1993 NLCS Game 6 vs. Braves
A three-run lead vanished in the ninth, sending the Phillies to a heartbreaking Game 7.
Game 6 of the 1993 National League Championship Series stands as one of the most painful and defining moments in Philadelphia Phillies history. Played on October 15, 1993, at Veterans Stadium, this matchup pitted the Phillies against the Atlanta Braves in a series that would ultimately decide the NL pennant. The game is infamous not for a spectacular victory, but for a heartbreaking collapse where the Phillies squandered a three-run lead in the ninth inning, forcing a decisive Game 7.
- event
- 1993 National League Championship Series, Game 6
- location
- Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- opponent
- Atlanta Braves
- series_status
- Braves lead 4-2 (Series clinched in Game 7)
- final_score
- Braves 10, Phillies 9
- key_figure_phillies
- Lenny Dykstra
- key_figure_braves
- Ron Gant
Lore & Background
Game 6 became the crucible where the Phillies' season was nearly extinguished prematurely. Entering the ninth inning with a 9-6 lead, the atmosphere at Veterans Stadium shifted from electric anticipation to suffocating dread as the Braves mounted an improbable rally. The collapse is often cited by historians and fans alike as the moment that broke the team's spirit, leading to their eventual elimination in Game 7 despite a valiant effort.
In Their Own Story
The humidity of late October clung to the stands at Veterans Stadium, thick with the smell of hot dogs and nervous sweat. The crowd was on its feet, chanting for the pennant as the Phillies held a three-run cushion. But in the ninth, the air grew heavy, the silence between pitches stretching into eternity until the roar of the opposing dugout finally drowned out the home fans' hope.
Reader's Guide
The Phillies entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a commanding 9-6 lead over the Atlanta Braves. The atmosphere at Veterans Stadium was electric, with fans believing the National League pennant was within reach. However, the Braves immediately threatened, loading the bases with two outs against reliever Mitch Williams. Ron Gant stepped to the plate and delivered a crushing double into the left-field corner, driving in two runs and cutting the deficit to one run. The tension was palpable as the next batter, Chipper Jones, faced Williams under immense pressure. Jones hit a sharp single to right field that allowed Gant to score from second base, tying the game at 9-9. The Braves had erased a three-run lead in just two outs of the ninth inning. The extra innings were a blur of exhaustion and error, culminating in a Braves victory that forced a seventh game.
Did You Know?
- The Phillies held a three-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before the Braves scored four runs to win in extra innings.
- Ron Gant's double and Chipper Jones' single were the pivotal hits that erased the Phillies' lead in the ninth inning.
- This game forced a decisive Game 7, which the Braves won to advance to the World Series.
- Lenny Dykstra had hit for the cycle earlier in the series, but could not prevent this specific collapse.
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