5 longest MLB games in baseball history
Baseball games are typically played for three hours, five minutes, and eleven seconds on average (as of 2019). Major League Baseball is attempting to accelerate the pace of the game in the future. That would have been a fantastic idea when the MLB games with the longest stretches of play took occurred. The record for the longest game in Major League Baseball history has been widely chronicled over the years. In other words, even though baseball is a slow sport by nature, it is unusual to see a game continue all the way to the 20th inning or even beyond.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how many innings the longest baseball game in history lasted, we’ve got the answer for you.
5. July 21, 1945: Detroit Tigers 1, Philadelphia Athletics 1
The game will last 24 innings. If you were a fan of pitching duel, you were in for a treat in 1945 when the Detroit Tigers took on the Philadelphia Athletics. They played for a total of 4 hours, 48 minutes without stopping, and, perhaps most impressively, just four pitchers took the mound that day (2 per team). Les Mueller threw 19.2 innings for the Tigers, allowing just one earned run, while Russ Christopher tossed 13 innings for the Athletics, allowing two earned runs. They continued on and on until the game was ruled a tie owing to the lack of visibility.
4. April 15, 1968: Houston Astros 1, New York Mets 0
The game will last 24 innings. There have been games in which the defense was outstanding, the pitcher was sharp, and the batting was awful. It all came together in 1968, when the New York Mets and the Houston Astros met in a game that was scoreless until the 24th inning of the 24th inning. The duration of this never-ending game was 6 hours and 6 minutes. This game also holds the record for the most scoreless innings in Major League Baseball history, thanks to the pitching performances of Tom Seaver and Don Wilson.
3. Sept. 11, 1974: St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 3
25 innings in length This game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets is the oldest continuous Major League Baseball game that has never finished in a tie. It was impressive because it lasted for seven hours and four minutes and concluded far into three o’clock in the morning. One of the most memorable aspects of this game is the fact that the Cardinals had a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning before the Mets knotted it up. Bakke McBrides scored in the 16th inning when Hank Webb made an errant throw that caused him to score.
2. May 8, 1984: Chicago White Sox 7, Milwaukee Brewers 6
25 innings in length The Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers played for 8 hours and 6 minutes, setting a new MLB record for the longest game ever. If you thought the last game seemed to drag on forever, you wouldn’t want to be in the stadium when they played for 8 hours and 6 minutes (in time). This game had been going on for so long that they had to finish it the next day.
Both teams went 17 innings until the game was called at 1:00 a.m. by the umpires. The following day, the Brewers grabbed a three-run lead in the 21st inning, but the White Sox rallied to tie the game once again and eventually won the game on the 25th.
1. May 1, 1920: Brooklyn Robins 1, Boston Braves 1
The game lasted 26 innings. Consider the possibility of a baseball game lasting 26 innings and ending in a draw. When the Brooklyn Robins took against the Boston Braves in 1920, that was just unacceptable, but hey, it was a part of the regulations at the time. The Robins and Braves were the stars of a pitching and defensive masterclass that, amazingly, only lasted 3 hours and 50 minutes, which is just slightly longer than a typical baseball game on the diamond. Because of the darkness, the game was finally declared a draw.
List of Longest MLB Games:
-August 22, 1917: The Brooklyn Robins defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5. (22 innings) -May 17, 1927: The Chicago Cubs defeated the Boston Braves, 4-3. (22 innings) -June 24, 1962: The New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 9 to 7. (22 innings) -June 12, 1967: The Washington Senators defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6 to 5. (22 innings) -On May 12, 1972, the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Minnesota Twins, 4-3. (22 innings) -Aug. 23, 1989: The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Montreal Expos, 1 to 0.
- (22 innings) -June 27, 1939: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Bees, 2 to 1.
- (23 innings) -September 1, 1906: The Philadelphia Athletics defeated the Boston Americans, 4 to 1.
- The Detroit Tigers defeated the Philadelphia Athletics on July 21, 1945.
- (24 innings) -September 11, 1974: The St.
- (25 innings) -On May 8, 1984, the Chicago White Sox defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6.
- (26 innings)
Longest game in major league history
During the weekend of May 8-9, 1984 in Chicago, the longest game in major league history in terms of time was completed. A three-all tie game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox was delayed after seventeen innings on May 8th, with the score remaining at 3-3. The game was re-started the next day before the regularly scheduled game time. The Brewers seemed to be on their way to a victory in the 21st inning after Ben Oglivie hit a three-run home run, but the White Sox responded with three runs of their own, two of which came on aTom Pacioreksingle.
Harold Baines hit a home run on the 753rd pitch of the game in the bottom of the 25th inning, with one out, for the Chicago White Sox.
It also established a new record for the earliest time a player has hit a home run in a game.
