KOD24: KOD 24 ALCS : 88 Boston Red Sox win classic series over 75 New York Yankees

1988 Boston Red Sox (25-15)

1975 New York Yankees (22-18)

King of Diamonds #24

American League Divisional Series

Best of 5 Series

GM 1 - October 4

Fenway Park, Boston, MA
62 Degrees, Clear, Light Rain
Doc Medich (1-6) vs Roger Clemens (9-0)

New York wins 5-1

WP: Doc Medich (2-6) - 7.1 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
LP: Roger Clemens (9-1) - 9 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
SV: Dave Pagan (SV 2) - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
HR: None
GWRBI: Fred Stanley

MVP: Dave Pagan (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, SAVE)

The pitching matchup in game 1 favored the home team Red Sox in a big way. The Yankees were coming off a wild card win that saw them throw ace Catfish Hunter while the Sox were rested and had potential KOD24 Cy Young Award winning Roger Clemens waiting for the Yankees. Howevr, it was the Yankees bats that decided this game as they battered the Rocket for 13 hits and handed Roger his first loss of the season. Leading the way for New York were Elliot Maddox (3-4, 2 R, 2 2B) and Thurman Munson (2-5, 3 RBI). Chris Chambliss and Sandy Alomar also had good at bats vs Clemens with 2 hits each on the day. Mike Greenwell had 3 hits and a walk in his 4 plate appearances for the Red Sox who struggled all day to figure out Doc Medich and reliever Dave Pagan.

GM 2 - October 5
Fenway Park, Boston,MA
59 Degrees, Wind 14 mph out to LCF
Rudy May (3-3) vs Bruce Hurst (4-2)

Boston wins 5-2

WP: Bruce Hurst (5-2) - 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP: Rudy May (3-4) - 4 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
SV: Bob Stanley (SV 2) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
HR: NONE
GW RBI: Mike Greenwell

MVP: Bruce Hurst (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, WIN)

It was the Red Sox bats that dominated this game jumping all over starter Rudy May starting in the 3rd inning and continuing the rest of the night. Bruce Hurst was the beneficiary of the offensive outpouring but the Boston lefty did not need much as he kept the Yankee offense in check all night long before departing after 8 innings with a 5-1 lead. Boston had 14 hits on the night led by Dwight Evans (5-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B) and the DP combo of Jody Reed (2-4) and Marty Barrett (3-4). Given the amount of hits, the Yanks were fortunate to be in the game until the end. New York had a chance trailing 5-1 heading into the 9th. Hurst was still feeling it so he was left in to try and close out the game. He gave up 2 hits to lead off the inning and gave way to Bob Stanley. The Steamer retired the 3 batters he faced allowing just a SF to Chris Chambliss to drive home Elliott Maddox. Graig Nettles was the final out recorded by Stanley to end the game with the tying run in the on deck circle.

GM 3 - October 7
Shea Stadium, Queens, NY
66 Degrees, Threatening, 5 mph in from LCF
Mike Boddicker (3-1) vs Catfish Hunter (8-1)

New York wins 2-1 in 11 innings

WP: Catfish Hunter (9-1) - 11 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
LP: Lee Smith (0-2) - 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
SV: NONE
HR: Walt Williams (2)
GW RBI : Walt Williams (Walk off HR in 11th)

MVP: Catfish Hunter (11 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, WIN, PERFECT GAME THRU 9 IP)

