MLB wild-card game: Ranking the best contests through the years

Major League Baseball introduced the wild-game for the 2012 season, pitting the top two wild-card teams in each league against each other in a one-game playoff.

In the five years since, there have a been a number of memorable moments in the elimination game. 

Here's a look back at the 10 contests played to date, ranked by how good the game was:

1. Royals 9, A’s 8 (12 innings) – 2014 (AL): In one of the best games in recent history, the Royals scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force the contest to extra innings. Alberto Callaspo’s RBI gave Oakland the lead in the top of the 12th, but Kansas City rallied back in the bottom of the inning. Eric Hosmer hit an opposite-field triple that was poorly fielded and later scored on Christian Colon’s infield single to tie it up. Salvador Perez would single Colon home to give the Royals the win, and they would march on to the World Series, ultimately losing to the Giants in seven games.

2. Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 (11 inn.) – 2016 (AL): This will always be remembered for Orioles manager Buck Showalter not using Zach Britton out of the bullpen. Edwin Encarnacion hit a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the the 11th to send Toronto to the ALDS.

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3. Giants 3, Mets 0 – 2016 (NL): Scoreless until the ninth inning, Conor Gillaspie’s three-run homer off Mets closer Jeurys Familia gave Madison Bumgarner all he needed for his second wild card complete game shutout in three seasons.

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4. Cardinals 6, Braves 3 – 2012 (NL): The first-ever wild-card game was also the final game of Chipper Jones’ career. A controversial infield fly was called in the eighth inning, benefitting the Cardinals. Braves fans littered the field with trash, causing a lengthy delay.

5. Pirates 6, Reds 2 – 2013 (NL): This one will live in infamy for Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto dropping the ball on the mound and giving up a home run on the next pitch while being taunted by Pittsburgh fans.

6. Orioles 5, Rangers 2 – 2012 (AL): Texas blew the AL West, blowing a three-game lead over the final three days of the season and were forced into this game. Joe Saunders outdueled Yu Darvish in Baltimore’s first postseason appearance since 1997, completing the Rangers’ implosion.

7. Cubs 4, Pirates 0 – 2015 (NL): These two teams had the second and third-best records in baseball, but the 100-win Cardinals took the NL Central. The Cubs scored in the first inning and wouldn’t look back, beyond a five-hit shutout from Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta.

8. Giants 8, Pirates 0 – 2014 (NL):  Brandon Crawford’s grand slam in the fourth inning gave the Giants all they would need. Madison Bumgarner struck out 10, the first of two shutouts in a postseason that ended with him claiming World Series MVP honors.

9. Astros 3, Yankees 0 – 2015 (AL): Dallas Keuchel tossed six scoreless innings for Houston, while Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka struggled in five innings of work. Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez homered for the Astros at Yankee Stadium.

10. Rays 4, Indians 0 – 2013 (AL): Tampa Bay won on the road, getting 6 ⅔ scoreless innings from Alex Cobb, who had been hit in the head by a line drive earlier in the season.

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