Extra Innings: The longest baseball games in history

How long have the longest games in MLB history been? To understand what can drive a game into multiple rounds of extra innings, we first need to understand the nature of extra-long games.

As any baseball fan will know, extra innings occur when a game is tied after the bottom of the ninth inning. Following a draw at that point, the game will proceed to extra innings. The away team gets three outs to score a run, followed by the home team getting the same opportunity.

One of the longest games in MLB history happened quite recently. The Seattle Mariners were squaring off against the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the ALDS on Saturday, October 15.

"AFTER 18 INNINGS THE HOUSTON ASTROS SWEEP THE MARINERS" - @ DraftKings Sportsbook

The game was tied for 18 innings until Astros hitter Jeremy Pena hit a solo home run to silence the crowd at Safeco Field. The Astros finished it off for a series sweep after 18 innings - 2 full games - of play in Seattle.

Although this was one of the longest baseball games ever to be played, it was not the longest ever. Number one on the list is a 1920 matchup between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins.

"The longest game in MLB history was a 26 inning marathon between the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves in 1920. Today feels like a perfect day to set a new record!" - @ Noah Camras

The two teams traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings to knot the game at a score of 1-1. The two teams went on to play 26 scoreless innings before the game had to eventually be called off due to darkness. This was an era before stadiums had lights.

Such long MLB games unlikely to be seen again

Due to MLB's new rule of starting a runner on second base during extra innings - at least during the regular season - it is unlikely we will see many more marathon games. However, with one of the longest baseball games in MLB history having been played very recently, we really never know.