Also of note, Tom Seaver won the game in relief for the Sox, then went on to start the main game and throw another 8 1/3 innings, giving him a total of two of his 311 career victories in the same day.
It was not the longest game in terms of innings, since that distinction belongs to the historic 1-1 draw between Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger in 1920, during which they both matched zeroes for 26 innings. Boxscore
May 8-9, 1984: White Sox, Brewers play for 25 innings, longest game in major-league history – Society for American Baseball Research
In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “Baseball has the huge advantage over cricket in that it is completed far sooner.” In 1984, the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers challenged that concept by playing the longest major-league game in history, clocking in at 8 hours and 6 minutes over two days on May 8 and 9. A total of 14,754 fans were treated to 13 runs, 43 hits, four mistakes (nearly all of which were costly), and sleep deprivation during the White Sox’ 7-6 victory against the Brewers in 25 innings at Comiskey Park.
- Baserunning was a mess.
- “It was really incredible.” 3Neither team came into this game with a good record.
- 4The defending American League West champions were in worse shape, sitting in fifth place with a record of 12-15, 312 games behind the California Angels.
- Sutton’s baseball career came to a close in Cooperstown.
- 5Despite the disparity in their professional backgrounds, Fallon was on an equal footing with Sutton on this cool May night.
- (The Brewers managed a total of six victories.) In contrast to Fallon, Sutton was not quite as effective, walking two batters in the first frame and surrendering two singles in the third.
- In the sixth inning, the Brewers let up a run to the White Sox.
Randy Ready dropped Harold Baines’ foul popup to second base, allowing Walker to be stranded at second base instead.
Ready earned his redemption by driving in the tying run in the eighth inning after drawing a leadoff walk and tied the game at 1-1 with singles by Sundberg and Robin Yount.
After a single in the 11th inning, Sundberg was called out at first base after taking an excessive amount of time to get to first base on his throw to second.
Yount started the game with a hit to left field, and with one out, he stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcherCarlton Fisk.
Despite the fact that pitcher Rollie Fingers came into the game chasing his fifth save of the season, the Brewers’ shoddy defense cost him the opportunity.
“I completely botched it.
“I arrived with plenty of time to spare.
That brought the score for the day to a close, but not the game of baseball.
So far in 1984, the White Sox had played only two games, both of which they won in 10-inning walk-off fashion.
A double by Baines off Tom Tellmann and an intentional walk to Paciorek in the 13th inning gave the White Sox runners at first and second with two out, but they were unable to knock in the winning run.
This was turning into a late-night affair.
when Baines grounded out to second to close the 17th inning on the 506th pitch thrown by the pitcher, as per American League regulations.
The game would restart in a short period of time – 17 hours later, at 6:30 p.m., before the teams’ next match.
“If the first game didn’t drag on for too long, I’d move on to the second game.” They were planning to bring in Bob McClurein when Porter became fatigued,” Porter explained.
In the 21st inning, Ron Reed took over for the White Sox and, after retiring the first two hitters, allowed a single to Cecil Cooper, a walk to Simmons, and a three-run home slam to Oglivie to put the White Sox in front.
A groundball to third base was hit by Rudy Law, which Ready threw into the stands, and the White Sox were on their way to a victory.
There appears to be no record of the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” being played during the 21st-inning stretch during the game.
Unfortunately for Stegman, he was unable to apply the brakes as he approached third base and crashed into the arms of third-base coach Jim Leyland, or barely touched him, depending on whose dugout you were in.
Tony La Russa, the manager of the Chicago White Sox, walked out of the game for the duration of the game in protest.
“I don’t believe Leyland was involved in it.” 11 Leyland, on the other hand, maintained his innocence.
The White Sox brought in Seaver, who had been set to start on Wednesday, to throw the top of the 25th inning.
LaMarr Hoyt, who had begun the game before the marathon, was the only one of their players who did not appear in the game after Seaver entered the game.
In the second inning, Dave Stegman was struck out after he bunted foul after two strikes.
Baines stepped up and crushed a 420-foot rocket to center field, 14and the longest game in major league history came to a close, resulting in Seaver being declared the winner.
15 “I wish it had gone on a little longer,” Porter, who was forced to accept the defeat, said.
was shown on the center-field scoreboard at 9:12 p.m., 25 hours and 42 minutes after the game began, by the White Sox scoreboard operator on behalf of the whole team.
He went 81/3 innings and earned a 5-4 victory.
Additionally, Retrosheet.org and Baseball-Reference.com were consulted, as was the SABR’s BioProject (accessible through the SABR website), the Sporting News Archive (accessed through the Paper of Record), and the Chicago Tribune (accessed through newspapers.com).
4.
The previous record for the longest game in terms of duration (7 hours and 23 minutes) was set on May 31, 1964, between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets.
The Mets and Giants combined to play for a total of 9 hours and 52 minutes on that day.
