A title can hide the replacement question. Dustin Pedroia played the 2013 title run on a torn thumb ligament, but his World Series cWPA was −3.41%.
Back to the trend of the day: Baseball star Ohtani plays hurt as the champion Dodgers face elimination
Poly Rating · from the trend of the day
Playing Hurt in MLB Playoffs: Top 10 Injured Performances
Freddie Freeman drove in 12 runs, tying the World Series record, on an ankle later found to have torn ligaments and a rib fracture that was disclosed only after the title.
- No. 1: Freddie Freeman, 2024 World Series
- 10 places
- 9 AIs
01Final list
9 AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.
A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.
- 1
Freddie Freeman, 2024 World Series
Homered in Games 1-4, including the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history; 12 RBI and MVP. Ankle ligaments torn, rib fractured. One source puts his cWPA at +29.4%.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini, MiMo, Qwen, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Claude, Ernie.In their lists: ChatGPT: 5 · Gemini: 5 · MiMo: 2 · Qwen: 5 · DeepSeek: 4
What each AI noted 5
- ChatGPTplace 5
An 11–4 Game 4 win produced the largest post-0–3 run margin among the one-win bids, but New York squandered a 5–0 Game 5 lead.
- Geminiplace 5
They blew out the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 and led 5-0 in Game 5 before three shocking defensive errors in one frame gave away the championship.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 2
12 RBIs — tied for a World Series record — and the first walk-off grand slam in Series history, on a sprained ankle and a fractured rib.
Source ↗ - Qwenplace 5
Erased a 5-0 deficit to win Game 4, becoming the first World Series team since 1970 to force a Game 5.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 4
Played with rib injury and sprained ankle throughout postseason; still won World Series MVP
Source ↗
5 of 9 - 2
Curt Schilling, 2004 ALCS Game 6 (bloody sock)
With a torn ankle tendon sheath sutured hours earlier, he allowed 1 run in 7 innings to keep the only 0-3 comeback alive. Game WPA +0.29 (another AI said +0.33).
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Ernie.In their lists: ChatGPT: 1 · Gemini: 1 · Nemotron: 2 · Claude: 1 · MiMo: 1 · Qwen: 1 · DeepSeek: 2
What each AI noted 7
- ChatGPTplace 1
Down 0–3 after a 19–8 loss, Boston won four straight and outscored New York by 12 runs from Game 4 onward.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 1
Trailing in the 9th inning of Game 4 against Mariano Rivera, Boston won four straight games by an aggregate 27-14 margin to achieve the only successful 0-3 comeback in Major League history.
Source ↗ - Nemotronplace 2
Pitched 7 innings in ALCS Game 6 and 6 innings in WS Game 2 with torn ankle tendon sheath (bloody sock); 0.00 ERA in 13 IP, cWPA +0.28 combined
Source ↗ - Claudeplace 1
A doctor sutured his ankle tendon to the skin; blood showed through the sock; 7 innings, 1 run, and the Red Sox won from 0-3.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 1
One run in seven innings on an ankle held together by sutures — the sock turned red and the series turned around.
Source ↗ - Qwenplace 1
The only team in MLB history to win a series after trailing 0-3, completing the miracle against the rival Yankees.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 2
Torn tendon sheath in right ankle, surgically repaired hours before start; 7 IP, 1 ER in 4-2 win with blood soaking through his sock
Source ↗
7 of 9 - 3
Kirk Gibson, 1988 World Series Game 1
His only plate appearance of the Series, on a pulled hamstring and a swollen knee: a walk-off homer off Eckersley. Play WPA about .87; sources disagree on cWPA (19.4% vs 27.3%).
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Ernie.In their lists: ChatGPT: see list · Gemini: 9 · Nemotron: 1 · Claude: 2 · MiMo: 4 · Qwen: see list · DeepSeek: 1
What each AI noted 7
- ChatGPT
Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
see list - Geminiplace 9
Following a 14-inning Game 3 heartbreak, Brandon Backe pitched seven scoreless two-hit frames in Game 4 before falling 1-0 in the closest sweep in World Series history.
Source ↗ - Nemotronplace 1
Two bad legs (hamstring strain + knee swelling), one pinch-hit walk-off home run off Dennis Eckersley — cWPA +0.37 in one plate appearance
Source ↗ - Claudeplace 2
One swing: a two-run homer in the 9th off Dennis Eckersley, from a man who could barely walk.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 4
One plate appearance, one limp around the bases — a walk-off homer on a bad hamstring and a swollen knee.
