Revisit the biggest comeback of all time

In its new series "Hidden Classics," MLB is digging into its archives and dusting off big games you might have forgotten about from your favorite stars of yesteryear. Stay tuned to MLB.com/HiddenClassics and MLB's YouTube channel for more Hidden Classic games.

Ever wonder what’s the biggest comeback in American and National League history?

File this away for future rounds of trivia: It’s 12 runs, and it’s only been done three times across 125 seasons of AL and NL games. That’s three times in more than 200,000 contests!

Two of those 12-run comebacks happened way before ballgames were ever televised (in 1911 and ‘25).

But comeback No. 3 happened in full technicolor on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. And we’re dusting it off for this week’s edition of “Hidden Classics.”

The night of Aug. 5, 2001, saw Cleveland fall behind by 12 runs not just once, but on two occasions against the mighty Seattle Mariners of Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez and company. Seattle raced to a 12-0 lead before some Ohioans had made it to their seats, and then swatted away a Jim Thome two-run homer to establish a seemingly insurmountable 14-2 lead after the first five innings.

So, how in the world did Cleveland manage to somehow, a couple hours later, celebrate a most improbable walk-off victory? It was a win that not only defied the odds of win probability, but came against an ‘01 Mariners club that tied the AL/NL modern era wins record with 116 (and, considering how they started this game, should have finished with 117).

Find out by watching the condensed game in the video player above, or at MLB’s official YouTube account.

And for previous editions of “Hidden Classics,” check out:

• Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners’ final game at Seattle’s Kingdome
• A vintage Pedro Martinez-Roger Clemens pitchers’ duel at Yankee Stadium
• Barry Bonds’ upper-deck homer (and showdown with Mariano Rivera in the Bronx
• The Phillies’ 10-run comeback against Tommy Lasorda's Dodgers in 1990
• A 1999 Mets-Yankees showdown that set the stage for the ‘00 Subway Series