History backs Yankees, who made 0-2 World Series comebacks four times
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Follow UsThe Dodgers are edging closer to a championship, holding a strong 2-0 lead over the Yankees in the World Series, yet their quest is still unfinished. While Los Angeles may appear to be writing a Hollywood script, the final act remains to be written.
Statistics heavily favor the Dodgers’ position. MLB data shows that teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win around 84% of the time. As the series moves to New York for a crucial three-game stretch, the Yankees face mounting pressure. A loss in Game 3 would place them in the rare and daunting position of a 3-0 deficit—a scenario only one team has ever managed to overcome.
Overcoming a 2-0 deficit is a challenging but not insurmountable feat, with several historic teams having successfully rallied back. The Yankees had done it four times in 1956, 1958, 1978, and 1996. They did it against the Dodgers twice in 1956 and 1978.
MLB’s comeback kings
Comebacks from a 2-0 deficit in MLB postseason series are a rarity. According to MLB.com, teams that jump ahead 2-0 have gone on to win the series in 77 of 92 cases.
The most recent exception came just last year, when the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in a seven-game showdown during the 2023 NLCS. This latest comeback stands as a testament to the resilience needed to reverse such odds in postseason play.
In World Series history, just ten teams have managed to overcome a 2-0 deficit to claim the title, with the New York Yankees responsible for a record four of those comebacks.
In 1996, the Yankees took down the Braves in six. Ten years earlier, the New York Mets overcame the Boston Red Sox in seven. The 1985 Kansas City Royals and 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates also needed seven games to edge out the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles, respectively. The Dodgers, in 1981, turned the tables on the Yankees in six, while the 1978 Yankees won in six over the Dodgers.
Earlier, the Dodgers beat the Minnesota Twins in seven games in 1965. The Yankees also mounted two earlier comebacks, beating the Milwaukee Braves in 1958 and the Dodgers in 1956, both in seven games. The Brooklyn Dodgers initiated this pattern by defeating the Yankees in seven games in 1955.
| World Series | Winning Team | Defeated Team | |
| 1996 | New York Yankees | Atlanta Braves | in six games |
| 1986 | New York Mets | Boston Red Sox | in seven games |
| 1985 | Kansas City Royals | St. Louis Cardinals | in seven games |
| 1981 | Los Angeles Dodgers | New York Yankees | in six games |
| 1978 | New York Yankees | Los Angeles Dodgers | in six games |
| 1971 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Baltimore Orioles | in seven games |
| 1965 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Minnesota Twins | in seven games |
| 1958 | New York Yankees | Milwaukee Braves | in seven games |
| 1956 | New York Yankees | Los Angeles Dodgers | in seven games |
| 1955 | rooklyn Dodgers | New York Yankees | in seven games |
Yankees history of overcoming 0-2 World Series deficit
The 1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series stands as a masterclass in pitching dominance, where the New York Yankees transformed early adversity into championship glory. After Brooklyn seized control with victories in Games 1 and 2, the Yankees’ pitching staff responded with a performance for the ages. Their hurlers delivered an unprecedented five straight complete games, silencing Brooklyn’s bats and propelling New York to its 17th championship banner.
The series pivoted dramatically on Don Larsen’s historic achievement in Game 5. In a performance that would echo through baseball history, Larsen authored the only perfect game in World Series history, retiring all 27 Brooklyn batters he faced. The masterpiece earned him World Series MVP honors and remains one of baseball’s most celebrated moments.
The statistical turnaround proved equally stunning. Brooklyn’s offense, which exploded for 19 runs in the opening two victories, found itself stifled by the Yankees’ pitching renaissance. The Dodgers managed just six runs over the final five games, with their bats falling particularly silent in the series’ closing stretch, producing just one run across the final three contests.
The 1958 World Series
Down three games to one against the Milwaukee Braves, the Yankees mounted an improbable comeback that resulted in their 1858 World Series win. The series triumph marked their 18th championship overall and their seventh title in just 10 years, further establishing their dominance in baseball’s golden era.
The Braves appeared poised for victory after taking the series opener 4-3 and delivering a crushing 13-5 blow in Game 2. Though the Yankees showed signs of life with a victory in Game 3, Milwaukee’s win in Game 4 pushed New York to the brink of elimination.
What followed was a display of championship resolve that hadn’t been seen since the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees reeled off three consecutive victories, becoming only the second team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in World Series history.
The 1978 World Series
The 1978 World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers showcased baseball’s flair for dramatic momentum shifts, with the Bronx Bombers overcoming a daunting start to capture another championship.
The series opened at Dodger Stadium with Los Angeles unleashing an offensive storm. Davey Lopes emerged as the unexpected hero, blasting two home runs and collecting five RBIs, while Dusty Baker added to the barrage in an 11-5 rout that saw the Dodgers race to a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Dodgers’ momentum continued in Game 2 behind Ron Cey’s clutch hitting. Despite Reggie Jackson’s early two-run double for New York, Cey’s fourth-inning RBI single and sixth-inning three-run blast proved decisive in a tight 4-3 victory.
The series shifted dramatically in the Bronx. Ron Guidry, the Yankees’ ace left-hander, dominated Game 3 with a masterful complete-game performance, holding the powerful Dodgers lineup to a single run. Game 4 provided the series’ defining moment when Lou Piniella’s walk-off single in the 10th inning completed a stunning comeback from a 3-0 deficit, sparked by Reggie Smith’s earlier three-run homer.
Game 5 saw the Yankees’ offense explode. Thurman Munson led the charge with three hits, including a double, and five RBIs in a 12-2 demolition. Bucky Dent and Brian Doyle matched Munson’s three-hit performance, sending New York back to California with the series lead.
The clincher came behind Catfish Hunter’s veteran savvy, as he handcuffed the Dodgers through seven strong innings. Jackson’s towering two-run homer and Dent’s three hits sealed the 7-2 victory, completing the Yankees’ transformation from early series underdogs to champions.
The 1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series began as a nightmare for the New York Yankees before transforming into one of the franchise’s most inspiring comebacks, marking the dawn of a new dynasty.
The Atlanta Braves dominated the opening games in the Bronx, outscoring the Yankees by a staggering 16-1 margin. The humbling start at home placed New York in rare company, as only the 1985 Royals and 1986 Mets had overcome such a deficit after dropping the first two games in their own ballpark.
The series’ momentum shifted dramatically in Atlanta, sparked by David Cone’s gutsy Game 3 performance. The veteran right-hander’s resilience, combined with a pivotal eighth-inning rally, earned the Yankees a crucial 5-2 victory.
Game 4 produced arguably the series’ defining moment. Trailing 6-0 by the fifth inning, New York mounted an epic comeback. Jim Leyritz etched his name in Yankees lore with a game-tying three-run homer in the eighth. The drama peaked in the 10th when Wade Boggs worked a bases-loaded walk against Atlanta manager Bobby Cox’s strategy of intentionally walking Bernie Williams.
Andy Pettitte’s masterful performance in Game 5 showcased the Yankees’ growing confidence. The young left-hander dominated through 8 1/3 shutout innings, while Cecil Fielder’s fourth-inning double drove in Charlie Hayes for the game’s lone run in a tense 1-0 victory.
The Yankees completed their improbable surge in Game 6, solving Braves ace Greg Maddux in a decisive third inning. Three runs proved enough in a nail-biting 3-2 win, making them the first team since the 1981 Dodgers to win four straight World Series games after losing the opening pair.
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