Source ↗ - Qwen
Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
see list - DeepSeekplace 1
Torn hamstring tendon and strained MCL in both legs; walk-off HR off Dennis Eckersley with .870 WPA, highest single-play WPA in postseason history
7 of 9 - 4
Bryce Harper, 2022 NLCS (torn elbow ligament)
Restricted to DH by a torn UCL, he hit .400 and won the pennant with an 8th-inning homer in Game 5. cWPA +12.36% on Baseball-Reference; another AI said +14.8%. Lost the World Series.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini, MiMo. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Claude, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 4 · Gemini: 4 · MiMo: 5
What each AI noted 3
- ChatGPTplace 4
The 106-win Braves took two elimination games before San Diego shut them out in Game 6.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 4
John Smoltz and Greg Maddux combined for back-to-back elimination victories in Games 4 and 5 by a 15-9 margin to force Game 6 against San Diego.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 5
A pennant-clinching homer in the 8th inning of NLCS Game 5 — on an elbow ligament that was already torn.
Source ↗
3 of 9 - 5
Will Smith, 2025 World Series Game 7
Playing with a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, the catcher hit the first extra-inning homer in a winner-take-all World Series game. The 11th-inning blast won the title 5-4.
Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 6
What each AI noted 1
- ChatGPTplace 6
Chicago survived in 10 innings in Game 4, then lost Game 5 by five runs.
Source ↗
1 of 9 - 6
Kyle Schwarber, 2016 World Series (knee ligaments)
He had torn his ACL and LCL in April and played almost no season, then hit .412 as DH for a title (+7.71% cWPA). Ranked lower because he was returning from surgery rather than playing on a fresh injury.
Included it: ChatGPT, MiMo. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 7 · MiMo: 3
2 of 9 - 7
Pedro Martinez, 1999 ALDS Game 5
Six hitless innings in relief in a decisive Game 5 after being scratched hurt. Sources disagree on the injury: a back (lat) strain or a shoulder problem.
Included it: Gemini, Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, MiMo, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: Gemini: see list · Claude: 4
2 of 9 - 8
Bo Bichette, 2025 World Series (knee sprain)
On a sprained PCL he hit .348 and a 442-foot Game 7 homer, with about +34.5% cWPA (estimate). Toronto still lost in 11 innings.
Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 9
What each AI noted 1
- ChatGPTplace 9
Lee May's late three-run homer prevented a sweep; Baltimore answered with a 9–3 clincher.
Source ↗
1 of 9 - 9
Anthony Rizzo, 2024 ALCS (two broken fingers)
With two fractured fingers on his right hand he went 6-for-14 (.429) as the Yankees won the pennant, then lost the World Series 4-1. Another AI gave a different line.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 8 · Gemini: 2
What each AI noted 2
2 of 9 - 10
George Springer, 2025 ALCS Game 7
His three-run homer won Game 7 4-3 and sent Toronto to the World Series. The injury is disputed: a knee hit by a 95-mph pitch (X-rayed) or an oblique strain.
Included it: Claude, Qwen. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, MiMo, Ernie, DeepSeek.In their lists: Claude: 3 · Qwen: see list
2 of 9
02Worth knowing
What the AIs noticed while building the list.
Ohtani is playing with left knee and right biceps problems. He is 3-for-20 this postseason, all singles, and was dropped to sixth in the order. MLB's analysis says his bat speed is intact while his timing has changed.
The same 2024 World Series shows the other side: the Yankees used the injured Nestor Cortés, who hadn't pitched all postseason, for the at-bat that became Freeman's grand slam.
Gibson's injury and value are both told differently: hamstring vs knee, and cWPA of 19.4% vs 27.31% for the same swing.
03Questions people ask
How many playoff wins does Hurts have?
Jalen Hurts has 6 NFL playoff wins as the Eagles' starter (6-4 overall). One source says 5 because it counts through an earlier season.
Source ↗What baseball player got hurt yesterday?
No new major injury was reported. Shohei Ohtani is playing through left knee and right biceps problems, is 3-for-20 this postseason, and was dropped to sixth for NLCS Game 3 with the Dodgers down 0-3.
Why is Hurts not playing?
The Eagles ruled Jalen Hurts out against Carolina after finding a superficial blood clot in his calf, the NFL reported on October 15.
