1987 Major League Baseball postseason

1987 Major League Baseball playoffs July 2022 Major League Baseball postseason 1987 October 6–25, 19871987 Major Leagues Schedule https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1987-schedule.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 11 July 2022 4 Minnesota Twins(2nd title) St. Louis Cardinals 19 983453 Jeffrey Leonard (SF) 4 Vince Coleman (STL) 7 Frank Viola (MIN) 25 Frank Viola (MIN) 1986 1988 The 1987 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1987 season. The winners of each division advanced to the postseason and faced each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that faced each other in the World Series. In the American League, the Detroit Tigers were making their second appearance in the past five years, and the Minnesota Twins ended nearly two decades of futility by clinching their first postseason berth since 1970. This would be Detroit's last postseason appearance until 2006. In the National League, the San Francisco Giants returned to the postseason for the first time since 1971, and the St. Louis Cardinals were making their third appearance in the last six years. This would be the last postseason appearance for the Cardinals until 1996. The playoffs began on October 6, 1987, and concluded on October 25, 1987, with the Twins defeating the Cardinals in seven games in the 1987 World Series. It was the Twins' first title in Minnesota and their first since 1924, when they were known as the Washington Senators. Playoff seeds right 10px American League Teams 10px National League Teams 480 360 220 100 10 USA 380 USA 42.33 -83.07 Red pog.svg 80 bottom Tigers USA 44.97 -93.26 Red pog.svg 80 bottom Twins USA 38.62 -90.19 Blue pog.svg 80 bottom Cardinals USA 37.71 -122.39 Blue pog.svg 80 right Giants The following teams qualified for the postseason: American League Detroit Tigers – 98–64, AL East champions1987 Detroit Tigers Statistics https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1987.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 11 July 2022 Minnesota Twins – 85–77, AL West champions1987 Minnesota Twins Statistics https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1987.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 11 July 2022 National League St. Louis Cardinals – 95–67, NL East champions1987 St. Louis Cardinals Statistics https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/STL/1987.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 11 July 2022 San Francisco Giants – 90–72, NL West champions1987 San Francisco Giants Statistics https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1987.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 11 July 2022 Playoff bracket y League Championship Series(ALCS, NLCS) World Series East Detroit West Minnesota 1 4 East St. Louis West San Francisco 4 3 AL Minnesota NL St. Louis 4 3 American League Championship Series 1987 American League Championship Series Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers Minnesota 4–1 Detroit Tigers – 5, Minnesota Twins – 8 October 7 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 2:46 53,269 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10070MIN1987.htm 1987 ALCS Game 1 - Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Detroit Tigers – 3, Minnesota Twins – 6 October 8 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 2:54 55,245 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10080MIN1987.htm 1987 ALCS Game 2 - Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Minnesota Twins – 6, Detroit Tigers – 7 October 10 Tiger Stadium 3:29 49,730 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10100DET1987.htm 1987 ALCS Game 3 - Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Minnesota Twins – 5, Detroit Tigers – 3 October 11 Tiger Stadium 3:24 51,939 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10110DET1987.htm 1987 ALCS Game 4 - Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Minnesota Twins – 9, Detroit Tigers – 5 October 12 Tiger Stadium 3:14 47,448 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10120DET1987.htm 1987 ALCS Game 5 - Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers 11 July 2022 Retrosheet In an unexpected outcome, the Twins shockingly upset the heavily favored Tigers in five games, returning to the World Series for the first time since 1965 (in the process denying a rematch of the 1968 World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals). Gary Gaetti helped lead the Twins to victory in Game 1 with two home runs. Bert Blyleven pitched seven solid innings and the Twins’ offense gave Tigers’ ace Jack Morris trouble on the mound as the Twins took a 2–0 series lead headed to Detroit. In Game 3, the Tigers were in danger of falling behind 3–0 in the series, but were bailed out by a two-run homer from Pat Sheridan in the bottom of the eighth, which got the Tigers on the board in the series. Home runs from Kirby Puckett and Greg Gagne would contribute to a 5-3 Twins’ victory in Game 4, giving them a 3–1 series lead. Blyleven pitched six solid innings in Game 5 as the Twins clinched the pennant by four runs. Game 5 was the last postseason game ever played at Tiger Stadium, and was also the final postseason game for Tigers’ manager Sparky Anderson. This was the Twins’ first postseason series win since the 1924 World Series, when the team was still the Washington Senators. The Tigers would eventually win the pennant again in their next postseason appearance in 2006, where they swept the Oakland Athletics before coming up short in the World Series. The Twins would win their next and most recent pennant four years later over the Toronto Blue Jays in five games en route to their most recent World Series title. National League Championship Series 1987 National League Championship Series St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants St. Louis 4–3 San Francisco Giants – 3, St. Louis Cardinals – 5 October 6 Busch Stadium (II) 2:34 55,331 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10060SLN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 1 – San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet San Francisco Giants – 5, St. Louis Cardinals – 0 October 7 Busch Stadium (II) 2:33 55,331 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10070SLN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 2 – San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 6, San Francisco Giants – 5 October 9 Candlestick Park 3:27 57,913 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10090SFN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 3 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 2, San Francisco Giants – 4 October 10 Candlestick Park 2:23 57,997 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10100SFN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 4 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 3, San Francisco Giants – 6 October 11 Candlestick Park 2:48 59,363 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10110SFN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 5 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants 11 July 2022 Retrosheet San Francisco Giants – 0, St. Louis Cardinals – 1 October 13 Busch Stadium (II) 3:09 55,331 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10130SLN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 6 – San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet San Francisco Giants – 0, St. Louis Cardinals – 6 October 14 Busch Stadium (II) 2:59 55,331 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10140SLN1987.htm 1987 NLCS Game 7 – San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet This was the first postseason meeting between the Cardinals and Giants. The Cardinals edged out the Giants in seven games, capped off by two shutouts in Games 6 and 7, to reach their third World Series in the last six years (in the process denying a rematch of the 1933 World Series between the Giants and Twins (who were then known as the Washington Senators)). Greg Mathews pitched seven solid innings as the Cardinals took Game 1 by two runs. In Game 2, Dave Dravecky pitched a two-hit complete-game shutout as the Giants won 5–0 to even the series. In San Francisco for Game 3, the Giants had a 4–0 lead after five innings of play, but the Cardinals came back to win, going on a 6–1 run over the course of the last four innings to win and take a 2–1 series lead. In Game 4, Mike Krukow pitched another complete game for the Giants as they won 4–2 to even the series. In Game 5, the Cardinals led 3–2 after the top of the fourth, but a two-run RBI single by José Uribe put the Giants ahead for good as they ultimately put up four unanswered runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3–2 series lead heading back to St. Louis. John Tudor pitched eight shutout innings as the Cardinals won 1–0 to force a seventh game. Danny Cox pitched an eight-hit complete game shutout for the Cardinals as they won Game 7, 6–0, to secure the pennant. The Cardinals would return to the NLCS in 1996, but fell to the Atlanta Braves in seven games after leading the series 3–1. They would win their next pennant in 2004 over the Houston Astros in seven games after being ten outs away from elimination in Game 7, but they would fall in the World Series again. The Giants would return to the NLCS two years later, and defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games for the pennant before falling in the World Series. The Cardinals and Giants would play each other three more times in the NLCS, in 2002, 2012, and 2014, with the Giants winning all three meetings. 1987 World Series 1987 World Series Minnesota Twins (AL) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (NL) Minnesota 4–3 St. Louis Cardinals – 1, Minnesota Twins – 10 October 17 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 2:39 55,171 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10170MIN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 1 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 4, Minnesota Twins – 8 October 18 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 2:42 55,257 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10180MIN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 2 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Minnesota Twins – 1, St. Louis Cardinals – 3 October 20 Busch Stadium 2:45 55,347 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10200SLN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 3 – Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet https://web.archive.org/web/20130817221612/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10200SLN1987.htm August 17, 2013 live mdy Minnesota Twins – 2, St. Louis Cardinals – 7 October 21 Busch Stadium 3:11 55,347 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10210SLN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 4 – Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet Minnesota Twins – 2, St. Louis Cardinals – 4 October 22 Busch Stadium 3:21 55,347 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10220SLN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 5 – Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 5, Minnesota Twins – 11 October 24 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 3:04 55,293 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10240MIN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 6 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet St. Louis Cardinals – 2, Minnesota Twins – 4 October 25 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 3:04 55,376 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B10250MIN1987.htm 1987 World Series Game 7 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Minnesota Twins 11 July 2022 Retrosheet This was the first World Series to feature games played indoors. It was also the third consecutive World Series to go the full seven games. In the first World Series in which neither team won a road game, the Twins edged out the Cardinals in seven games to win their first title since 1924 (when the team was still known as the Washington Senators), ending a 63-year title drought - the third longest drought in the majors at that time.https://www.mlb.com/news/longest-world-series-title-droughts Kelly Matt Langs Sarah Simon Andrew MLB's longest active title droughts MLB.com October 20, 2025 October 23, 2025 In Game 1, Frank Viola pitched a complete game as the Twins blew out the Cardinals. Game 1 was the loudest game in World Series history, as crowd noise reached 125 decibels SPL, which is the equivalent of a jet plane during takeoff.https://sports.yahoo.com/philadelphia-phillies-fans-loudest-answer-004036014.html Giesen Glen Are Philadelphia Phillies fans the loudest? We have the answer. Yahoo Sports October 17, 2023 June 13, 2026 The Twins held off a late comeback by the Cardinals as they won Game 2 to go up 2–0 in the series headed to St. Louis. In Game 3, the Cardinals overcame a late Twins lead to win 3–1, with John Tudor pitching eight solid innings for the win. The Cardinals then blew out the Twins in Game 4 to even the series. Todd Worrell held off a late rally by the Twins in Game 5 as the Cardinals won, 4–2, now one win away from their second title in five years. The Cardinals tied a World Series record for stolen bases with five in Game 5, matching the 1907 Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals' lead would not hold as the series shifted back to Minneapolis, however. The Twins blew out the Cardinals in Game 6 to force a seventh game. Game 6 was the last World Series game to be played during daytime. Viola pitched eight solid innings in Game 7 as the Twins came back to win by a 4–2 score, securing the title. With the Twins winning Game 7 in the regulation nine innings, the 1987 World Series was the first in which no games needed the bottom of the ninth inning. No other World Series since then has had that happen, as the two other Fall Classics in which the home team won every game—1991 and 2001—both included extra inning games and walk-off wins in the bottom of the ninth. This was the first major professional sports championship won by a Minneapolis-St. Paul-based team since 1954, when the then-Minneapolis Lakers completed the NBA’s first three-peat before their move to Los Angeles. The Twins would return to the World Series four years later, and defeated the Atlanta Braves in seven games for their most recent championship. The Cardinals would eventually return to the World Series in 2004, but were swept by the Boston Red Sox, who won their first title in 86 years. They would eventually win their next championship in 2006 over the Detroit Tigers in five games. Broadcasting NBC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. ABC then aired the World Series. References External links League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings - 1987 collapsed Category:Major League Baseball postseason