World Series 2017: Astros-Dodgers Becoming The Best Of All Time

HOUSTON, TX — In the first two rounds of the baseball playoffs, it surely seemed like the TV announcers wanted any other team but the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series. Now holding a 3-2 lead over the Dodgers and heading to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Tuesday, the Astros are one win away from capturing their first world championship. But unbecoming to Astros skeptics, this could go down as the greatest World Series in baseball history, and that's saying a lot.

Game 2 last Wednesday and Game 5 Sunday night probably has many Astros fans checking their blood pressure, hyperventilating in paper bags and visiting their cardiologists — and those were two wins. The ebbs and flows of those two games were nothing short of remarkable. They both went extra innings and involved late-game magic by both teams.

Sunday's Game 5 at Minute Maid Park lasted 5 hours and 17 minutes — the second-longest World Series game ever. It's only 24 minutes behind Game 3 of the 2005 World Series matchup between the the Astros and the Chicago White Sox.

This series already has the most home runs (22) and Sunday the Astros became the first team to ever have five different players homer in a single World Series game.

Game 5 will probably crack the top 10 all-time best World Series Games, which would include the Cubs winning Game 7 in extra innings last year, St. Louis topping the Texas Rangers in 2011, Joe Carter's series-needing home run over the Phillies in 1993, Kirk Gibson's walk-off homer in 1988, the Mets-Red Sox in Game 6 of 1986, Carlton Fisk's home run wave, Mazeroski's walk-off in 1960 to beat the Yankees, or Don Larsen pitching a perfect game in 1956.

Also See: Astros Lead Series 3-2 After 13-12 Thrill Ride

Here's a rundown of the top end-to-end World Series since the Fall Classic began. The 2017 version of Astros-Dodgers could crack this top 10. If the Dodgers win Tuesday and it goes to Game 7 on Wednesday, then it would be hard to not include it.

10. 1968 — Detroit Tigers beat St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3

Behind Bob Gibson's rocket arm and incredible year in which he posted a record 1.12 ERA, the Cardinals beat the Tigers, 10-1, to take a 3-1 lead and looked assured to win the Fall Classic. The Tigers clawed back to win Games 5 and 6, only to face Gibson a third time. The Tigers won, 4-1, in the finale to take the championship, becoming just the third team all-time to come from a 3-1 deficit.

9. 1993 — Toronto Blue Jays beat Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2

This series mirrors the 2017 edition more than the others. Toronto looked to take a 3-1 series lead and looked well on its way, cruising to a 14-9 lead in Game 4. But the Phillies bats erupted for six runs and Philadelphia won, 15-14. The Jays won Game 5 and, as everyone knows, Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run i Game 6 to give Toronto back-to-back titles.

8. 1956 — New York Yankees beat Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-3

This was the fourth time in five years these two New York teams met in the Fall Classic, and this was by far the best. The Dodgers won the first two and the Yankees even the series at two games apiece. Then Don Larsen pitched himself into baseball immortality when he threw a perfect game — still the only such World Series feat to this day — to give the Yankees the edge. Sure, the Dodgers won game 6 in extra innings and the Yankees won game 7 in a blowout (9-0), but this will always be about Larsen.

7. 1960 — Pittsburgh Pirates beat New York Yankees, 4-3

This was a rather boring World Series in the middle of the series because of three Yankees wins with scores of 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0. However, the Pirates took it to seven games, and Bill Mazeroski led the bottom of the ninth with the score tied, 9-9. The Maz launched a series-ending home run that's still talked about. Of note, there were no strikeouts despite 19 runs scored in the Game 7 thriller.

6. 1975 — Cincinnati Reds beat Boston Red Sox, 4-3

The Red Sox faced elimination in game 6 and, in the bottom of the 12th, Sox catcher carlton Fisk crushed a 1-0 pitch high to the Green Monster in left field of Fenway park. As the ball sailed to the height of the foul pole, Fisk hopped sideways down the first base line, waving both arms toward fair territory to seemingly guide the ball fair. The Red Sox won the game but lost the series the next night in Game 7.

5. 1986 — New York Mets beat Boston Red Sox, 4-3

This was the year the Red Sox were end the curse. Boston held a 3-2 lead over the Mets and had home-field advantage. Two young pitchers headlined this series (Boston's Roger Clemens and New York's Dwight Gooden), but it would be a gaffe by Boston first baseman that will forever remain etched in the minds of everyone. Leading late in the game, Boston's Bill Buckner let a slow roller go underneath his glove. The Mets came from behind to win game 6, and they carried that momentum to a Game 7 clincher and reliever Jessie Orosco tossing his glove toward the Boston sky at the series end.

4. 1924 — Washington Senators beat New York Giants, 4-3

The collective run differential was just one (only seven in World Series history). But it was a bizarre play in Game 7 that brings this one to the list. The Giants looked prime to win the game, but a Senators ground ball to third hit a pebble and flew over the third baseman's head. The Senators tied the game and went on to win it in the 12th inning.

3. 1991 — Minnesota Twins beat Atlanta Braves, 4-3

These two long-suffering teams played five 1-run games, and three times they went to extra innings. With the Braves holding a 3-2 series lead, Game 6 went to extra innings before Kirby Puckett hit a home run to send it to Game 7. Twins pitcher Jack Morris pitched 10 shutout innings and the Twins won an extra-inning thriller.

2. 2011 — St. Louis Cardinals beat Texas Rangers, 4-3

The only Texas tram on this list (so far) held a 3-2 lead and a lead in Game 6, but a gaffe by Rangers' Nelson Cruz allowed the Cardinals to tie the game late and win it in the 11th inning. Then the Cardinals blasted the rangers in Game 7 to capture yet another World Series and leave Texas teams 0-3 all time in the Fall Classic (Houston 2005, Texas (2010)

1. 2016 — Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland Indians, 4-3

Cubs fans came out of the woodworks all over the world for this series, and it couldn't have been more epic. The Indians took a 3-1 lead and appeared to hand Cubs fans more misery. The Cubs won a heart stopper, 3-2, and then broke out the big bats in Cleveland for 9-3 win to send it to Game 7. Then high drama hit. The Cubs overcame one deficit after another and won it, 8-7, in 10 innings to end the 108-year curse.

Image: The Houston Astros celebrates after Alex Bregman game winning single during Game 5 of baseball's World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Houston. Astros won 13-12. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)