As the series finale of the 2025 ALDS between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers continued to go deeper and deeper into extra innings, Atlanta Braves fans were slowly reminded their own Division Series nightmare from 20 years ago.
Suddenly, memories of Joey Devine, Chris Burke, and the Crawford Boxes were haunting Braves fans once again.
Fans reminded of Braves 2005 NLDS nightmare after 2025 ALDS marathon game
In 2005, the Braves pulled off their 14th-straight division title thanks to the help of 18 rookies, including Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, and Kelly Johnson, and were once again matched up with the Houston Astros, who had beaten the Braves in the 2004 NLDS.
Houston took games one and three, while the Braves took the second game thanks to John Smoltz's seven inning gem.
In Game 4, Atlanta jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to an Adam LaRoche grand slam, but Houston rallied late, scoring four in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie it at six and send it into extras.
From here, the Astros and Braves bullpen traded zeroes, much like the Mariners and Tigers bullpens did in Game 5 of the 2025 ALDS.
Atlanta got multiple scoreless innings from Christ Reitsma, John Thomson, and Jim Brower, while Houston got multiple scoreless innings from Chad Qualls, Brad Lidge, Dan Wheeler, and Roger Clemens.
In the 17th, Bobby Cox went to rookie Joey Devine, who had been drafted only a few months earlier and had allowed a run without getting an out the day before. To Devine's credit, the rookie was able to set down the Astros in order, striking out Brad Ausmus and Eric Bruntlett, then getting future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio to groundout.
Despite still having Macay McBride and Horacio Ramirez in the bullpen, the Hall of Fame skipper let the 23-year-old go back out for the 18th inning. Devine benefitted from facing a 42-year-old pitcher with a .187 batting average, striking out Roger Clemens in four pitches.
Chris Burke, who had entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch-runner for Lance Berkman, followed Clemens. At this point in the utility player's career, Burke only had five career homers. Unfortunately for Devine, after going down 2-0, Burke lined the third pitch to left field, which barely scraped over the Crawford Boxes and sent the Astros into the NLCS.
This homer marked the end of an era for the Braves, who would not see the playoffs for the next five seasons. Meanwhile, this would be the defining moments of both Burke's and Devine's career. Thankfully, 16 years later, the Braves would come to have positive memories to associate with Houston and the playoffs, as well as the Crawford Boxes.
Hopefully for Mariners fans, this victory in the instant classic will be just one of many in a long postseason run. Hopefully for Tigers fans, Detroit doesn't suffer the same drought the Braves did in the following seasons.