In addition to winning the American League East, they lost only one postseason game on their way to capturing the World Series championship.
The Chicago Tribune published a 72-page article on May 10, 1984.
6 “Any Lead Is Unsafe as the Brewers Play 17,” according to Tom Flaherty.
There was a regulation in place at the time that no inning may begin after 12:59 a.m.
9Ibid.
Sports 311 in the Milwaukee Journal on May 10, 1984.
The Chicago Tribune published an article on May 10, 1984, with the number 81.12.
The Milwaukee Journal published a story on May 10, 1984, titled Sports 3.13.
14″About L-O-N-G Games,” or “About L-O-N-G Games,” 4.
A major-league home run was hit in the 25th inning, making it the latest inning in which one had been hit.
15 “25 Innings Later, the Chisox Came Out on Top,” by Joe Goddard. The Sporting News published a 4.16 rating on May 21, 1984. “Baseball’s Longest Day Is the Longest for the Brewers,” by Tom Flaherty. Sports 317, according to the Milwaukee Journal of May 10, 1984.
MLB Game Length Records
Obtaining baseball game length records (such as the longest and shortest games ever played, the most innings ever played in a single game, and other similar records) is one of the most often requested commodities on the Internet. The Baseball Almanac is proud to introduce an official baseball game duration record book, which is available for purchase. The longest games, both in terms of innings played and time spent playing, as well as several permutations, are given.
Major League Baseball Game Length Records
| Record | Lg | Teams | Time | Date |
| Longest Doubleheader18 Innings | AL | New York 12 at Boston 4 | 8h 40m | 08-18-2006 |
| New York 14 at Boston 11 | 08-18-2006 | |||
| NL | Brooklyn 2 at New York 8 | 6h 46m | 08-07-1952 | |
| Brooklyn 7 at New York 5 | 08-07-1952 | |||
| Longest DoubleheaderWith Extra Innings (by Game Length Time) | AL | Kansas City 6 at Detroit 7 (Game Length 3:25) | 9h 05m | 06-17-1967 |
| 9 Innings | ||||
| Kansas City 6 at Detroit 5 (Game Length 5:40) | 06-17-1967 | |||
| 19 Innings | ||||
| NL | San Francisco 5 at New York 3 (Game Length 2:29) | 9h 52m | 05-31-1964 | |
| 9 Innings | ||||
| San Francisco 8 at New York 6 (Game Length 7:23) | 05-31-1964 | |||
| 23 Innings | ||||
| Longest DoubleheaderWith Extra Innings (by Total Elapsed Time) (Includes Length of Delay) | AL | Kansas City 6 at Detroit 7 (Game Length 3:25, 0:15 Rain Delay in 7th) | 9h 56m | 06-17-1967 |
| 9 Innings | ||||
| Kansas City 6 at Detroit 5 (Intermission 0:36, Game Length 5:40) | 06-17-1967 | |||
| 19 Innings | ||||
| NL | San Diego 5 at Philadelphia 2 (Rain Delay Start 1:10, Game Length 2:34, Rain Delay in 4th 1:56, Rain Delay in 6th 2:48) | 12h 05m | 07-02-1993 | |
| 9 Innings | ||||
| San Diego 5 at Philadelphia 6 (Intermission 0:25, Game Length 3:12) | 07-02-1993 | |||
| 10 Innings | ||||
| Longest GameExtra Innings | AL | Chicago 7 vs. Milwaukee 6 | 8h 06m | 05-08-1984 |
| 25 Innings | ||||
| NL | San Francisco 8 vs. New York 6 | 7h 23m | 05-31-1964 | |
| 23 Innings | ||||
| Longest Game9 Innings | AL | New York 14 at Boston 11 | 4h 45m | 08-18-2006 |
| NL | Arizona 10 at Colorado 9 | 4h 30m | 06-24-2016 | |
| Philadelphia 17 at Pittsburg 5 | 4h 30m | 07-06-2018 | ||
| Longest Game9 Innings At Night | AL | New York 14 at Boston 11 | 4h 45m | 08-18-2006 |
| NL | Arizona 10 at Colorado 9 | 4h 30m | 06-24-2016 | |
| Philadelphia 17 at Pittsburg 5 | 4h 30m | 07-06-2018 | ||
| Shortest Doubleheader18 Innings | AL | New York at St. Louis (Gm 1, 1:12) | 2h 07m | 09-26-1926 |
| New York at St. Louis (Gm 2, 0:55) | 09-26-1926 | |||
| NL | Chicago at Brooklyn (Gm 1, uk) | 2h 20m | 08-14-1919 | |
| Chicago at Brooklyn (Gm 2, uk) | 08-14-1919 | |||
| Shortest Game9 Innings | AL | St. Louis 6 vs. New York 2 | 55m | 09-26-1926 |
| Game 2 | ||||
| NL | New York 6 vs. Philadelphia 1 | 51m | 09-28-1919 | |
| Game 1 | ||||
