Home field has not been an advantage during the championship series round of the MLB playoffs this year.
In four combined games between the ALCS and NLCS so far, the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers have both won two games on the road. As a result, the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers face the daunting task of needing at least two road wins to come back and win their series.
In general, it has been tough for any team to win a series after dropping the first two games. The odds of coming back drop even more for teams that lose the first two games in their home ballpark.
Here’s a look at which MLB teams have been able to overcome an 0-2 deficit and win a playoff series.
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MLB teams to comeback from down 0-2
| Year | Round | Winner | Loser | Result | Best-of |
| 1955 | World Series | Dodgers | Yankees | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1956 | World Series | Yankees | Dodgers | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1958 | World Series | Yankees | Braves | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1965 | World Series | Dodgers | Twins | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1971 | World Series | Pirates | Orioles | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1978 | World Series | Yankees | Dodgers | 4-2 | 7 Games |
| 1981 | NLDS | Dodgers | Astros | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 1981 | World Series | Dodgers | Yankees | 4-2 | 7 Games |
| 1982 | ALCS | Brewers | Angels | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 1984 | NLCS | Padres | Cubs | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 1985 | ALCS | Royals | Blue Jays | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1985 | NLCS | Cardinals | Dodgers | 4-2 | 7 Games |
| 1985 | World Series | Royals* | Cardinals | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1986 | World Series | Mets* | Red Sox | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 1995 | ALDS | Mariners | Yankees | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 1996 | World Series | Yankees* | Braves | 4-2 | 7 Games |
| 1999 | ALDS | Red Sox | Indians | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2001 | ALDS | Yankees* | Athletics | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2003 | ALDS | Red Sox | Athletics | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2004 | ALCS | Red Sox | Yankees | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 2012 | NLDS | Giants* | Reds | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2015 | ALDS | Blue Jays* | Rangers | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2017 | ALDS | Yankees | Indians | 3-2 | 5 Games |
| 2020 | NLCS | Dodgers** | Braves | 4-3 | 7 Games |
| 2023 | NLCS | Diamondbacks | Phillies | 4-3 | 7 Games |
*Lost first two games at home
**Neutral site series
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Of the 25 times a team has comeback to win a series after losing the first two games, 15 came in a seven-game-series and 10 came in a five-game series. The vast majority of those teams lost the first two games on the road, meaning they had all their home games left to use for the comeback.
Only a few times did a team lose the first two games at home before coming back to still win the series. It’s happened three times in the division series as the 2015 Blue Jays, 2012 San Francisco Giants and 2001 New York Yankees all did it. For the Blue Jays and Yankees, they won two games on the road then won Game 5 at home, but the Giants won three-straight games on the road to overcome the deficit.
During seven-game series, teams with home-field advantage came back from down 0-2 in a series three different time, all coming in the World Series. The 1985 Kansas City Royals, 1986 New York Mets and 1996 Yankees all were able to thrive on the road facing such a daunting task.
In 2020, the Dodgers technically came back after losing the first two games of the ALCS, but that series was played at a neutral site due to the pandemic. Los Angeles was technically the “home” team, but all seven games were played in Arlington, Texas.
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