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Red Sox: Top five MLB September collapses prove playoffs are still possible

By Sean Penney

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 18: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox looks on from the dugout during Game Five of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 18: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox looks on from the dugout during Game Five of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 26: David Wright #5 of the New York Mets looks on before the game Atlanta Braves on September 26, 2018 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 26: David Wright #5 of the New York Mets looks on before the game Atlanta Braves on September 26, 2018 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2007 Mets

The New York Mets were a roller coaster down the stretch of the 2007 season. On September 12, New York had a seven-game lead over the Phillies and the NL’s best record at 83-62. They would win only a handful of games the rest of the way.

A five-game losing streak, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies, allowed Philadelphia to climb within 1.5 games in the division. The Mets won four of their next five to increase their lead, only to drop six of their final seven games.

The Mets entered the final day of the season tied with the Phillies in the NL East. They were up against a Flordia Marlins team that was among the worst in the majors that season and they had future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine on the mound. How could you not like their chances?

Well, Glavine was lit up for seven earned runs while recording only one out in a blowout loss.

Philadelphia beat Washington for their fourth win in their final five games to capture the NL East crown.

Fine, so they blew the division lead. There’s still the Wild Card, right? Not so fast. The surging Colorado Rockies ripped off wins in 14 of their final 15 games to snag the Wild Card. Colorado would end up using that momentum to carry them all the way to the World Series, where they were swept by the Red Sox.

The Rockies were 4.5 games out of the Wild Card on September 16 with three teams to climb over. That doesn’t include the Mets, who still had the NL East lead at the time and were seven games ahead of Colorado in the loss column. Their magical run to end the season vaulted them ahead of three contenders and they tied the NL East champion Phillies with 89 wins.

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