1959 National League tie-breaker series
| Format | Best-of-three playoff |
|---|---|
| Dates | September 28–29, 1959 |
| Teams | The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves |
| Result | The Dodgers defeat the Braves, 2 games to 0 |
| Umpires | |
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The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series at the conclusion of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1959 regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The games were played on September 28 and 29, 1959, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves. The first game was played at Milwaukee County Stadium and the second took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The playoff series was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 86–68. The Dodgers won a coin flip late in the season that gave them home field advantage for the series, although the series did not reach a third game.
Following a rain-delayed start, the Dodgers won Game 1 by a close 3–2 score, with a home run by John Roseboro providing the margin of victory. The Dodgers then won the series and the pennant with another close victory in Game 2; they came back from a three-run deficit to tie the game in the ninth and then ultimately defeated the Braves, 6–5, in extra innings. This victory advanced the Dodgers to the 1959 World Series, in which they defeated the Chicago White Sox, four games to two. In baseball statistics, the tie-breaker series counted as the 155th and 156th regular-season games for both teams, with all events in the series added to regular-season statistics.
The Dodgers in the 1958 season posted a 71–83 win-loss record, finished in seventh place (out of eight teams) in the NL, and never held he league lead. By contrast the Braves won the NL that year with a 92–62 record and advanced to the 1958 World Series where the New York Yankees defeated them in seven games. Despite their success the Braves made several changes leading into the 1959 season. First, they selected Jim Pisoni in the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees in December 1958, although he returned to the Yankees by May 1959. The Braves then traded with the Philadelphia Phillies for Ted Kazanski, Stan Lopata, and Johnny O'Brien just prior to the season. Finally, the Braves traded for Mickey Vernon from the Cleveland Indians and selected Bobby Ávila, Ray Boone, and Enos Slaughter off of waivers during the 1959 season. The Dodgers traded for Rip Repulski and Wally Moon during the offseason and then acquired Chuck Churn, Solly Drake, and Chuck Essegian during the year.
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