Dodgers on the verge of one of the greatest comebacks in L.A. sports history, or not

When it comes to great comebacks in sports history, the teams from Los Angeles don’t have many. The Lakers pretty much dominate whenever they make the playoffs. There have been some close games in Lakers playoff history, but nothing of the great comeback variety. The Kings have a few bright playoff comeback moments. The Miracle on Manchester, when the Kings, down 5-0 after two periods to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1982, scored five goals in the third period to tie the score and won the game in overtime, 6-5. The Kings went on to win the five-game series and knock out Wayne Gretzky’s dynasty Oilers, only to lose to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round. And that isn’t even the greatest comeback in Kings’ playoff history.

The top three greatest playoff comebacks in Los Angeles sports history belong to the Dodgers and the Kings. The 2020 Dodgers are down 3-1 in the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves. If the Dodgers can somehow find a way to win this series, it might crack the top three comebacks in L.A. sports history. But after losing Game 4, 10-2, it doesn’t look good for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have been down this road before. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been down 0-2 twice in the World Series. The first time it happened was in 1965 against the mighty Minnesota Twins. It is the third greatest comeback in L.A. sports history.

The 1965 World Series started in Minnesota. Don Drysdale started for the Dodgers against Mudcat Grant for the Twins. Drysdale gave up six runs in the third inning, eerily similar to Clayton Kershaw’s disastrous sixth inning against the Braves in Game 4 of the NLCS, and the Dodgers lost 8-2. Grant pitched a complete game, scattering 10 hits and striking out five. Ron Fairly hit a solo home run for the Dodgers in the second inning, the Edwin Rios of his time. Drysdale only lasted three innings and gave up two home runs.

In Game 2 of the 1965 World Series, Sandy Koufax started for the Dodgers against Jim Kaat for the Twins. This one had a little more drama. Koufax and Kaat were in a pitchers’ duel for five innings before the Twins broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the sixth. The Twins chased Koufax out of the game after that inning. Kaat pitched a complete game, the Twins tacked on three more runs and won Game 2, 5-1. The Dodgers were down 2-0 in the World Series and their two best pitchers took the losses.

In Game 3, back in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium, Claude Osteen took the mound for the Dodgers against Camilo Pascual for the Twins. Osteen gave the Dodgers just what they needed, a complete game shutout. Osteen wasn’t exactly dominant – he gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two – but it was enough to keep the Twins from scoring any runs. John Roseboro knocked in two runs and Sweet Lou Johnson was 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI for the Dodgers.

In Game 4, Drysdale returned to the mound to start for the Dodgers in a rematch of Game 1 against Grant. This time, Drysdale was in command. He pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts. Wes Parker and Johnson hit home runs, both solo shots, and the Dodgers won 7-2. The World Series was tied, 2-2, and Game 5 was in Dodger Stadium with Koufax scheduled to start.

Koufax didn’t disappoint. He tossed a four-hit shutout and struck out 10. Jim Gilliam knocked in two runs and the Dodgers won 7-0 to take a 3-2 lead in the World Series.

The World Series went seven games. Koufax came back in Game 7 and shut out the Twins again, this time 2-0. Johnson hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his second home run of the World Series completing the third best playoff comeback in L.A. sports history.

The 1981 World Series started much like the 1965 World Series. Only this time it was the Dodgers against the Yankees. The Dodgers went down 2-0, losing the first two games of the World Series in New York.

Enter Fernando Valenzuela. The Dodger rookie made his first World Series start in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series. It wasn’t pretty but it was enough for the Dodgers. Valenzuela pitched a complete game, walking seven batters and giving up four runs on nine hits. But the Dodgers kept it close. They scored three runs in the first inning and added two more in the fifth to win the game, 5-4. It wasn’t easy, but it was the spark the Dodgers needed.

The Dodgers won Game 4 in another ugly effort. Dodgers starter Bob Welch couldn’t get an out in the first inning. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk and put the Dodgers in a 2-0 hole. Yankees starter Rick Reuschel wasn’t much better. He lasted only three innings, giving up two runs on six hits and left the game with a 4-2 lead.

The score was tied 6-6 in the seventh inning. Steve Yeager hit a sacrifice fly for the Dodgers to break the tie. Steve Howe pitched the final three innings in relief for the win and the Dodgers held on for an 8-7 victory.

Game 5 was a little closer. Jerry Reuss started for the Dodgers and pitched a complete game. Pedro Guerrero and Yeager hit solo home runs in the seventh inning and the Dodgers won, 2-1, to take a 3-2 lead in the World Series.

The Dodgers left little doubt in Game 6. Guerrero drove in five runs, hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, added a two-run triple and the Dodgers won easily 9-2, completing the comeback, the second greatest in Los Angeles sports history.

The Kings, a year removed from their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, were down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Game 3 of that series was particularly painful. The Kings lost 4-3 in overtime.

Game 4 proved to be the start of the greatest comeback in L.A. sports history.

The Kings won Game 4, 6-3. Justin Williams scored two goals in the second period. Tyler Toffoli added another goal and Dustin Brown capped off the game with his first goal of the playoffs in the third period.

Game 5 was a textbook Jonathan Quick game. The Kings goalie made 30 saves and shut out the Sharks, 3-0. Toffoli, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored the goals for the Kings. The series was now 3-2 in favor of the Sharks.

Game 6 was the Williams show again. He scored two goals. The Kings scored three goals in the third period and won the game 4-1. The series was tied and the Kings forced a Game 7.

The Sharks drew first blood in Game 7. Matt Irwin gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead with a goal in the second period. The Kings answered with five unanswered goals. Drew Doughty tied the score with a goal in the second period. Kopitar gave the Kings the lead with a goal at the end of the second period.

Toffoli, Brown and Tanner Pearson scored goals for the Kings in the third period. Pearson scored his first goal of the playoffs, the last goal for the Kings in the series, and wrote the last chapter of the greatest comeback in L.A. sports history.

If the Dodgers manage to crawl out of 3-1 hole in the 2020 NLCS, they will find a place in the L.A. playoff comeback storybook. Let’s go Dodgers.