| Shortest GameNine Innings At Night | AL | Chicago 1 vs. Washington 0 | 1h 29m | 05-21-1943 |
| NL | Boston 2 at Cincinnati 0 | 1h 15m | 08-10-1944 | |
| Record | Lg | Teams | Innings | Date |
Major League Baseball Game Length Records
| Record | Lg | Teams | Innings | Date |
| Longest GameBy Innings (20+ Innings) | NL | Brooklyn 1 at Boston 1 | 26 | 05-01-1920 |
| NL | St. Louis 4 at New York 3 | 25 | 09-11-1974 | |
| AL | Chicago 7 vs. Milwaukee 6 | 25 | 05-08-1984 | |
| AL | Philadelphia 4 at Boston 1 | 24 | 09-01-1906 | |
| AL | Detroit 1 at Philadelphia 1 | 24 | 07-21-1945 | |
| NL | Houston 1 vs. New York 0 | 24 | 04-15-1968 | |
| NL | Boston 2 vs. Brooklyn 2 | 23 | 06-27-1939 | |
| NL | San Francisco 8 at New York 6 | 23 | 05-31-1964 | |
| NL | Brooklyn 6 vs. Pittsburgh 5 | 22 | 08-22-1917 | |
| NL | Chicago 4 at Boston 3 | 22 | 05-17-1927 | |
| AL | New York 9 at Detroit 7 | 22 | 06-24-1962 | |
| AL | Washington 6 vs Chicago 5 | 22 | 06-12-1967 | |
| AL | Milwaukee 4 at Minnesota 3 | 22 | 05-12-1972 | |
| NL | Houston 5 vs Los Angeles 4 | 22 | 06-03-1989 | |
| NL | Los Angeles 1 at Montreal 0 | 22 | 08-23-1989 | |
| AL | Minnesota 5 vs. Cleveland 4 | 22 | 08-31-1993 | |
| NL | Colorado 2 at San Diego 1 | 22 | 04-17-2008 | |
| NL | New York 3 at Pittsburgh 1 | 21 | 07-17-1914 | |
| NL | Chicago 2 vs. Philadelphia 1 | 21 | 07-17-1918 | |
| NL | Pittsburgh 2 at Boston 0 | 21 | 08-01-1918 | |
| NL | San Francisco 1 at Cincinnati 0 | 21 | 09-01-1967 | |
| AL | Oakland 5 at Washington 3 | 21 | 06-04-1971 | |
| NL | San Diego 1 vs Houston 2 | 21 | 09-24-1971 | |
| AL | Chicago 6 vs. Cleveland 3 | 21 | 05-26-1973 | |
| NL | San Diego 11 at Montreal 8 | 21 | 05-21-1977 | |
| NL | Los Angeles 2 at Chicago 1 | 21 | 08-17-1982 | |
| NL | Cincinnati 7 vs. Chicago 7 | 20 | 06-30-1892 | |
| AL | Philadelphia 4 at Boston 2 | 20 | 07-04-1905 | |
| NL | Chicago 2 at Philadelphia 1 | 20 | 08-24-1905 | |
| NL | Philadelphia 9 vs. Boston 9 | 20 | 04-30-1919 | |
| NL | Chicago 7 vs St. Louis 8 | 20 | 08-28-1930 | |
| NL | Brooklyn 6 at Boston 2 | 20 | 07-05-1940 | |
| AL | Washington 9 at Minnesota 7 | 20 | 08-09-1967 | |
| AL | New York 4 vs. Boston 3 | 20 | 08-29-1967 | |
| AL | Boston 5 at Seattle 3 | 20 | 07-27-1969 | |
| AL | Oakland 1 vs California 0 | 20 | 07-09-1971 | |
| AL | Washington 8 at Cleveland 6 | 20 | 09-14-1971 | |
| NL | Philadelphia 5 vs. Atlanta 4 | 20 | 05-04-1973 | |
| NL | Pittsburgh 5 vs. Chicago 4 | 20 | 07-06-1980 | |
| NL | Houston 3 at San Diego 1 | 20 | 08-15-1980 | |
| AL | Seattle 8 at Boston 7 | 20 | 09-03-1981 | |
| AL | California 4 vs. Seattle 3 | 20 | 04-13-1982 | |
| NL | Philadelphia 7 vs. Los Angeles 6 | 20 | 07-07-1993 | |
| NL | St. Louis 7 at Florida 6 | 20 | 04-27-2003 | |
| NL | New York 2 at St. Louis 1 | 20 | 04-17-2010 | |
| NL | New York 1 vs Florida 2 | 20 | 06-08-2013 | |
| Longest GameInnings At Night | AL | Chicago 7 vs. Milwaukee 6 | 25 | 05-08-1984 |
| NL | St. Louis 4 at New York 3 | 25 | 09-11-1974 | |
| Longest GameInnings OnOpening Day(EveryOpening Daygame over 14 innings is listed) | AL | Toronto 7 vs. Cleveland 4 | 16 | 04-05-2012 |
| Washington 1 vs. Philadelphia 0 | 15 | 04-13-1926 | ||
| Detroit 4 at Cleveland 2 | 15 | 04-19-1960 | ||
| Cleveland 2 vs St. Louis 1 | 14 | 04-16-1935 | ||
| Chicago 9 vs. Detroit 7 | 14 | 04-10-1959 | ||
| Chicago 3 vs California 2 | 14 | 04-12-1966 | ||
| NL | Philadelphia 5 at Brooklyn 5 | 14 | 04-17-1923 | |
| New York 1 at Brooklyn 1 | 14 | 04-16-1933 | ||
| Pittsburgh 4 at Milwaukee 3 | 14 | 04-15-1958 | ||
| Pittsburgh 6 at St. Louis 2 | 14 | 04-08-1969 | ||
| Cincinnati 2 vs. Los Angeles 1 | 14 | 04-07-1975 | ||
| Colorado 11 vs. New York 9 | 14 | 04-26-1995 | ||
| New York 1 vs. Philadelphia 0 | 14 | 03-31-1998 | ||
| Longest ShutoutBy Innings | AL | Oakland 1 vs. California 0 | 20 | 07-09-1971 |
| NL | Houston 1 vs. New York 0 | 24 | 04-15-1968 | |
