“They will go down as the most thrilling 129 minutes in baseball history. Never before and likely never again—if we even dare to assume anything else can be likely ever again—will baseball captivate and exhilarate on so many fronts in so small a window the way it did September 28, 2011.”
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
On the last day of the regular season, the Rays and Red Sox were tied for the lone AL Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay had closed a 9 1/2-game deficit since the start of September. But that comeback seemed doomed to fade as Tampa Bay fell behind 7-0 to the Yankees on the season’s final day, and Boston held onto a lead over last-place Baltimore. In the National League the Cardinals completed an 8 1/2-game September comeback with an 8-0 win over the Astros and a 4-3, 13-inning Braves loss to the Phillies.
Recalling one of most dramatic days in MLB history
The Tampa Bay Rays, 9 games back in the wildcard race earlier in September, would win their game in the 12th inning on a walk-off home run. The Baltimore Orioles would win their game with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th for the walk-off. The Braves had the lead in the 9th and would lose in 13 innings. The Cardinals completed their September comeback with the win over the Astros and would go on to win the World Series.