The title pretty much spells it out. What are some moments when a player or team came back amazingly, but then they still lost–either because their opponent scored again at the last moment, or because they screwed up a final play.
One example is the 1978 World Chess Championship. First player to six wins won. Karpov was ahead 5-2 after 27 games when Korchnoi won three of the next four games (the other was drawn, of course). Then Karpov won the next game and Korchnoi’s comeback was for naught.
I can’t think of any other examples off the top of my head. Which can you think of?
Game 1 of the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox were down 8-0 in the 7th. They scored five in the 7th and two in the 8th to pull within one (and had a man on third with two outs). Then they gave up two in the bottom of the 8th and ended up losing 10-7.
Of course a few days later they came back from a 3-0 series deficit and won the series.
What about way back on December 20, when the Giants, down 35-7 late in the 3rd quarter, came back to tie the game at 35 with 1:46 remaining - only to lose when the Panthers drove down the field to kick a field goal as time expired?
1994 John Tyler vs Plano East high school football in Texas. Plano East was down 41-17 with 4+ minutes left in the game. Scored 4 consecutive touchdowns aided by 3 recovered on-side kicks. Took the lead with 24 seconds left. Kicked off and John Tyler returned it for a touchdown to win the game.
Blue Jays at Royals, 07/12/2015. It was the last game before the All-Star break. Royals jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning, and led 7-0 going into the sixth. Then, in the top of the sixth inning, the Blue Jays scored 8 runs to take the lead. The Royals then re-took the lead 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth, and the Jays tied it up again with single runs in each of the next two innings…only for the Royals to take an 11-10 lead in the bottom of the eighth, and finally keep that score through the end of the game.
I don’t know how “amazing” this is, but Cal vs. Texas, early in the 2015 season; Cal took a 45-24 lead into the fourth quarter, only for Texas to score three unanswered touchdowns…and miss what would have been the game-tying extra point.
Last weekend - Steelers at Bengals AFC playoff game, altho not high scoring. Steelers up 15-0, their QB goes out with an injury, the Bengals rally and pull ahead 16-15 with some solid offence. In the final 2 minutes, Bengals intercept 2nd string Steelers QB at around the 20 yard line. Looks like the game is over with a win in-hand, but the Bengals fumble and lose the ball around the 10, Steelers QB comes back in, and drives to just beyond mid-field. A couple of dirty, thuggish penalties (amounting to 30 yards) for the Bengals, and the Steelers get the chip-shot field goal to win the game in the final seconds and live another week.
Another one that I kind of remember was in the Minnesota high school hockey state tournament. In a consolation game in the tournament, one team was down by 3 goals with less than a minute left. They scored at about the 38, 18, and 5 second marks to tie it and send it to overtime. They ended up losing in overtime.
I have been looking for info to corroborate my memory of it, but haven’t had luck so far. I did find results that showed that the 1972 3rd place game ended 7-6 in overtime. I’m pretty sure that is the one, but I can’t find details on the game to verify it.
Angels vs. Yankees, August 22, 1976. The Angels led 8-0. The Yankees scored 8 runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. Angels won 11-8 in 11 innings.
Even better was the 2008 ALCS, down 7-0 going in the bottom of the 8th in game 5, already down 3-1 in games. Stunning comeback wins the game, they win game 6-but the offense dies in game 7, they lose 3-4.
Well, better in terms of what the OP was looking for-worse in terms of final results, if you are a Red Sox fan at least.
The St. Louis Blues Monday Night Miracle. Down 3 games to 2 in the conference finals, the Blues were losing to Calgary 5-2 with 12 minutes left to play. The Blues fought back to tie, and won the game in overtime. However, they lost Game 7.
My first thought was The Fumble. One year after they had lost the AFC Championship to Denver due to a last-minute 98-yard drive led by John Elway, the Cleveland Browns fought back from a 21-3 halftime deficit vs. the Denver Broncos to tie the game at 31-31. They then gave up another long touchdown drive, falling behind 38-31, but then they drove again; Denver didn’t seem to be able to stop them, and Earnest Byner had a clear run for the goal line but was stripped of the ball at the two yard line, and the Browns lost again.
May 17, 1979, Wrigley Field. Phillies score seven runs in the top of the first.
But hold on! The Cubs get six in the *bottom *of the first. 7-6, Phils.
Never mind. Phillies score 8 in the third and 2 more in the fourth to take a lead of 17-6. Cubs get 3; Phillies get 4. We’re halfway through the fifth and it’s Phillies 21, Cubs 9.
Cubs get seven in the bottom of the fifth. 21-16 (a decent football score).
Cubs get three more in the bottom of the sixth. 21-19. Ten runs of the twelve-run deficit have been made up.
Phillies get a run in the seventh but the Cubs get three in the eighth. It’s tied at 22. The Cubs were down 7-0, 17-6, 21-9, and have completely erased it.
Of course, the Phils get a run in the tenth and the Cubs…don’t. Phillies win anyway.