Source ↗Did Freddie Freeman play the 2024 World Series with a broken rib?
Yes. He had fractured costal cartilage in his sixth rib, disclosed after the title, along with an ankle sprain that later surgery showed had torn ligaments. He still drove in 12 runs.
Source ↗04How we counted
In plain words, no formulas.
1The question
Top 10 Postseason Performances Played Through Serious Injury in Modern Baseball
2Why this topic
It combines three things no single table holds (how bad the injury was, how much the player still swung the title odds, and how much the body visibly gave up) to say which injured performances truly mattered.
3Where it applies
Major League Baseball postseason, modern era
4What we looked at
- Severity of the injury as documented by the team or medical reports at the time (fracture, tear, severe sprain, surgical repair)
- Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA) and high-leverage contributions made while injured
- Physical decline visible in tracking data (sprint speed, arm strength, bat speed) compared with the player's healthy baseline
- Whether the team won the series or the title
- Baseball-Reference postseason WPA / cWPA — How much each play changed the odds of winning the game (WPA) and the title (cWPA)
- Team medical reports and reporting at the time — Diagnosed fracture, tear, sprain or surgery, and when the player was available
- Baseball Savant (Statcast) — Sprint speed, arm strength and bat speed; injured-vs-healthy comparisons are rarely published and don't exist before 2015
- MLB postseason history — Whether the team won the series or the title
5Who ranked
9 AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Claude, MiMo, Qwen, Ernie, DeepSeek.
6How the places were set
The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.
05Each AI's own list
🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 2 notes
The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 12004 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, ALCS
Down 0–3 after a 19–8 loss, Boston won four straight and outscored New York by 12 runs from Game 4 onward.
Source ↗ - 22020 Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays, ALCS
Houston became the only other MLB team to force Game 7 after losing the first three games.
Source ↗ - 31999 New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves, NLCS
Two one-run escapes included Robin Ventura's 15th-inning 'grand slam single'; Game 6 was decided in the 11th.
Source ↗ - 41998 Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres, NLCS
The 106-win Braves took two elimination games before San Diego shut them out in Game 6.
Source ↗ - 52024 New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, World Series
An 11–4 Game 4 win produced the largest post-0–3 run margin among the one-win bids, but New York squandered a 5–0 Game 5 lead.
- 61910 Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Athletics, World Series
Chicago survived in 10 innings in Game 4, then lost Game 5 by five runs.
Source ↗ - 71937 New York Giants vs. New York Yankees, World Series
Six second-inning runs saved the Giants from a sweep by a Yankees club led by Gehrig and DiMaggio.
Source ↗ - 82016 Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Indians, ALCS
Toronto finally broke through 5–1 in Game 4, then scored no runs in its final game.
Source ↗ - 91970 Cincinnati Reds vs. Baltimore Orioles, World Series
Lee May's late three-run homer prevented a sweep; Baltimore answered with a 9–3 clincher.
Source ↗ - 102017 Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, NLCS
A 3–2 stay of elimination was followed by an 11–1 defeat, leaving a −9 run margin across the two games.
Source ↗
What ChatGPT noticed
Only Boston in 2004 turned 0–3 into a series win; Houston in 2020 is the only other club to reach Game 7.
The 1999 Mets and 1998 Braves each finished +1 in runs after falling behind 0–3. The Mets' three straight one-run finishes make their push the stronger drama despite the identical margin.
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 2 notes
The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 12004 Boston Red Sox (ALCS)
Trailing in the 9th inning of Game 4 against Mariano Rivera, Boston won four straight games by an aggregate 27-14 margin to achieve the only successful 0-3 comeback in Major League history.
Source ↗ - 22020 Houston Astros (ALCS)
Down 0-3 at a neutral bubble site in San Diego, they swept three straight elimination games by a +6 run differential to force Game 7 before falling two runs short.
Source ↗ - 31999 New York Mets (NLCS)
After winning Game 4 and Robin Ventura's 15-inning Grand Slam Single in Game 5, they rallied from 5-0 and 7-3 deficits to lead in extra innings of Game 6 before a bases-loaded walk ended it in the 11th.
Source ↗ - 41998 Atlanta Braves (NLCS)
John Smoltz and Greg Maddux combined for back-to-back elimination victories in Games 4 and 5 by a 15-9 margin to force Game 6 against San Diego.
Source ↗ - 52024 New York Yankees (World Series)
They blew out the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 and led 5-0 in Game 5 before three shocking defensive errors in one frame gave away the championship.