| Longest TieBy Innings | AL | Detroit 1 at Philadelphia 1 | 24 | 07-21-1945 |
| NL | Boston 1 vs. Brooklyn 1 | 26 | 05-01-1920 | |
| Record | Lg | Teams | Innings | Date |
| Major League Baseball Game Length Records | Research by Baseball Almanac, Inc. |
The Detroit Tigers played in the most straight extra-inning games during the 1908 season (see here for their schedule), from September 9th through September 13th, a stretch that included five games with a total of fifty-four innings. Was it known to you that the 1943 Boston Red Sox competed in a Major League-high thirty-one extra-inning games in the same season, setting a new record? When San Francisco and New York played a double header on May 31, 1964 (Game 1|Game 2), the two clubs set the Major League record for most innings played in a single day with thirty-two innings played between them.
Longest Game
SETTING OF PROFESSIONAL RECORDS
-MOST PUTOUTS- one team – 99 (Pawtucket)
-Rich Gedman, catcher with the Pawtucket Red Sox
“I wanted 40 innings so nobody could ever tie our beautiful record.”
Joe Morgan, the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox
“I remember striking out Cal Ripken on a 3-and-2 breaking ball at 4 o’clock in the morning, and I don’t think he ever forgave me.”
In the 27th-32nd innings, Pawtucket’s Bruce Hurst pitched for the Red Sox.
“I’ve been watching for the bunt for 23 innings now.”
Cleveland Indians third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. responded to relieving pitcher Jim Umbarger’s instruction with a sigh of relief.
“Nothing I ever do in life will probably compare to this.”
-Pawtucket’s Dave Koza, following his game-winning hit that made history.
“A lot of people were saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, we tied it, we tied it!’ And then they said, ‘Oh, no, what did you do? We could have gone home!”
-Wade Boggs of Pawtucket, on his game-tying hit in the 21st inning that tied the game.
“It sank in the next day. Man, we just played 32 innings of baseball. We joked about it. We had smiles on our faces. I was thankful I was a baseball player and on the field that night. As time went by, I appreciated it more.”
-Dallas Williams of the Rochester Red Wings
The 11 longest extra-inning games in MLB postseason, World Series history
According to the author, “It is the mathematical possibility of a single game lasting forever, in a suspended universe where no clock dominates the day, that links baseball with the dead as much as it does with the living.” Bill Vaughn is correct in his assessment. It is mathematically conceivable for a single game to endure an infinite amount of time. Some would claim that a few people do, in fact, believe that they have. A regulation in baseball’s regular season that places a magic runner on second to open each inning after the ninth helped shorten the length of games in 2021, according to the National Baseball Writers Association.
MORE: Are the regulations for the Major League Baseball postseason different from those for the regular season?
Teams will be required to score in the same manner that they would in any other inning, exactly as they have done in previous seasons. In the past, this has resulted in some long extra-inning games during the playoffs. What is the record for the longest? Let’s have a look at this.
What are the longest MLB postseason games?
There have only been three games in the history of the Major League Baseball postseason that have reached the 18th inning, and none have gone on to the 19th inning. All three of them had only lately arrived in the country. The most recent occurred during Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, when the Dodgers and Red Sox advanced to the 18th inning. Max Muncy hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring the game to a close. The Dodgers’ 3-2 victory was also the longest in terms of duration, lasting seven hours and twenty minutes.
