Top 10 Most Memorable Homers in Cleveland Indians Postseason History

The Indians have had plenty of memorable moments over the last 20 or so years when it comes to the postseason, and a lot of them have come via the long ball. Today we take a look at 10 of the most memorable homers for the Indians in the postseason and how they helped the team make believers out of a lot of us.

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The Cleveland Indians have been a model of consistency when it comes to making the postseason since the team had its ‘rebirth’ once Progressive Field opened back to begin the 1994 season.

The team has not only had its special moments in the regular season, but also at Progressive Field they’ve had plenty of great moments as well.

The team has yet to get the job done with a championship win, though they got closer than they ever had when they went to extra frames with the Chicago Cubs in game seven of the 2016 World Series.

That series had so many great moments it’s hard to remember them all, but once again by the time it was over, it was flat out depression for Tribe fans worldwide.

That didn’t take away from the excitement that the players gave the fans, putting up some huge hits in the form of homers during the post season that most will never forget.

Today we take a step back in time with the “Top 10 Most Memorable Homers in Indians Postseason History.”

10. Lonnie Chisenhall’s Three-Run Blast Off David Price

The Indians had sent a message in game one against the favored Red Sox, but that didn’t seem to bother them as they continued their hitting ways in game two at Progressive Field.

The damage off Sox starter David Price came in the second, as they got a single run and then Lonnie Chisenhall clubbed a 1-1 pitch off the right foul pole for a three-run homer that quickly opened up a lead the Tribe wouldn’t lose.

This Indians team just had a swagger and it didn’t take long into the series to see they smelled blood in the Sox water.

9. Belle Blasts Benitez for a Go-Ahead Slam to Send Jacobs Field into a Frenzy

Tribe fever was at its peak in 1996, but the team had struggled in losing its first two games of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

They got a day off before coming home for a Friday affair with the season on the line looking to try and figure out a way to stave off elimination to advance to play the Yankees in the ALCS.

It started with a key game three where they took on the O’s with Jack MCDowell (remember the Indians had him for two seasons?!) against Orioles stud Mike Mussina.

The game was back and forth and the game went into the bottom of the seventh with the game tied at four apiece.

Enter Belle – who went up against Armando Benitez. The Orioles reliever had issues finding the plate, and it ended up giving Belle a golden opportunity to quickly un-tie the 3-3 game.

He did just that, crushing a ball to deep left/left-center to make it an 8-4 game.

That would be more than enough on that day, but not enough for the series as the O’s won the following day when a future Indian – Roberto Alomar – hit a solo homer to give Baltimore a 4-3 win in 12 innings.

8. Kip Does It in His Hometown, Hits Blast to Extend 4-1 Lead Over Cubs

The Indians confidence had to be sky high after winning game one at home, then winning a grind it out, 1-0 affair in Chicago in game three, setting up a critical game four in Wrigley Field and a chance to go up three games to one.

Kipnis, playing in front of a large number of friends and family, was playing with fire, and it showed both at the plate and in the field.

In the 7 the Cubs brought in Travis Wood, and he was no match for Kipnis, who got enough of a pitch and drove the line drive shot into the stands to make it a 7-1 game.

Six outs later the Indians were one game away from winning the World Series.

7. Pena Begins the Hero HR Trend Against the Red Sox

The Indians in 1995 were the best team in baseball, winning 100 games and losing 44 after the season a little late due to the labor dispute.

They were like a well-oiled machine that couldn’t be stopped, an amazing offense, an incredible pitching sfaff,and a one through nine that could knock out anyone.

So when game one of the ALDS kicked off and needless to say it felt a little ‘off’ in that the Indians bats were somewhere between being groggy and just waking up.

Finally it started to turn the corner, and leave it to one player to get it done, that being backup catcher Tony Pena.

With most of America tuned out due to the fact it was already into the wee early hours of Wednesday, no one could have expected Pena to just that quick turn on Zane Smith pitch that got one row into the bleachers to send the Indians fans home a winner.

6. Grissom Quiets Camden Yards

The Orioles had a commanding 4-2 lead on the Indians in the 7 inning, as it looked like the Tribe was sailing towards going down 2-0 in the best-of-best of seven series.

Instead they got maybe their biggest hit in the entire 1997 series, as he cracked a three-run homer off of Armando Benitez to straight center that changed the entire atmosphere of the entire ALCS.

With Baltimore already leading the series 1-0, another win in Baltimore might have been too much for the underdog Indians to overcome.

Instead it was an incredible moment and a huge boost for the team, who won their next two, before losing game five at home and clinching the pennant on the road.