Source ↗ - 61970 Cincinnati Reds (World Series)
Sparky Anderson's 'Big Red Machine' pushed past Earl Weaver's 108-win Orioles with an 8th-inning Lee May home run to avoid the sweep and force Game 5.
Source ↗ - 71937 New York Giants (World Series)
Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell spun a complete-game 6-hitter in Game 4 to halt Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig's juggernaut Yankees before bowing out in Game 5.
Source ↗ - 81910 Chicago Cubs (World Series)
Trailing 0-3, King Cole and Three-Finger Brown held Connie Mack's Athletics scoreless over the final seven innings to win Game 4 in 10 innings.
Source ↗ - 92005 Houston Astros (World Series)
Following a 14-inning Game 3 heartbreak, Brandon Backe pitched seven scoreless two-hit frames in Game 4 before falling 1-0 in the closest sweep in World Series history.
Source ↗ - 101990 Oakland Athletics (World Series)
Trailed 0-3, but ace Dave Stewart carried a 1-0 shutout into the 8th inning of Game 4 before the Reds rallied for two runs to extinguish the defending champions.
Source ↗
What Gemini noticed
The 1999 Mets are the only team down 0-3 in baseball history to lead in extra innings of Game 6 without reaching Game 7, holding an 8-7 edge in the 8th and a 9-8 lead in the 10th before Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded in the 11th.
The 2005 World Series between the White Sox and Astros remains the narrowest sweep in baseball history, with all four games decided by a cumulative total of just 6 runs (+1, +1, +2 in 14 innings, and +1).
🇺🇸 Nemotron10 places · 1 notes
The same question, answered by Nemotron alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series Game 1 (Dodgers vs Athletics)
Two bad legs (hamstring strain + knee swelling), one pinch-hit walk-off home run off Dennis Eckersley — cWPA +0.37 in one plate appearance
Source ↗ - 2Curt Schilling 2004 ALCS Game 6 / World Series Game 2 (Red Sox)
Pitched 7 innings in ALCS Game 6 and 6 innings in WS Game 2 with torn ankle tendon sheath (bloody sock); 0.00 ERA in 13 IP, cWPA +0.28 combined
Source ↗ - 3Willie Stargell 1979 World Series (Pirates vs Orioles)
Played entire Series at age 39 with severe knee osteoarthritis (bone-on-bone); hit .400/.500/1.000 with 3 HR in last 4 games, cWPA leader
Source ↗ - 4Isaiah Kiner-Falefa 2023 ALDS Game 2 (Twins vs Astros) — correction: not injured; replace with documented case
[Placeholder — need verified injured performance]
- 5Buster Posey 2014 NLCS Game 5 / World Series (Giants)
Played through torn hip labrum (diagnosed post-season); caught 14 innings in NLCS Game 5, hit .310/.377/.462 in postseason
Source ↗ - 6David Freese 2011 World Series Game 6 (Cardinals vs Rangers)
Played through deep bone bruise in right hand (HBP Game 4); Game 6: 2-for-4, walk-off HR in 11th, cWPA +0.34
Source ↗ - 7Max Muncy 2020 NLCS / World Series (Dodgers)
Played through torn UCL (elbow) diagnosed September; threw 90% fastballs, hit .286 with 3 HR in NLCS, Dodgers won title
Source ↗ - 8Shohei Ohtani 2026 NLCS (Dodgers vs Brewers)
Active as of Oct 15, 2026: playing with knee (MCL sprain) and arm (UCL discomfort) issues; moved to 6th in order, 0-3 series deficit
Source ↗ - 9Justin Verlander 2017 ALCS Game 6 / World Series (Astros)
Pitched through groin strain (Grade 1) and triceps tightness; ALCS Game 6: 6 IP, 0 R, 13 K, cWPA +0.21
Source ↗ - 10Kodai Senga 2024 NLDS Game 3 (Mets vs Phillies)
Pitched 5.2 IP, 1 R with shoulder capsule irritation (Grade 1); fastball velo down 2.1 mph, used splitter 42% (career 31%)
What Nemotron noticed
The 2026 Ohtani case is unprecedented: a two-way superstar playing through simultaneous hitting (knee) and throwing (elbow) injuries in an 0-3 series hole; no precedent exists for this dual-role compromise
🇺🇸 Claude8 places · 2 notes
The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Curt Schilling, 2004 ALCS Game 6 (Bloody Sock)
A doctor sutured his ankle tendon to the skin; blood showed through the sock; 7 innings, 1 run, and the Red Sox won from 0-3.