The duration of that game was six hours and 23 minutes, making it the second-longest game in the playoffs in terms of time.
This one, too, concluded with a home run, as Chris Burke hit a solo shot off Joey Devine to give the Astros a 7-6 lead and send them to the National League Championship Series.
Here’s a look at the playoff games that have lasted the most innings in Major League Baseball history.
| Teams | Series | Date | Innings | Game Length | Result |
| Red Sox vs. Dodgers | World Series | Oct. 26, 2018 | 18 | 7 hours, 20 minutes | Dodgers win 3-2 |
| Giants vs. Nationals | NLDS | Oct. 4, 2014 | 18 | 6 hours, 23 minutes | Giants win 2-1 |
| Braves vs. Astros | NLDS | Oct. 9, 2005 | 18 | 5 hours, 50 minutes | Astros win 7-6 |
| Mets vs. Astros | NLCS | Oct. 15, 1986 | 16 | 4 hours, 42 minutes | Mets win 7-6 |
| Braves vs. Mets | NLCS | Oct. 17, 1999 | 15 | 5 hours, 46 minutes | Mets win 4-3 |
| Mariners vs. Yankees | ALDS | Oct. 4, 1995 | 15 | 5 hours, 12 minutes | Yankees win 7-5 |
| Mets vs. Royals | World Series | Oct. 27, 2015 | 14 | 5 hours, 9 minutes | Royals win 5-4 |
| Rangers vs. Blue Jays | ALDS | Oct. 9, 2015 | 14 | 4 hours, 57 minutes | Rangers win 6-4 |
| White Sox vs. Astros | World Series | Oct. 25, 2005 | 14 | 5 hours, 41 minutes | White Sox win 7-5 |
| Yankees vs. Red Sox | ALCS | Oct. 18, 2004 | 14 | 5 hours, 49 minutes | Red Sox win 5-4 |
| Robins vs. Red Sox | World Series | Oct. 9, 1916 | 14 | 2 hours, 32 minutes | Red Sox win 2-1 |
What is the longest MLB game ever?
Those playoff run-times may have totaled the duration of two entire Major League Baseball games, but they were still a long way short of the longest games in MLB history during the regular season. According to the number of innings played, two games have reached the 25th inning. The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox both reached the milestone of 25 wins on May 8, 1984. Despite the fact that the Brewers scored three runs in the top of the 21st inning, the White Sox answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning to keep the game alive.
- According to Stathead, the game lasted eight hours and six minutes, making it the longest game played since 1901.
- It was on September 11, that year, when the Cardinals tied the game at three with a run in the top of the ninth inning.
- A errant pitch caused McBride to speed around the bases, finally scoring when catcher Ron Hodges lost the ball.
- Louis a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals.
- and lasting till 3:15 a.m., the game took seven hours and four minutes and ended at 3:15 a.m.
- MORE: Even if you think spending almost eight hours at a baseball game is a long day, imagine how the players for the Giants and the Mets felt on May 31, 1964.
- Juan Marichal threw a whole game against New York, allowing just three runs, as San Francisco defeated the Mets 5-3 in a game that lasted two hours and 29 minutes.
- Extra innings didn’t appear to be in the cards for the second game in a row.
- From there, 15 scoreless innings ensued until the Giants scored two runs in the top of the 23rd inning and went on to win the game 8-6 in extra innings.
That game lasted seven hours and 23 minutes, which means that those players spent a total of nine hours and 52 minutes on the baseball field. It continues to be the longest doubleheader ever played in the sport to this day.
Longest playoff games in North American sports
When compared to the NFL and NBA, it comes as no surprise that the longest MLB playoffs game continues to hold the record for the longest playoff contest in the sport. There is a tie for the longest NBA playoff game between a 1953 battle between the Syracuse Nationals and the Boston Celtics and a quadruple-overtime showdown between the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019, both of which lasted five hours and forty minutes. It was Super Bowl XLVII between the Ravens and the 49ers, which lasted four hours and fourteen minutes, according to Stathead, which was the longest game in NFL postseason history.
What is the longest World Series game ever?
Not too long ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in Game 3 of the World Series, which was the longest game ever played in the World Series history. The game at Dodger Stadium set a new record for the longest World Series game ever, both in terms of innings (18) and total time played (seven hours, 20 minutes).
Records beaten by a mile
The previous record for the most innings played was 14, which was established in 1916, 2005, and 2014, while the previous record for the greatest time spent in the game was five hours and 41 minutes, which was set in 2005 and previously held by the same team in 2016. The first run of the game came in the bottom of the third inning, when Los Angeles’ Joc Pederson hit a home run to start the scoring. The game was tied in the top of the eighth inning when Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo home run for Boston.
