It’s entertaining to watch a team be steamrolled every now and then.
Granted, the team being routed might enjoy it a little less. But an offensive showcase is certainly attention-grabbing, especially in a time where games are shorter than ever.
In June 2023, the Angels blazed through the Rockies in a 25-1 win, the largest margin of victory in over 15 years. And in this hitter-friendly era, we’ll probably be seeing more offensive explosions like these – but likely not to the tune of total lopsided wins.
We previously broke down baseball’s highest scoring games, but now let’s look back at the biggest blowouts in Major League Baseball history.
It may come as a shock that it’s not always teams with historically terrible seasons, like the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, or Philadelphia Phillies, on the losing end.
Biggest Blowouts in MLB History
Texas Rangers 30, Baltimore Orioles 3 (Aug. 22, 2007)
The Rangers hold the record for biggest regular-season blowout in MLB history, routing the Orioles by a 24-run margin of victory. Ironically, Baltimore led by three after the third inning. But Texas began its run in a five-run fourth, where nine-spot Ramon Vasquez knocked out his first of two homers. The team added nine more in the sixth, courtesy of a grand slam, and followed up with a whopping 10 in the eighth – including yet another grand slam and Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s second knock of the game. And with the Rangers up 24-3 in the top of the ninth, Vazquez knocked out a three-run shot, ultimately bringing the team’s home run tally to six. Adding insult to injury for the O’s, they were forced to face Texas the same day in the second leg of a doubleheader – which they also lost.
Boston Red Sox 29, St. Louis Browns 4 (Jun. 8, 1950)
After scoring 20 runs against the Browns, the Red Sox left them shaking their heads once again by tallying up 29 the next day. Legendary left fielder Ted Williams notched two homers, as did first baseman Walt Dropo. And Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr went long three times from the eight spot, knocking in eight RBIs. Limiting the Browns to four runs, Chuck Stobbs pitched a complete game and helped the Red Sox set the record for most decisive MLB win for over 50 years.
Los Angeles Angels 25, Colorado Rockies 1 (Jun. 24, 2023)
In a 13-run third inning, the Angels smacked four home runs, including three no-out solo shots from Mike Trout, Brandon Drury and Matt Thaiss. Los Angeles followed up with eight more in the fourth, helped by nine-spot David Fletcher’s three-run shot, and added on a pair of runs more in the sixth and eighth. The Rockies managed to sneak in a run in the eighth, but it made a negligible dent in their 24-run deficit.
Cleveland 27, Boston Red Sox 3 (Jul. 7, 1923)
A few decades before dominating the Browns, the Red Sox found themselves on the opposite side of history. And they played some sloppy ball that game. Down 8-0 in the fourth, Lefty O’Doul entered – prior to his tenure as a remarkable hitter – and gave up 16 runs and eight walks in just three innings. Despite the run total, not a single long ball was hit in the game. Cleveland Hall of Famers Tris Speaker and Joe Sewell had a handful of hits apiece, with the team managing to tally 24 against the struggling Red Sox pitching staff. And like Baltimore, Boston’s historical loss came during the first game of a doubleheader – in a series that Cleveland swept.
Biggest Postseason Blowouts in MLB History
Boston Red Sox 23, Cleveland 7 (1999 ALDS Game 4)
Down 2-0 in the AL Divisional Series, the Red Sox were in desperate need of a win and then some. And they got just that. Boston took Game 3 and then electrified Fenway Park in Game 4, scoring the most runs in a single game in postseason history. Tied at two runs apiece going into the bottom of the second inning, the Red Sox scored five. And Cleveland’s starting pitcher, a young Bartolo Colon, was pulled soon after, having given up seven runs. And in the next three innings, the Red Sox’s batters would go onto drive in 11 runs – including a pair of two-run knocks. John Valentin hit two of Boston’s four homers and drove in seven, and was one of five players to have at least three hits.
Boston Red Sox 16, New York Yankees 1 (2018 ALDS Game 3)
Nearly 20 years after their power display in the ’99 ALDS, the Red Sox came back for more against the Yankees in 2018. Both teams traded wins to start the series, but Boston came alive in Game 3, knocking in 10 runs by the end of the fourth inning. The team extended its lead throughout the game, building momentum all the way into the ninth. Infielder Brock Holt hit a two-out, two-run shot that inning and became the first and only player to hit for the cycle in a playoff game.
Cleveland 17, Seattle Mariners 2 (2001 ALDS Game 3)
Cleveland got its redemption two years after a rather humiliating loss against the Red Sox. In Game 3 of the ALDS, Cleveland began a 17-run rout of Seattle – which had finished the season with 116 wins. Speedster Kenny Lofton, Juan Gonzalez, and Hall of Famer Jim Thome each lifted solo shots, and shortstop Omar Vizquel went 4 for 6 with six RBIs. Cleveland, the holder of the longest active World Series win drought, dropped the next two games to lose the series in five.
Atlanta Braves 15, St. Louis Cardinals 0 (1996 NLDS Game 7)
In one of the most impressive showings in MLB history, the Braves came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Cardinals. Even more remarkable is that they had two double-digit shutouts in the series, the first of which with a 14-run differential in Game 5. Their bigger blowout came in the must-win Game 7, with Hall of Famer Fred McGriff hitting a two-run shot and knocking in four runs. And besides pitching seven scoreless innings, Tom Glavine tripled to drive in a trio of runs.
Biggest World Series Blowouts in MLB History
New York Yankees 18, New York Giants 4 (1936 World Series Game 2)
After falling to the Giants in Game 1, the Yankees got their revenge in a tough matchup, winning Game 2 by the largest margin in World Series history. After scoring two runs in the first inning, they began a seven-run surge in the third, with help from a grand slam by Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees added sixth runs to cap the top of the ninth and ended the game with 17 hits – with the vast majority of the team’s runs driven in by Lazzeri, Bill Dickey, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. The Bronx Bombers would go on to win the World Series title in six games.
Arizona Diamondbacks 15, New York Yankees 2 (2001 World Series Game 6)
Just three years after they began their tenure as a franchise, the Diamondbacks finished first in the National League West and went on to claim a spot in the Fall Classic. Down 3-2 to Jeter’s Yankees, the D-Backs roughed them up in Game 6, scoring all 15 of their runs by the end of the fourth inning. Each of the starting nine had at least one hit, including Cy Young winner Randy Johnson, who paired his seven innings pitched with an RBI. The series went to seven games, and Arizona ultimately took home their first (and only) title in one of the most memorable ways in league history – a walk-off win against Mariano Rivera.
- New York Yankees 16, Pittsburgh Pirates 3 (1960 World Series Game 2)
- Boston Red Sox 13, Colorado Rockies 1 (2007 World Series Game 1)
- San Francisco Giants 16, Los Angeles Angels 4 (2002 World Series Game 5)
- St. Louis Cardinals 13, Milwaukee Brewers 1 (1982 World Series Game 6)
Detroit Tigers 13, St. Louis Cardinals 1 (1968 World Series Game 6) - New York Yankees 12, Pittsburgh Pirates 0 (1960 World Series Game 6)
- New York Yankees 13, New York Giants 1 (1951 World Series Game 5)
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