8 Longest MLB Games Includes 23-Inning Marathon

The longest MLB games ever are not necessarily packed with offence. Whether looking at the duration or innings, the lengthiest games were deadlocked for long periods, meaning pitchers had the upper hand. 

While the longest nine-inning games were run fests that rewarded bettors who took the over when partaking in online sports betting, these games were extra-inning epics. There were marathon performances out of the bullpen and plenty of stifled lineups. 

8 Longest MLB Games Ever

1. Brooklyn Robins vs. Boston Braves, 26 innings

The longest game in MLB history was played between the two World Wars. In 1920, the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves played a 26-inning epic, which remarkably ended 1-1. 

The two starting pitchers, Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore, pitched 26 innings apiece. It was declared a tie due to darkness with neither offence managing to muster more than one run.  

T-2. Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox, 25 innings

This is the most recent game on this list, played in 1984. It’s the longest game in MLB history by duration and is tied for second in innings played.

Suspended in the early hours with the score tied at three runs apiece, the teams returned the following day. Milwaukee took a three-run lead in the top of the 21st inning, but the White Sox scored three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

The game ended in dramatic fashion with a walk-off homer from Harold Baines after a scoreless top half of the 25th from Tom Seaver. 

T-2. St Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets, 25 innings

When Jerry Koosman carried a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, this looked like a routine win for the New York Mets. Ken Reitz tied the game with a two-out homer, however, and neither team scored again until the 25th inning.

Bake McBride’s infield single and aggressive baserunning eventually gave the St Louis Cardinals the lead. The road team held on to win with the game wrapping up just after 3 a.m. at Shea Stadium. 

T-4. New York Mets vs. Houston Astros, 24 innings

When the Mets and Houston Astros met in April 1968, they set an unusual MLB record. No runs were scored in the first 23 innings of this game, which is the longest any game in the majors has stayed scoreless.

Don Wilson pitched nine shutout frames for the Astros. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver went 10 scoreless for the Mets, allowing just two hits in the process.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 24th inning, Houston’s Bob Aspromonte hit a soft grounder to shortstop for what should have been an inning-ending double-play. An error from Al Weis allowed the Astros to walk it off with the only run of the game. 

T-4. Detroit Tigers vs. Philadelphia Athletics, 24 innings

Like the epic between the Robins and Braves, the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics ended their game in a tie. It took them under five hours to get through 24 innings at Shibe Park in 1945, with Les Mueller pitching 19.2 innings for Detroit, and Philadelphia splitting their 24 frames between Russ Christopher and Joe Berry.

Several players, including Mueller, were returning from World War II. Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack was still in charge of Philadelphia at this point, but it was the Tigers who went on to win the World Series behind an MVP-winning season from Hal Newhouser. 

T-4. Philadelphia Athletics vs. Boston Americans, 24 innings

The Philadelphia Athletics were involved in another 24-inning game almost 40 years earlier. Mack was in the first few seasons of his stint as manager when the Athletics went 24 frames with the Boston Americans at Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Jack Coombs and Joe Harris were the only pitchers used by either team. The Athletics ran out 4-1 winners in the end after scoring three runs in the 24th inning thanks to RBIs from Osee Schrecongost, Socks Seybold, and Danny Murphy.

T-7. San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets, 23 innings

In only their third season, MLB betting odds had the New York Mets as underdogs for most of the 1964 campaign. The Mets have appeared in three games of 23 innings or longer and lost all three of them. 

This game was the second of a doubleheader and was played in front of more than 57,000 people at Shea Stadium. San Francisco had a 6-1 lead at one point, but the Mets fought back to force extra innings. 

It took another 16 innings before the crowd saw any more offence. San Francisco scored a couple of runs in the 23rd inning with RBI knocks from Jesus Alou and Del Crandall. After pitching 10 innings out of the bullpen, a young Gaylord Perry got credited with the win. 

T-7. Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Boston Bees, 23 innings

The Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves were known as the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Bees in 1939 when they played out another record-breaking tie. The Braves had a 2-0 lead by the end of the second inning, and the Dodgers tied it up in the top of the eighth.

The Bees should have won in the 13th inning, but pinch runner Otto Huber tripped and fell over the base. He had to retreat to third, and Boston failed to get him home.

As daylight faded, and over five hours after first pitch, the game was declared a tie.