With one occurring yesterday, it’s time for the Top 7 to look at the greatest in-game collapses of this decade. The key phrase there is “in-game.” It doesn’t take into account the Mets’ fall last season, or the Brewers’ overall fall this year (if they finish it off), or the Red Sox ’04 comeback. We are talking strictly games here. And since there have been thousands of games in all of the major sports this decade, there are going to be some missed. Thanks for sending them on. Also, if the outcome of the game did not affect their overall season as much (in some of these games, teams actually won their series or made the playoffs even with the collapse), they get a lower slot. Onto the list.


7. Yankees/Diamondbacks, 2001
This one is the most mind-boggling. How in the world did the Diamondbacks come back and win this series? In two straight games at Yankee Stadium, which were two of the loudest crowds of all-time, Byung-Hyun Kim gave up three crushing home runs. In Game 4, a two-run homer by Paul O’Neill in the 9th tied it, and Derek Jeter won it in the 10th. In Game 5, Scott Brosius hit a two-run, two-out homer to tie the game in the 9th and the Yanks won it in the 12th. It has to be the most amazing reverse of fortune in baseball history that you can let Brosius hit a game-tying homer that eventually gets you down 3-2 in the series and you still win the thing.


6. Houston Astros, 2005
Two out, no one on, Brad Lidge pitching. Eckstein singles, Edmonds walks, Albert Pujols hits one 1,200 feet to give the Cardinals the lead. Yes, Houston still made the World Series, but they didn’t get to celebrate at home even though the place was about to explode prior to the Eckstein single. Speaking of Pujols, here’s the weekly MVP roundup. First off, Ryan Howard should win it because he is on a winning team. Makes sense. I am sure that if Pujols were traded for Howard, the Phillies would sink to fourth place. Maybe even lower. Secondly, the “Cardinals fourth with Pujols, fourth without him” argument is completely logical. There is no one else to blame for the Cardinal bullpen blowing 30+ saves this season than Albert Pujols. It all makes complete and total sense.


5. Milwaukee Brewers, 2008
The jury is still out on this one as the Brewers could still make the playoffs, but it doesn’t look too good. Up by four with two outs and nobody on in the 9th, Ryan Braun lets a ball go under his glove for a “double.” Single, single, home run, tie game. The Cubs then win it in the 12th. It was extremely similar to the famous Brant Brown error in 1998 that cost the Cubs a huge game in the last week of the season. They still made the playoffs that year. If the Brewers do not, there may need to be a suicide watch for some of their fans.


4. New England Patriots, 2007
This one had serious parallels to the Red Sox’s series comeback against the Yankees in 2003, except the Boston team was on the other side. The Patriots, playing the Yanks’ role of destroying the Colts every time out, jumps out to a huge 21-3 first half lead, just as the Yankees jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. Those watching the series/game declare it over and begin making jokes about how one team will never possibly beat the other. Then, inexplicably, the Colts/Red Sox come all the way back and finish the job, marking an insane comeback. Wherever there is a comeback, there is also a chokejob.


3. Blazers/Lakers, 2000
Up 75-60 in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, Portland missed 13 consecutive shots and allowed the Lakers to come back and win in the biggest fourth quarter Game 7 comeback ever. The biggest comeback prior to that was just six points.


2. Memphis Tigers, 2008
The Tigers were up 60-51 with 2:12 left in the second half. Kansas was in the “foul them and maybe we can miraculously comeback” mode, which works about 0.001% of the time. People with Memphis in their pools were already getting congratulatory text messages and phone calls. A half-hour later, those same people were throwing things around their houses.


1.Steve Bartman
I’m pretty sure that this one is well-documented.