The1985 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament ofMajor League Baseball for the1985 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in aLeague Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in theWorld Series. This was the first postseason in which the LCS was expanded to a best-of-seven series, from1969 to1984 it was a best-of-five series.

In the American League, theKansas City Royals returned to the postseason for the seventh time in ten years, and theToronto Blue Jays made their first postseason appearance in franchise history. This was Kansas City’s last postseason appearance until2014.

In the National League, theSt. Louis Cardinals returned to the postseason for the second time in four years, and theLos Angeles Dodgers were making their fifth appearance in the last nine years.

The playoffs began on October 8, 1985, and concluded on October 27, 1985, with the Royals defeating the Cardinals in seven games in the1985 World Series. This was the first title in franchise history for the Royals.

Blue Jays

Royals

Cardinals

Dodgers

American League Teams National League Teams

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

• Toronto Blue Jays – 99–62,AL East champions^[2]
• Kansas City Royals – 91–71,AL West champions^[3]

• St. Louis Cardinals – 101–61,NL East champions^[4]
• Los Angeles Dodgers – 95–67,NL West champions^[5]

Kansas City won the series, 4–3.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Blue Jays and Royals. The Royals overcame a 3–1 series deficit to defeat the Blue Jays in seven games and return to the World Series for the second time in six years.

Dave Stieb pitched eight solid innings as the Blue Jays won Game 1.Al Oliver hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth in Game 2 to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Kansas City. In Game 3, the Royals cut the Blue Jays series lead to 2–1, powered by star third basemanGeorge Brett’s dominant performance with two home runs. The Blue Jays narrowly won Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead thanks to their bullpen keeping the Royals’ offense at bay. The Royals'Danny Jackson pitched a complete game shutout in Game 5 to send the series back to Toronto. In Game 6, Brett hit his third home run as the Royals forced a seventh game. In Game 7, the Royals jumped out to an early lead and did not relinquish it, winning by a 6–2 score to secure the pennant. Game 7 was the last postseason game ever played atExhibition Stadium.

This was the first of three consecutive defeats in the ALCS for the Blue Jays. Following their 1985 loss, they fell to the eventual World Series championOakland Athletics in five games in1989 and lost to another eventual champion in theMinnesota Twins in1991, also in five games. However, Toronto would win its first pennant in1992 over the Athletics in six games en route to a World Series title.

This was the last time the Royals won the AL pennant until2014, where they swept theBaltimore Orioles before falling in the World Series.

The Royals and Blue Jays would meet again thirty years later in the ALCS in2015, which the Royals won in six games en route to another World Series title.

St. Louis won the series, 4–2.

This was the first postseason meeting in the history of theCardinals–Dodgers rivalry. The Cardinals overcame a two-games-to-none series deficit to defeat the Dodgers in six games, returning to the World Series for the second time in four seasons.

The Dodgers took Game 1 asFernando Valenzuela out-dueled the Cardinals'John Tudor, and in Game 2,Orel Hershiser pitched a complete game as the Dodgers blew out the Cardinals to take a 2–0 series lead headed to St. Louis. The Cardinals got on the board in the series with a 4–2 victory in Game 3. In Game 4, Tudor pitched seven solid innings as the Cardinals blew out the Dodgers by ten runs to tie the series at two. Game 5 remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when St. Louis'Ozzie Smith hit a walk-off home run to give the Cardinals a 3–2 win and a 3–2 series lead headed back to Los Angeles. Game 6 was an offensive duel - the Cardinals came back to tie the game at four in the top of the seventh, then the Dodgers' regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a solo home run fromMike Marshall. The Dodgers were then three outs away from forcing a Game 7, but the Cardinals put two men on base (one coming from a walk) and thenJack Clark hit a three-run home run to put the Cardinals ahead for good. The demoralized Dodgers then had a one-two-three ninth as the Cardinals won to take the pennant.

The Dodgers returned to the NLCS in1988, where they upset theNew York Mets in seven games en route to a World Series title.

The Cardinals would win their next pennanttwo years later over theSan Francisco Giants in seven games before falling in the World Series again.

The Dodgers and Cardinals would play each other five more times in the playoffs - St. Louis won in the NLDS in2004 and2014, as well as the NLCS in2013, while Los Angeles won in the NLDS in2009 and the Wild Card Game in2021.

Kansas City won the series, 4–3.

This was the first World Series since1974 to feature two teams representing the same state, and the first all-Missouri World Series since1944, which featured the Cardinals and theSt. Louis Browns (now theBaltimore Orioles). The Royals defeated the Cardinals in seven games to capture their first World Series title in franchise history.

John Tudor pitched six solid innings as the Cardinals took Game 1 on the road. In Game 2, the Royals lead 2-0 after eight innings, but the Cardinals put up four unanswered runs in the top of the ninth to win and take a 2—0 series lead. When the series moved to St. Louis, the Royals got on the board with a 6–1 victory in Game 3 asBret Saberhagen went the distance, however the Cardinals would win Game 4 off a complete-game shutout performance from Tudor to take a 3–1 series lead.Danny Jackson pitched a five-hit complete game as the Royals prevailed by a 6–1 score against in Game 5 to send the series back to Kansas City. Game 6 of the series was marred by a controversial call in which first batter and pinch-hitterJorge Orta, sent a chopping bouncer to the right ofJack Clark. He tossed the ball to Worrell, who tagged the bag ahead of Orta, but Clark's toss was behind Worrell and it allowed the running Orta to come between umpireDon Denkinger and his view of the lunging Worrell's glove. Denkinger called Orta safe. TV replays - not used by officials for play review until 2008 - indicated that Orta should have been called out, and an argument ensued on the field. The Cardinals argued briefly^[26] but as crew chief and believing he had made the correct call, Denkinger would not reverse it. Orta remained at first. In his bookYou're Missing a Great Game, Herzog wrote that he later wished he had asked CommissionerPeter Ueberroth, who was in attendance, to overrule the call and declare Orta out. If Ueberroth had refused to do so, Herzog would have pulled his team from the field and forfeited the game. The Royals ended up winning 2–1 to force a seventh game. In Game 7, Saberhagen pitched a five-hit complete-game shutout as the Royals embarrassed the Cardinals, 11–0, to secure the title.

The Royals became the fifth team in World Series history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit to win the championship, and only the second expansion team to win a World Series after theNew York Mets. The Royals also became the first team in MLB history to win both the LCS and the World Series after trailing three games to one in both rounds, a feat no other team has accomplished since. This was the first major league championship won by a team fromKansas City since 1970, when theKansas City Chiefs wonSuper Bowl IV. After the series win, the Royals fell into a massive slump, and missed the postseason for the next 29 years. Their next postseason appearance would come in2014, where they returned to theWorld Series, but narrowly lost to theSan Francisco Giants in seven games. The Royals' next title would come in2015, where they defeated theNew York Mets in five games.

This was the first of three consecutive losses in the World Series for the Cardinals. They would return to the World Seriestwo years later, but lost to theMinnesota Twins in seven games after being five innings away from the championship in Game 7. They made it back in2004, only to be swept by theBoston Red Sox. The Cardinals would eventually taste championship success again in2006, against theDetroit Tigers in five games.

NBC televised both LCS nationally in the United States.ABC then aired the World Series.

• League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings - 1985

• 1985 Major League Baseball season
• Major League Baseball postseason

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from July 2022