This is one of the most underappreciated, undervalued or underrated historic games in MLB history IMHO. Despite how this game started on a Monday instead of Sunday and featured 35 thousand instead of over 50 thousand in the stands, I rate this among the 25 greatest MLB games ever played due to the following factors: 1. It was the most important game in Montreal Expos history, the closest they ever were to winning the NL pennant. They were just one win, one walkoff extra-base hit (from a player who won Game 3 for them with a three-run homer) away from making the World Series. 2. It was the most dramatic win for the Dodgers in their postseason championship run in 1981, which itself was a historic strike-shortened season. It was symbolic of how they kept coming back, from 0-2 down vs the Astros in the NLDS, down two games to 1 in this NLCS versus the Expos and having to win Games 4 and 5 in Montreal, and later being down 0-2 in the World Series to the Yankees before coming back to win it in 6 games. This to me was their greatest game of that postseason. 3. The game itself was a close, nerve-biting game won on a top of the ninth game-winning home run by Rick Monday. Since then, there have been more than a handful of other 9th inning home runs to win a pennant or postseason series (including World Series), but in 1981, what fans knew was that the last time it happened was on Bill Mazeroski's homer in the 1960 World Series or Bobby Thomson for the Giants in 1951. It made the home run that much more dramatic. And Monday hit it on a Monday! 4. Aside from that dramatic home run, Rick Monday scored the other run for the Dodgers in this game. In addition to his ability, he was known as an American hero for saving the US flag from burning in a game years earlier. In this game, it seemed he symbolically struck one for a historied US franchise against a team from Francophone Canada. Ironically, as he hit his homer off Montreal starter Steve Rogers, it was like Captain America striking against Captain America. 5. In this very special season for rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela, he pitched superbly in his most clutch performance of the season. He even drove in the Dodgers' only run before the Monday homer. Had he failed, then the entire magical season would have been all for naught, especially since he finished the season at 5-7 after starting out 8-0. And in the playoffs up to that point, he was 1-1 and the Dodgers had lost 2 of his 3 starts, including Game 2 when they lost 3-0 with Valenzuela giving up three earned runs in 6 innings. The winning pitcher (Ray Burris) was the same Expo starter he was going against in this deciding game. The pressure was on. And Fernando delivered. With this epic performance, he completely validated the Fernandomania craze that year. It was almost like destiny. 6. Similarly, Hall of Fame base stealer Tim Raines had his own terrific rookie season for Montreal, and in this game, he delivered with a double and run scored in the bottom of the first. Another Hall of Famer, Andre Dawson, was slumping in this NLCS, but the lone Expo run scored by Raines came off his grounder in the bottom of the 1st. Still another Expo Hall of Famer, Gary Carter, went 1 for 3 and refused to be the last out of the game by drawing a two-out walk off Valenzuela in the bottom of the 9th. The Expos had quite a lineup (they had guys like Larry Parrish too) and it's a pity they never won a pennant, much more a World Series. 7. With Gary Carter refusing to make the last out for his team, this recalls how he likewise delivered in a similar situation for him in the infamous Game 6 of the 1986 World Series when, playing as a Met, he hit a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th to jump-start the Mets' three-run rally to save the game and the Series. It shows what a clutch player Gary Carter was. May he rest in peace. And again, it showed how close the Expos were to actually winning this game. They had the tying and winning runs on base, with Jerry White (the Game 3 hero with the game-winning three-run homer) at the plate. But Dodgers pitcher Bob Welch got him to ground out. 8. Likewise, by getting it done in the bottom of the ninth instead of spoilng it for Valenzuela and his team, troubled Dodger pitcher Bob Welch had one of the highlights of his career with that tough save, his biggest contribution for the Dodgers that postseason. He did pitch well out of the bullpen throughout that NLCS, but this was his biggest moment. And he didn't pout despite being demoted to the bullpen after he had drinking problems again late in the season. He got it done when he faced the biggest situation of his career (he was later to win a Cy Young Award with Oakland). May he also rest in peace. 9. Conversely, Montreal ace starter Steve Rodgers had the misfortune of surrendering that home run when he came out of the bullpen. The wheel of fortune turned a different way for both him and Welch. Even as Steve Rogers was great in that 1981 postseason (even defeating Steve Carlton twice in their earlier series vs the defending champion Phillies), this might be what Rogers and the fans remembered from the entire year. Meanwhile, as earlier said, Bob Welch had his save and the World Series ring to remember this season by, despite his late season problems. That’s baseball. 10. The game also reflected how in baseball, you could win a game, even the biggest game of the season, without your big stars delivering at all, or even with the other team having a seemingly more impressive lineup. In addition to guys like slugger Larry Parrish and .304 hitter Warren Cromartie, there were 3 future Hall of Famers at bat for the Expos compared to zero Hall of Famers for the Dodgers, and even then, the Dodgers' three biggest guns (Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker and Ron Cey) all went hitless in this game. Together with sluggers Davey Lopes and Pedro Guerrero, they had a combined 2-19 for the Dodgers. But Rick Monday's heroics were enough. And you just can't have that in other sports, where it is very doubtful that you can win a big game with your big star/s delivering absolutely nothing. The Patriots don't win 6 Super Bowls if Tom Brady can't throw a single touchdown pass, only interceptions. If both Michael Jordan and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe, or LeBron and Dwyane or Kyrie shoot badly and score less than 15 points in the same game, it's doubtful their teams can pull it out. Hockey or socccer teams won't win if their star goalkeepers can't make tough saves at all throughout the game and keep letting the other team score goals, and that’s why they’re often the winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy in the NHL playoffs or The Man of the Match in futbol. But in baseball, teams can win even with their MVP batting champions going 0-4 or 0-5. It can happen, so long as the pitching holds and other hitters (sometimes even just one) can pick up the slack for the main stars' oh-fers. XXXXXXXXXX I'm sure Dodger and Expo fans know of or remember this game avidly, but it seems not too many others do. But it remains one of the 25 greatest MLB games of all time in my book, and even if I expanded the list to include the 100 greatest games ever played in all North American major league sports (counting MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, even AFL, ABA, WHL, NASL and MLS), this game would still merit a place on such list. All the factors which I mentioned have something to do with it, including this game's place in the history of the Montreal Expos. They were but one win, one walkoff extra-base hit away from winning their only National League pennant, but Fernando Valenzuela, Rick Monday and Bob Welch shut them down, in perhaps the most pivotal game of their noted careers. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that Steve Rogers' stellar career as an Expos ace would be marred by this loss, but that's sports. And that's another reason why this game is one of the greatest or most significant games ever for me. The outcome symbolizes just how sports fortunes could turn in ways fans, players and coaches can never understand.