Source ↗ - 2Kirk Gibson, 1988 World Series Game 1
One swing: a two-run homer in the 9th off Dennis Eckersley, from a man who could barely walk.
Source ↗ - 3George Springer, 2025 ALCS Game 7
Hit on the knee by a 95-mph sinker in Game 5, he returned and hit the three-run homer that beat Seattle 4-3 in Game 7.
Source ↗ - 4Pedro Martinez, 1999 ALDS Game 5
Six hitless innings in relief with an injured shoulder, per MLB.com's account, in a decisive Game 5.
Source ↗ - 5Paul O'Neill, 1996 World Series Game 4/5
A torn hamstring and a visible limp, yet he made the game-ending catch in a 1-0 win.
Source ↗ - 6Vernon Law, 1960 World Series
He hurt an ankle in the pennant celebration, won Games 1 and 4 and pitched Game 7, which ended with Mazeroski's walk-off homer.
Source ↗ - 7Graig Nettles, 1981 World Series
A broken thumb kept him out for a week, then he returned for Game 6 and went 2-for-3 with a double as the Dodgers took the title.
Source ↗ - 8Carlos Beltran, 2013 World Series Game 1
After crashing into the wall with bruised ribs, he got a painkiller injection and still drove in a run to tie the series 1-1.
Source ↗
What Claude noticed
Schilling's ankle was surgically sutured by the Red Sox's team doctor before Game 6 and one suture came loose, which is rare among injury stories that have documented medical detail.
The Dodgers said they would sit Ohtani only if he felt compromised. That puts the call with the player, which is the same trust the managers in this list had in their stars.
🇨🇳 MiMo10 places · 4 notes
The same question, answered by MiMo alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Curt Schilling's Bloody Sock game (2004 ALCS)
One run in seven innings on an ankle held together by sutures — the sock turned red and the series turned around.
Source ↗ - 2Freddie Freeman 2024 World Series (playing hurt)
12 RBIs — tied for a World Series record — and the first walk-off grand slam in Series history, on a sprained ankle and a fractured rib.
Source ↗ - 3Kyle Schwarber 2016 World Series return (torn ACL)
His first hit of the entire season came in the World Series: .412 from a knee rebuilt in April.
Source ↗ - 4Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series home run
One plate appearance, one limp around the bases — a walk-off homer on a bad hamstring and a swollen knee.
Source ↗ - 5Bryce Harper 2022 playoffs (torn UCL)
A pennant-clinching homer in the 8th inning of NLCS Game 5 — on an elbow ligament that was already torn.
Source ↗ - 6Shohei Ohtani 2024 World Series shoulder
The 50-50 season finished with a shoulder hurt on a Game 2 slide — and a ring anyway.
- 7Robin Ventura 1999 NLCS Grand Slam Single (bad calf)
Hit the series-saving 'Grand Slam Single' in the 15th inning — after a calf injury had left him hitless in the series.
Source ↗ - 8Shohei Ohtani 2026 NLCS (playing hurt)
Dropped to sixth in the order — his lowest spot in six years — with knee and arm problems and the dynasty down 0-3.
Source ↗ - 9Jim Merritt 1970 World Series (hurt starter)
The cautionary one: a 20-game winner with a sore arm started Game 5 on 10 days' rest — and was gone in the second inning.
Source ↗ - 10Nestor Cortés 2024 World Series Game 1 (pitching hurt)
Called for the final out of Game 1 with the bases loaded — after zero postseason innings since his September injury — and Freeman hit the slam.
Source ↗
What MiMo noticed
Freeman's 2024 walk-off slam and Gibson's 1988 shot both came at 8:37 p.m. Pacific, to nearly the same seat in right field at Dodger Stadium — and both men were playing through leg injuries.
Baseball-Reference puts hard numbers on hurt-player value: Schwarber's repaired knee produced +7.71% cWPA in the 2016 World Series, Harper's torn elbow produced +12.36% in the 2022 NLCS.
Schwarber's 2016 line is the strangest stat sheet in this ranking: 17 at-bats all season-plus-postseason before the World Series, then 7 hits in 17 at-bats at .412 on a rebuilt ACL.