5. Frankie Smacks the Foul Pole for a Grand Slam Vs the Yankees

After a 4-0 ho-hum shutout win over the Yankees to kickoff the 2017 ALDS at Progressive Field, Tribe fans were already making plane reservations for games in Houston to see the Tribe go up against the rival Astros.

Then in game two the Indians ran into a buzz saw, as Corey Kluber was shelled for six runs on seven hits in just 2.2 innings as the Yankees jumped on the Indians on a warm Friday night taking an 8-3 lead after five innings.

That’s when the Indians offense would need to step it up to the plate, and that they did. It started in the sixth as the Tribe was able to grind their way to loading the bases with two outs for their best hitter – Francisco Lindor.

With basically the season hanging in the balance, Lindor took a Chad Green pitch thrown just a little too inside, and was able to turn on it, hitting it straight down the right field line.

The result – the ball smacked off the pole for a grand slam, turning an 8-3 New York Yankees lead into an 8-7 lead.

The Indians got momentum from there, scored the tying homer on a Jay Bruce blast in the 8 and won the game on a Yan Gomez single to left to score Austin Jackson in the 11th for  the win.

Sadly it would be the last playoff win the team has had entering 2020, having lost their last six.

4. Alomar Keeps the Indians Hopes Alive After HR Against Rivera

Game four of the ALDS was coming down to the wire as the Indians, trailing in the best-of-5 series 2-1, were just four outs away from making vacation plans.

Instead, their MVP for that season came through yet again, as Sandy Alomar Jr. strolled to the plate with a chance with one swing to tie the game at two.

He did just that, hitting a homer to right just over the wall into the visitor’s bullpen to send the crowd into another state, tying the game and setting up the Indians to another wild win.

It was the first time Rivera had a blown save in the postseason, and the last time he would blow a save until the 2001 postseson.

3. Fernandez Sends the Indians to the Fall Classic

The 1997 ALCS saw a lot of odd circumstances to it, most of which seemed to wind up favoring the Tribe.

On this day though it was a mild Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore as Charlie Nagy and Mike Mussina went at it with shadows having the advantage over offensive lineups.

The two teams combined to strike out an astounding 25 times in the 1-0 Indians win. The Orioles all day peppered Nagy with baserunners, but hand it to the Indians defense for coming up with plays when they had to.

The play that everyone recalls came in the 11th when Fernandez got just a hold of a Armando Benitez pitch and it cleared the high wall in right, making it a 1-0 Indians lead.

Jose Mesa getting future Indian Robbie Alomar to K to end the game couldn't have made it more of a perfect inning. 

2. Thome’s ‘Bat-Flip’ HR Against the Mariners

Many fans tend to forget just how memorable the 1995 American League Championship Series between the Indians and Seattle Mariners was.

While many felt it was a sure-thing the Indians would take home the best-of-seven series, it didn’t come without quite a bit of drama.

Seattle won game one at home, and then then they won an extra innings game on at Progressive Field to take a 2-1 series lead.

With the help of Ken Hill the Tribe bounced back in game four, setting up a classic game five at Progressive Field between Orel Hershiser for the Tribe and Chris Bosio for Seattle.

The game was a low scoring affair, as the M’s had a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 6 inning.

Lou Piniella wanted to set up the pen to be able to have his best relievers In the 7, 8 and 9. He never got there.

The mistake came in the form of leaving Bosio in the game after allowing a double to Eddie Murray, putting the tying run on second.

It didn’t matter as Bosio got behind Thome 0-2, and left a fastball up and in, and Thome crushed it – a ‘no-brainer’ that fell into the stands into right field to make it 3-2 Indians.

They would go on to win the game 3-2, and two nights later they topped one final time, beating the M’s 4-0 at the KingDome.

1. The Moment It Looked Like It Was Actually Going to Happen

To this day goose bumps still go up my arm when you see Rajai Davis make contact on a ‘down and in’ pitch from Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman.

The ball, like a laser beam, left the park in what seemed to be four seconds, put Progressive Field into another stratosphere.

Fans went insane, NBA legend and Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James posed from his suite with his friends, and it became a moment etched in the history of the franchise.

The only thing that would have made it sweeter would have been (of course) if the team would have scored two more runs.

Instead, it will always go down as possibly the most bitter-sweet moment in the history of the franchise.

Watching fans walk to their cars with tears in their eyes, overcome with joy for being proud of their team, but also for some knowing it’s never easy to get to that point.

The Indians have not been back to the World Series since. They’ve gone 2-6 in losing the ALDS to the Yankees and Astros in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 they failed to make the playoffs despite winning 93 games.