As a Dodger fan since I was 10 years old in 1968, justice was finally served for me in 1981. The NLDS against Houston, NLCS against Montreal, and World Series against the mighty Yankees were gut wrenching high drama games. What an incredible post season that was, all remarkable series come backs. My nerves were shot until Kenny Landreaux caught the final out at Yankees Stadium in game 6.

What a game, I was 10 years old, thanks for sharing, this is awesome!

Stayed home from school to watch....what a great day

1981 was a great time for ⚾️🧢baseball🧢⚾️fans! I started going to games with my Mom and Dad in 1977. I was 9 years old. I loved doing the Scorecards. The Statistics, AB's, hits, doubles, triples, HR's, RBI's, BB's, K's, IP, etc. I loved it! I was also playing Little League and ⚾️🧢Baseball🧢⚾️became MY GAME! The players back then were HOF's too. Robin Yount for my Brewers, George Brett for the Royals, Andre Dawson for Montréal, Steve Garvey for the Dodgers, and so many others. They were all fun to watch, especially Nolan Ryan, Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, and Steve Carlton. We were BLESSED in that we were privileged to see these iconic players perform and just dominate the game, and it was GLORIOUS! I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

That was heartbreak for me as a fourth grader in late '81! My father had taken me to see my first MLB game during the summer of '79 between the eventual world champion Pirates and of course the then-Expos at old Three Rivers! I became a Montreal and mostly Tim Raines fan that very day and have stuck with them to present-day as the Washington Nationals! Sorry Dodger fans, but it made our 2019 world championship that much sweeter having gone through ya all en route because in beating you, the Cardinals and Astros we truly earned it like the Dodgers did in beating us en route back then! I can still see Rick Monday's HR like it was yesterday and I pulled for the Dodgers against the Yankees in that WS! To prove there's no hard or ill feelings and out of the fact I'm always respectful, congratulations out to the Dodgers on your 2020 WS crown! And Corey Seager being named WS MVP redeemed this October for me because he's a fellow NW Cabarrus HS (Concord, NC) alum! Rural school to the big time! My boys had an off year defending our title, but LA was long overdue! Kudos to the Dodgers and mostly Corey! Well done!