The same October produced both poles: Freeman (ankle + fractured rib) won the 2024 MVP, while the Yankees' use of the injured Nestor Cortés for the series' biggest at-bat is remembered as the mistake.
🇨🇳 Qwen10 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by Qwen alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 12004 Boston Red Sox
The only team in MLB history to win a series after trailing 0-3, completing the miracle against the rival Yankees.
Source ↗ - 22020 Houston Astros
Pushed the defending champion Rays to a decisive Game 7 in the ALCS despite being down 0-3.
Source ↗ - 31999 New York Mets
Forced a Game 6 in the NLCS on Robin Ventura's infamous 'grand slam single' before the clock ran out on their season.
Source ↗ - 41998 Atlanta Braves
Brought the Padres back to a Game 6 in the NLCS behind a furious late rally that nearly altered franchise history.
Source ↗ - 52024 New York Yankees
Erased a 5-0 deficit to win Game 4, becoming the first World Series team since 1970 to force a Game 5.
Source ↗ - 61970 Cincinnati Reds
Broke the sweep with a Game 4 victory over the Orioles, the last WS team to do so for 54 years.
- 71937 New York Giants
Avoided the sweep by taking Game 4 from the Yankees before bowing out in Game 5.
Source ↗ - 81910 Chicago Cubs
Prevented a sweep by the Athletics, winning Game 4 but dropping the Fall Classic in 5 games.
Source ↗ - 92017 Chicago Cubs
The defending champions staved off elimination with a Game 4 win against the Dodgers before Kiké Hernández's three-homer onslaught ended their run.
Source ↗ - 102016 Toronto Blue Jays
Won Game 4 in the ALCS to delay the Indians' pennant celebration, though Cleveland closed it out in 5 games.
Source ↗
What Qwen noticed
Out of 42 MLB teams to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, 32 were swept, leaving only 10 teams that managed to win at least one game.
The 2024 Yankees became the first World Series team to force a Game 5 after trailing 3-0 since the 1970 Reds, doing so by erasing a 5-0 deficit in Game 4.
Only four teams in MLB history have reached a Game 6 after trailing 3-0, and only two of those (the 2004 Red Sox and 2020 Astros) forced a Game 7.
🇨🇳 DeepSeek10 places · 1 notes
The same question, answered by DeepSeek alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Kirk Gibson, 1988 World Series Game 1 (Dodgers)
Torn hamstring tendon and strained MCL in both legs; walk-off HR off Dennis Eckersley with .870 WPA, highest single-play WPA in postseason history
- 2Curt Schilling, 2004 ALCS Game 6 (Red Sox)
Torn tendon sheath in right ankle, surgically repaired hours before start; 7 IP, 1 ER in 4-2 win with blood soaking through his sock
Source ↗ - 3Kiké Hernández, 2025 World Series (Dodgers)
Surgeon called it 'worst injury of this kind I've ever seen'; played all 17 postseason games and turned game-winning double play in Game 6
- 4Freddie Freeman, 2024 World Series (Dodgers)
Played with rib injury and sprained ankle throughout postseason; still won World Series MVP
Source ↗ - 5Shohei Ohtani, 2026 NLCS (Dodgers, ongoing)
Left knee and right biceps injuries; batting .150 with .411 OPS, moved to No. 6 in order for first time in career
- 6Gleyber Torres, 2025 ALDS (Tigers)
Sports hernia made it impossible to reach pitches or swing properly; still hit 8-for-34 with solid defense at second base
- 7Willis Reed, 1970 NBA Finals Game 7 (Knicks)
Torn right tensor muscle; emerged from tunnel minutes before Game 7, scored first two baskets to ignite Knicks
- 8Jack Youngblood, 1979 NFL Playoffs (Rams)
Fractured fibula in divisional round; played through NFC Championship, Super Bowl XIV, and Pro Bowl on broken leg
- 9Ronnie Lott, 1985 NFL Playoffs (49ers)
Mangled left pinkie in regular-season finale; taped it up for playoff game, then had tip amputated in offseason to be ready for next season
- 10Terrell Owens, 2004 Super Bowl (Eagles)
Fractured fibula and torn ankle ligament in Week 15; returned in 6.5 weeks for Super Bowl, caught 9 passes for 122 yards
What DeepSeek noticed
Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series produced a .870 WPA, the highest single-play WPA in postseason history, and a 27.31% cWPA. He was so injured he could barely walk to the plate and had to be helped by the Dodgers' training staff.