Cox was the better starting pitcher on this night. That's not up for debate. Through seven innings he allowed seven hits and issued just one free pass while striking out eight. He left the game with a 1-0 lead. Kansas City Royals starter Charlie Leibrandt wasn't quite as good as Cox but he was still impressive in his own right, allowing just the one St. Louis run through 7.1 innings.

It was that bottom of the ninth that makes this the toughest of losses to absorb. Todd Worrell was the Cardinal closer and entered the ninth with the 1-0 lead still intact. Jorge Orta led off for Kansas City and hit a ball to Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark. Worrell scampered over to cover first and by all accounts and replays, was there in time to get the out. 

One person disagreed though, and that man was the first base umpire Don Denkinger. He called Orta safe and just like that, the leadoff man was on for the Royals. It was enough to sufficiently rattle Worrell who would allow another single, a passed ball and eventually issue an intentional walk, which resulted in the bases being loaded with one out. The next batter Dane Iorg hit a single to right field that plated both the tying and winning runs.

The Royals would go on to win the series in a brutal Game 7 that saw Cardinal starting pitcher John Tudor and a host of other St. Louis pitchers get hammered by the Royals hitters in an 11-0 loss. 

Game 5 1981 World Series: Dodgers 2 Yankees 1

1981 was quite a year in Major League Baseball. The season was interrupted by a player's strike. Thus for the first time until 1995, there were two sets, not one, of playoffs required in each league to determine the World Series contestants. 

In the end though, the participants were quite familiar with each other. The New York Yankees would square off against their old rivals dating back to their days in Brooklyn, the now-Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Ron "Louisiana Lightning" Guidry took the mound for the Yankees and on this night, he would really only make two bad pitches. That's all it took though. Guidry, who entered the seventh inning that night clinging to a 1-0 lead, would surrender back-to-back home runs to Dodgers Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. The 2-1 Dodger lead would hold as Los Angeles starting pitcher Jerry Reuss would pitch a complete game and grab the win. 

Three nights later back in the Bronx, the Dodgers would end the World Series by beating the Yankees 9-2. Game 5 would be Guidry's final appearance in the World Series and he was magnificent, but not good enough. 

1956 World Series Game 5: Yankees 2 Dodgers 0

In retrospect, Sal Maglie probably couldn't have won Game 5 of the 1956 World Series no matter how good he had pitched on that day. 

He still threw a pretty good game against one of those legendary Yankee lineups. In fact, entering the bottom of the fourth inning, both pitchers were throwing perfect games. In the fourth Mickey Mantle hit a home run to right field to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The Yankees would add one more run but they wouldn't even need it. 

Larsen, of course, was perfect on this day—nine innings, seven strikeouts, no walks, no hits, 27 up and 27 down. Maglie was not but his eight-inning outing in which he would allow only five hits, two walks and two earned runs was certainly good enough to get a win—just not when you're staring down perfection across the diamond.