Thanks for this one! I was a Montréal Expos fan as a kid. I loved their uniform and hat. I remember going to a Brewers game at old County 🏟Stadium🏟 back in the 70's and as we were heading inside I stopped at the MLB stand. They had hats, caps, visors, seat cushions, pennants, team hemet banks, bobble heads, cups, ⚾️⚾️Baseballs⚾️⚾️, yearbooks, programs, 🖊pens🖊 shaped like bats, and basically anything you could imagine selling at a baseball game. ⚾️🧢⚾️🧢⚾️🧢⚾️🧢⚾️🧢 ⚾️🧢⚾️ I however had my sights set on the replica batting helmets. I collected those back then. I had the Brewers of course, the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, even the Yankees, all from the AL East. I had the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A's, from the AL West. I really wanted the Montréal Expos though. I loved Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Steve Rogers and some of the best all-time pitchers started here. RANDY JOHNSON was one. Look at their history and it'll surprise you who they had as rookies. They were set up really well!

I remember hearing about the Monday homerun during 6th period my freshmen year at Newbury Park High in So.Cal.

Great series wish my dodgers had heart like the 81 and 88 teams

Magistral game for the great Fernando Valenzuela

Closest the Montreal Expos ever came to playing in a World Series

I told mom I wasn’t feeling well. She let me skip school to watch this!

I had to go to school but brought my radio and provided the class with crucial updates.

You know they had a damn good lineup when Pedro Guerrero was hitting 7th..

It's a shame the game on Sunday was rained out, if it had of been played I think the game would have been a sell out 59,000. The Monday game barely drew 30,000 for a deciding game 5.

If the Expos has actually won this game, is it really much of a leap to think that the team might still be going strong in Montreal today? Imagine what might have been... Ironically, I live in Quebec, but am a longtime Dodger fan.

Great series, great post!

25 years later to day I was at Shea Stadium watching my Mets play the Cardinals in Game 7 At the end of 8 in a 1-1 tie, I thought to myself. We might have a Rick Monday moment or a Chris Chambliss moment unfortunatley for me and my fellow Met fans Yadier Molina gave us a Rick Monday moment

Love the days of our lives reference

Blue Monday game?😮

This is great, except the audio is out of sync. Did not know Enberg called the game for NBC.

Miss those Expos teams.

It's Rick Monday Day!

Since I am dodger fan I feel so bad for the expos it’s so sad to see them loose

Who was Jay Johnstone impersoating Tommy Lasorda? RIP Jay Johnstone

I know was televised back to Los Angeles on KTTV Channel 11 that day with Vin Scully & Ross Porter. I wonder if anyone has the KTTV telecast of the game.

Umpires (Game 5) HP Harry Wendelstedt 1B Joe West 2B Paul Pryor (Crew Chief) 3B Eric Gregg LF Paul Runge RF Dutch Rennert

Commentators: Dick Enberg & Tom Seaver

A lotta people were rooting for the Dodgers didn't want to see a world series on Canada

Valenzuela detuvo a los expos en su propio estadio en un decisivo 5 juego y con todo y Gary Carter, André Dawson, Tim Raines, Larry Parrish e incluso Tim Wallach!!!

Monday already sounds like a broadcaster in his post game interview.

The audio is behind the video by 20+ seconds

Dick Enberg: "Hit to center. And hit well. Dawson back. And Monday WILL TOUCH THEM ALL!!" 2:15:57 (not caught up)

The “Blue Monday” Game.

Last time Washington Nationals made the NLCS until this year.

12 00 pm 3 pm Eastern time

Bring the expo’s back

Why wasn't Cincinnati in the playoffs?

I wish my dodgers can beat the Houston astors

A good reason why there shoul never be baseball in Montreal. A game 5 with only 30k? Ridiculous.