Stop us if you’ve heard this one already — it’s been a really long time since Cleveland won the World Series. 73 years, if you want to be specific. (Just as a reference point, the Red Sox’s championship drought officially became known as the “Curse of the Bambino” after 68 years.)
It isn’t as if the Guardians have been totally absent from the postseason in that time, though. The unfortunate reality of a drought this long is that no franchise plays poorly in 73 consecutive regular seasons — inevitably, at least once every decade or so, the season doesn’t end gracefully on the final day of the regular season, but rather much more abruptly in an elimination game. And, if you’re a fan of the Guardians, we probably don’t have to tell you how those have gone lately.
Last 10 elimination games, CLE history:
• 2020 ALWC Game 2 vs. Yankees (L, 9-10)
• 2018 ALDS Game 3 vs. Astros (L, 3-11)
• 2017 ALDS Game 5 vs. Yankees (L, 2-5)
• 2016 WS Game 7 vs. Cubs (L, 7-8)
• 2013 ALWC Game vs. Rays (L, 0-4)
• 2007 ALCS Game 7 vs. Red Sox (L, 2-11)
• 2001 ALDS Game 5 vs. Mariners (L, 1-3)
• 1999 ALDS Game 5 vs. Red Sox (L, 8-12)
• 1998 ALCS Game 6 vs. Yankees (L, 5-9)
• 1997 WS Game 7 vs. Marlins (L, 2-3)
That’s 10 straight elimination games lost by the Guardians, or, if you prefer, the longest such streak in postseason history. Ever.
But when did they last WIN an elimination game?
In the grand scheme of postseason streaks, it hasn’t been too long — just a little under 25 years. The 1997 Indians had their backs against the wall when they took Game 6 of the World Series from the Marlins, forcing a decisive Game 7. Unfortunately, based on the length of the overall drought (and the list above), you know Cleveland didn’t win the 1997 World Series — and you may even remember the gut-wrenching way that season ended: with Edgar Renteria’s 11th-inning walk-off single.
Have there been any comparable streaks in MLB history?
Despite holding an all-time postseason record, the Guardians do have some company. Unfortunately for many other midwestern baseball fans, it’s in the form of the Twins, who are currently riding a nine-game losing streak in elimination games that carries back to 2002. Ironically, six of those nine losses have come against the Yankees, but that’s a postseason narrative for another day.
How many have been winner-take-all games?
Seven. That’s an even more outrageous percentage when you consider that the Guardians have only played eight winner-take-all games in franchise history, all of which have been since 1997. The 73-year championship drought aside, over the last three decades, it’s been pretty difficult to get rid of Cleveland.
Have they come close to winning any of them?
Agonizingly close, in fact, on multiple occasions. Even setting aside Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, Cleveland lost two of the other nine games by one run, and both came down to the wire. Most recently, there was Game 2 of the 2020 ALWC Series against the Yankees in which they were a mere three outs away from forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 — this before New York plated a pair of ninth-inning runs with a handful of well-placed grounders and a sacrifice fly.
Much more significantly, there was Game 7 of the 2016 World Series against the Cubs, an instant classic that did end a historic championship drought — just not the one we’re talking about. To add insult to injury, Cleveland was facing a 6-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth before staging a remarkable two-out rally against then-Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman, capped off by Rajai Davis’ still-iconic, game-tying home run down the left-field line at Progressive Field.
That seemed like a turn in momentum, and even after Cleveland fell behind again in the top of the 10th, all didn’t seem lost. Davis tacked on another RBI, bringing his club just one run away from extending their season for at least another inning. But it wasn’t to be. Chicago walked away with its first championship since 1908, and Cleveland fell just short, again.
So … what are the odds this ends today?
As with most postseason games, it’s about 50-50. History doesn’t suggest an obvious outcome — Game 5 of the ALDS will be a road game for the Guardians, who will be attempting to advance in the legendarily-hostile Yankee Stadium. But in winner-take-all postseason games, home teams don’t actually have an obvious advantage; in fact, at least for the moment, road teams have the edge, having gone 63-61 in these situations. And while it may seem that momentum favors the Yankees, who won Game 4 and are hosting this elimination game, in the 34 previous League Division Series that have gone the full five games, the winners of Game 4 have gone on to win the series 19 times. That’s just 56 percent of the time — an advantage, sure, but an awfully slim one.