The Most Crushing Defeats in Baseball History

Sports are deeply ingrained in American culture, and a large percentage of the population actively participates in sports activities, whether as members of the viewing public or as participants. Starting at a young age, from little league baseball and moving through to minor and major league play, baseball, a game historically referred to as America's pastime, is one of the more popular sports, a game enjoyed nationwide.

Many of us live up to the name fan, becoming true fanatics, becoming so enthralled with our favorite teams that we often experience the joy of their wins and the agony of their defeats. No one likes to lose, and when many of our favorite baseball teams and players experience the most crushing defeats, it resonates with all of us.

To compile a list of the most crushing defeats in baseball history, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the worst of both worlds: the one-off games that teams lost by an embarrassingly, historically wide margin, as well as the games that dashed dreams of glory in a fashion so devastating it was downright era-defining.

This post was updated on October 31, 2025 to clarify that the Chicago Colts played under the National League back in 1897, as well as the founding date of Major League Baseball.

The highest-scoring game by one team in modern MLB history, this game saw the Rangers score 30 runs against the Orioles in a 30-3 blowout. It set a post-1900 record for most runs scored by a team in a single game.

The Chicago Colts (now the Cubs) demolished the now-defunct Louisville Colonels by a margin of 36-7 back in 1897, one of the largest margins of victory in MLB history (though in 1897, they were in the National League; MLB wasn't founded until 1903). The Colts' 36 runs was also a record at the time.

Tying the then-record for the most runs scored in a single game, the Red Sox outscored the St. Louis Browns 29-4 in a game that also saw Red Sox superstar Ted Williams hit two home runs and bat in seven runs.

In one of the most lopsided shutouts in modern MLB history, this game saw the Indians score 22 runs to the Yankees' zero. This game was also the worst shutout loss in Yankees history.

One of the modern era's highest-scoring games, this 1979 game saw the Reds score 26 runs against the Phillies' six.

The Rangers hit two grand slams in this massive offensive outburst, in which they scored 26 runs against the Orioles' seven.

In one of the most significant shutouts in MLB history, the Yankees scored 24 runs against the Senators' zero on May 24, 1936.

In this lopsided game, the Brewers scored 19 runs while shutting out the Tigers.

The Royals scored 26 runs during this late-season game in 2004, demolishing the Tigers, who only scored five.

Now on to the real heartbreakers. Quite possibly the most infamous and devastating loss in baseball history, this game saw Boston being one out away from winning their first World Series since 1918. An easy ground ball went right through first baseman Bill Buckner's legs, allowing the Mets to come back and win the game. They also went on to win the Series.

The game that Yankees fans would probably prefer to forget about more than any other, the finale of the 2004 ALCS saw the Red Sox come back from being down three games to none to win four games in a row—and the pennant. This was the first time in baseball history that a team had come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series, and Boston went on to finally end the fabled Curse of the Bambino that year.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, the Indians were two outs away from winning when the Florida Marlins tied it up. The Marlins went on to win the game (and the Series) in extra innings.

The game that went down in history as the "Steve Bartman Game," this game hit the skids when the Cubs were five outs away from winning the pennant for the first time since 1945. Moisés Alou was about to catch a foul ball when a fan named Steve Bartman stuck out his hand and interfered; instead of an out, the Cubs went on to have a full-blown meltdown, giving up eight runs to the Marlins and losing the game and the series.

Before the Playoffs were instituted, the teams with the best records at the end of the season went on to play each other in the World Series, and a three-game playoff would be played if two NL teams had the same record. In 1951, the Dodgers and New York Giants had the same record, so they faced off in a dramatic playoff series that culminated in Game 3.

The Giants rallied for a come-from-behind victory capped off by a home run by Bobby Thomson (pictured) that came to be known as "The Shot Heard Round the World." The Giants won the pennant but went on to lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

The Rangers were one strike away from winning the first World Series in franchise history, not once but twice in Game 6. The Cardinals tied the game up in the ninth inning; the Rangers retook the lead in the 10th before allowing the Cardinals to tie it up again, and they finally won in the 11th. The Cards went on to win the Series in Game 7.

The Yankees were off to a bad start in the 1996 World Series, down two games to one heading into Game 4 against defending champions the Braves. The Yankees were down 6-0 in the game, but they mounted a stunning comeback, winning 8-6 in extra innings and shifting the momentum of the Series in their direction. They famously won the Series, launching their "Dynasty" era.

The Kansas City Royals were losing Game 6 of the 1985 World Series 1-0 until first base umpire Don Denkinger (pictured) made a terrible call at first base in the bottom of the ninth inning (calling batter Jorge Orta safe even though he was clearly out by half a step), allowing them to come back and win the game against the Cardinals. They won the Series in Game 7, and to this day the infamous "Denkinger Call" (or just "The Call") still haunts Cardinals fans.

The Yankees and Red Sox finished the 1978 season with identical records, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic and infamous tiebreakers in history. With the Yankees down, Bucky Dent (pictured in 2023) hit a three-run home run to give the Yankees the lead, and they went on to win the game and the World Series. Red Sox fans still can't say Dent's name without inserting an expletive between his first and last names.

The Yankees had won their 10th pennant in 13 years and were the clear favorites heading into the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees scored 55 runs in the series (the most scored by any team in World Series history) to the Pirates' 27 and won three blowout games but lost three by tight margins heading into Game 7.

The game was tied heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Pirates' Bill Mazeroski (pictured in 2016) hit a walk-off home run to give the Pirates the win and bring a shocking end to the series. This remains the only walk-off to ever win a World Series, a record that may never be broken.