In the end, it was the Dodgers who emerged victorious as Max Muncy hit a walk-off home run off the Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi over the left-center-field wall in the bottom of the ninth.
Los Angeles scores another first
During that game, Los Angeles broke yet another milestone by being the first team in history to win a World Series game when trailing in the 11th inning or later. The duel lasted longer than the total number of games played in the entire 1939 World Series. As of that point, the New York Yankees had won four straight games against the Cincinnati Reds, which had lasted a total of seven hours and five minutes. For the first time in the 1939 WorldSeries, this game has taken longer to complete than the whole series.
On October 27, 2018, Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) tweeted: Despite the fact that the Dodgers held the distinction of winning the longest game in World Series history, it turned out to be the only game they would win in the best-of-seven series, which they won in seven games.
It took the Red Sox five games to win the World Series and claim their first championship since 1908.
Five Longest Games in MLB History
The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays played a game yesterday in Tampa, Florida. After the top of the first inning, the Red Sox had a commanding 6-0 lead, and it appeared like the night at the ballpark would be brief. Although they were down and out, the Rays came back and knotted it up in extra innings. However, it took the Red Sox 14 innings to win the game, which was completed well after midnight! Even though that game lasted an hour and a half, it was nothing compared to the two games played over the weekend.
- To make sure they weren’t outdone, the Mets and Marlins played a combined 20 innings (!) to bring their game to a close.
- Twenty innings of baseball is a long time in the sport.
- Wrong.
- May 1, 1920 — 26-inning game between the Brooklyn Robins and the Boston Braves The Robins (later known as the Dodgers) and the Braves battled to a 1-1 tie in their first meeting.
- 2.
- Louis Cardinals vs.
- The Cardinals defeated the Mets 4-3 in the National League Championship Series.
There’s nothing awe-inspiring about that.
On May 8, 1984, the Chicago White Sox defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in a 25-inning game.
It took the White Sox to do it.
4.
The A’s were able to stave off the Americans (eventually known as the Red Sox) and win 4-1.
Fifth game of the season: Detroit Tigers versus Philadelphia Athletics, 24 innings, July 21, 1945.
So, how does the Mets-Marlins game from Saturday rate among the other games?
There have been at least 17 games played in Major League Baseball history that have lasted at least 20 innings, according to the Baseball Almanac.
However, we are still just about halfway through the season. There’s still plenty of time for the Mets, Marlins, or any other club to get beyond the 21-inning barrier this season! Photograph courtesy of AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill
What’s the longest professional baseball game ever played?
This was the longest professional baseball season in history. When the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings met in a Triple-A International League game in 1981, it lasted 33 innings and took eight hours and 25 minutes, according to the official score. There were 23 future or former Major League Baseball players in attendance, including future Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Wade Boggs, among others. The game was delayed into the early hours of Easter Sunday, April 19, after 32 innings were played to a 2–2 draw on April 18.
- “It was windy and chilly,” Ripken recalls of the game, in which he went 2-for-13 at the plate for the Rochester Red Wings.
- We had a 1–0 lead heading into the ninth inning.
- After that, we continued to play until the 32nd inning, at which point they determined that we were in breach of curfew.
- playing games.
- I ate breakfast before retiring for the night.
- It was maybe a 30-second interview, and then I attempted to sleep for a few hours after that.
- It took just one more inning until Pawtucket was victorious, 3–2, in the bottom of the 33rd inning.
MLB: The 8 Longest Baseball Games Ever Played
courtesy of Elsa/Getty Images Last season, the Chicago Cubs completed the longest game in the team’s history, a 16-inning marathon against the Colorado Rockies that resulted in a 4-3 victory for the Cubs. While those 16 innings must have seemed like an eternity to the players and fans in attendance, they do not hold the record for the longest game played at Wrigley Field in terms of innings — that distinction belongs to a 21-inning game between the Cubs and the Dodgers in 1982, a game that was 17 minutes shorter than the six-hour, 27-minute game played in 2014.
- A 7-6 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in an eight-hour and six-minute game in 1984 saw the Chicago White Sox earn their first World Series triumph since 1945.
- The tempo of the game is effective.
- Why?
- Anyone who is unfamiliar with baseball understands that games can only end in a tie under very specific circumstances.
- The visiting team wins if it scores more runs at the top of an extra inning, whereas the home team wins if it scores the winning run during the bottom of an extra inning, as explained above.
As you’ll see below, it can take an astounding number of innings to accomplish this, as all of these games make 16 innings appear little in contrast.
8. Boston Bees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, June 27, 1939 – 23 innings
Photograph courtesy of the Hulton Archive/Getty Images This game, which featured the Boston Bees — who are now known as the Atlanta Braves — and the Brooklyn Dodgers, concluded in a draw after 23 innings, with only two runs scored by each team. Is it a tie? Yes, it’s a tie. Baseball games can conclude in a tie for a variety of reasons, the most common of which being weather and “darkness” (which is sort of a subset of weather, when you think about it). You’ve already guessed that darkness is the lack of light, and floodlights at every stadium weren’t even a gleam in the Major League Baseball’s eye when they were first installed in 1939.
