1993 NLCS, Game 6: Braves @ Phillies

Atlanta Braves 3 at Philadelphia Phillies 6, F — The 1993 Phillies were known as a blue-collar, hard-working team, led by John Kruk, Darren Daulton, Lenny “Nails” Dykstra, righty ace Curt Schilling and closer Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. They had finished in last place the year before — a full 26 games out of first — but team chemistry fuelled a 97-65 turnaround, and they won the NL East by three games. By contrast, the Atlanta Braves were just launching themselves as “the team of the 90s” (whether that was still true by the end of the 90s is not at issue here), their 104-58 record just enough to edge out the Giants by one game in the NL West in a classic division race. Their rotation was a four-of-a-kind, aces high affair, boasting two 20-game winners in Cy Young winner Gregg Maddux and Tom Glavine, followed closely by Steve Avery and John Smoltz. A postseason-tested Atlanta squad was heavily favored going into the NLCS, but the scrappy Phils had forced the Braves into a position of desperation in Game 6. Game 2 winner Maddux took the hill, but a Mickey Morandini line drive hit him in the leg in the first inning, and he was not himself for the rest of the game. The Phils sprinkled a few two-run innings throughout, and Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams came in to close it out with a perfect 9th, sending the Phillies to the World Series for the first time in ten years. A side note: Curt Schilling won the NL Championship Series MVP with a 1.69 ERA and 19 strikeouts over two starts, becoming the only pitcher in Major League history to win a postseason series MVP without either a decision or a save.