To “finish” the game, it took five hours and fifteen minutes.
7. San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets, May 31, 1964 – 23 innings
Because the Dodgers-Bees game did not result in a tie, the Giants-Mets match was mercifully brought to a close when San Francisco scored two runs in the 23rd inning, ending a scoreless stretch of 16 innings, or the equivalent of one and a half “regular” baseball games, in the 23rd inning. As a result of that season, the Mets would end with a record of 53-109, which does not appear to be all that unlike to the squad that exists now, although in truth, the Mets haven’t finished with fewer than 60 victories since 1965.
The Giants, on the other hand, would finish 90-72 and miss the postseason for the second straight season for the first time since losing the World Series in 1962, a downward trend that would last for the most of the next decade.
6. Detroit Tigers vs. Philadelphia Athletics, June 21, 1945 – 24 innings
Photographs courtesy of Fox Photos/Getty Images Another game that ended in a tie, the comparatively short four-hour, 48-minute matchup between the Philadelphia Athletics, who are now in Oakland, and the Detroit Tigers, appears to be a prime candidate for the “weather” ruling, given that it ended in a tie, with each team scoring just one run in 24 innings, according to the official scorer. The final score was scored by Detroit in the seventh inning, when any fan with any conceivable ability to see into the future would’ve left the stadium in frustration.
5. New York Mets vs. Houston Astros, April 15, 1968 – 24 innings
This was the Mets’ second appearance on this list of extra-inning baseball games, and they were defeated by a single run in the 24th inning, which was the only time a run would be scored by either team throughout the whole match. You might have been one of more than 14000 spectators who sat through 23 scoreless innings at the Houston Astrodome during a season that was just six months old and during which the Astros had yet to post a winning record in the team’s brief history.
That would be preposterous, but picture the emotional high that would be achieved if the Astros were able to walk away with a victory after six hours and six minutes of play. After all, it is endorphins like these that motivate individuals to participate in sports.
4. Boston Red Sox vs. Philadelphia Athletics, September 1, 1906 – 24 innings
courtesy of Getty Images/Getty Images Due to inclement weather, the second-longest baseball game in Red Sox history came close to being called off earlier. However, the game, which lasted four hours and 45 minutes, finished in a 4-1 victory for the Athletics. This game, which is so old that it doesn’t even have a complete box score in theBaseball Almanac, has been kept by the sports department of The Boston Globe. According to CelebrateBoston.com, here’s what happened the morning after: ‘For 23 Innings, the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics fought for every inch of territory like gladiators, until the players began to exhibit symptoms of distress and night was quickly descending upon the battlefield.’ As soon as the record was broken and the enthusiastic 18,000 spectators worked up to their highest pitch, the plucky Quakers scored a grand victory.
It wasn’t until they were two men down and two strikes had been called on the luck Echreckengost that he singled and sent in the run that told the tale.” If only there was a typeface that rendered everything in sepia tones.
3. Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox, May 8, 1984 – 25 innings
We talked about this game, which was the longest-running game in Major League Baseball history, at the outset of this piece, but it’s worth mentioning that sitting through the entire eight hours and six minutes must have been excruciating for everyone involved. Both teams were tied in the seventh inning, then each scored two runs in the ninth. After that, the game was scoreless for 11 innings, until Milwaukee scored three runs in the 21st inning, which Chicago responded to in the 22nd. Four innings later, the White Sox were able to drive in a run and secure the victory with a final score of Chicago 7, Milwaukee 6.
2. St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets, September 11, 1974 – 25 innings
photographer Jerry Siskind (AFP/Getty Images) Yes, we are aware that Willy Mays retired from baseball a season before this game took place, doing so in 1973, but come on, that is a fantastic photo, and this game was yet another defeat for the Mets, so we’re going to attempt to find a silver lining in this post. St. Louis would come back in the ninth inning to tie the game at three runs apiece, while the Mets were unable to score another run in the bottom of the ninth. The game would last seven hours and five minutes.
1. Brooklyn Robins vs. Boston Braves, May 1, 1920 – 26 innings
A 1-1 draw was the outcome of this game after the Braves knotted it in the sixth inning. Neither side was able to score even a single run in the remaining innings. As a result, owing to the constant danger of darkness, the game was declared a tie, or as the official nomenclature of Major League Baseball puts it, a “suspended game.” After three hours and fifty minutes, the game managed to squeeze 26 innings into three hours and fifty minutes, which was either an incredible demonstration of superb pitching or simply a horrible offensive performance by both sides.
The information is provided by Baseball Almanac.