After the two teams swapped pretty one sided victories in Boston, the trip to the Yankees temporary home at Shea Stadium led to much more drama and possibly the best back to back games in the history of KOD baseball. Yankees ace Catfish Hunter had been very good all season with a very good 8-1 record including a wild card victory over the Milwaukee 5 days earlier. Hunter had picked up a CG win over Boston when the 2 teams met a week earlier at the end of the regular season. But the Catfish that took the mound for this playoff contest was at the very top of the game. Hunter was PERFECT through 9 innings. The only problem was Mike Boddicker (7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, ND) and Bob Stanley matched the NY righties zeroes on the scoreboard and we headed to extras scoreless. NY did have some chances along the way including loading the bases off of Stanley in the bottom of the 9th but Boston closer came in and got Elliott Maddox to pop to Wade Boggs to end the threat. With Hunter only around 85 pitches it was a no-brainer to send him back out for the 10th with his perfect game still intact. Marty Barrett greeted the righty rudely in the top of the 10th with a double off the wall in right center. After a Jody Reed sac bunt moved Barrett to third, Wade Boggs
grounded a single up the middle to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Ellis Burks would then reach on a error gving Boston runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out and 1 run already in. Mike Greenwell came to the plate with a chance to completely ruin what had been a career game for Hunter, but the Red Sox lefty grounded to Nettles at 3rd who went around the horn for the inning ending double play. The Yankees, now facing potential defeat despite the gem by Hunter, had the middle of the order coming to the plate in the 10th against closer Lee Smith who had wiggled out of danger in the 9th inning. Smith retired Munson and Bobby Bonds which brought Chris Chambliss up needing to reach base to keep the game alive. Chambliss was able to extend the inning with a double and then Nettles (2-5) followed with a single between Boggs and Jody Reed that tied the game at 1. Smith settled down and retired Alomar to end the 10th and send the game to the 11th. Hunter was able to continue on the mound for NY with his pitch count still only around 100. He retired the Sox 1-2-3 bringing the Yanks back to the plates with a chance to send the fans home happy. And Walt Williams (3-4, R, RBI, HR) did just that on the 3rd pitch of the inning from Lee Smith by pulling a fastball 393 feet into the left center field bleachers that made a winner out of Catfish Hunter and put the Red Sox on the brink of elimination.

GM 4 - October 8
Shea Stadium, Queens, NY
60 Degrees, Clear, Rain, 13 mph Left to Right
Wes Gardenr (2-2) vs Pat Dobson (4-2)

Boston wins 5-3 in 10 innings

WP: Lee Smith (1-2) - 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 57 pitches
LP: Sandy Lyle (0-2) - 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
SV: NONE
HR: Graig Nettles (5)
GW RBI: Todd Benzinger

MVP: Todd Benzinger (2-4, 3 RBI, 2B, GW RBI)

The Yankees fans packed Shea still high from the thrilling game 3 victory looking to see their team send the favored Red Sox back home with the same feeling a lot of these same Sox had felt leaving Shea after the '86 World Series. The pitchers once again were very good on both sides with Gardner and Dobson matching shutdown innings until the Red Sox broke through in the 4th with walk to Jody Reed, a single to Boggs (2-5) and an RBI single by Dwight Evans. The Yankees rallied for single runs in the 5th and 6th thanks to a single by Walt Williams and a double by Roy White in the 5th and then after 2 singles in the 6th it was a familiar Shea scene. Bob Stanley uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Graig Nettles to score the go ahead run giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead and leaving the Red Sox fans shaking their heads and looking over their shoulders for with Mookie Wilson or Bill Buckner. The Red Sox players, however, continued to battle pushing across a tying run in the top of the 7th thanks to a walk to Jim Rice and a double by Todd Benzinger that scored pinch runner Kevin Romine from first base. With Bob Stanley running out of gas and bullpen options shaky at best, Lee Smith was brought in to the game after Stanley let 2 of the first 3 runners reach base in the 7th. Smith was able to induce an inning ending dounle play from Chris Chambliss to escape the 7th with the game still ties at 2. Boston threatened in the 8th with 2 outs as Ellis Burks and Mike Greenwell reached base. But Yankee SP Pat Dobson (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, ND) was able to retire Dwight Evans to keep the game deadlocked. It would not stay that way for long as Graig Nettles led off the 8th with a HR down the RF line that whipped the NY crowd into a frenzy. Smith was able to settle down after the HR and keep it a 3-2 game heading into the top of the 9th. NY brought in their closer Sandy Lyle who faced PH Larry Parrish to lead off the 9th needing just 3 outs to seal the series victory. Parrish had other ideas as he singled thru the left side and was quickly replaced at first by pinch runner Brady Anderson. Benzinger followed with a sac bunt to move Anderson unto scoring position. Rich Gedman was unable to come through with Anderson at second as he grounded out to short leaving the runner at 2nd but now with 2 outs and Marty Barrett coming to the plate looking to extend the game. Lyle was able to get Barrett to reach for a fastball on the outside corner and the Red Sox 2nd baseman could do nothing but weakly tap the lefties pitch right back to the mound. Lyle fielded the ball cleanly and ran towards 1st looking to flip to Chambliss for the series ending out. But that is where all HELL broke loose as Lyle's underhanded toss went clear over the 6'1" first baseman's head and far enough from Chambliss to allow speedy Anderson to score from 2nd base with the game tying run. With the Shea fans in complete shock and Barrett standing on 2nd base, Lyle somehow put his huge gaffe behind him and retired Jody Reed to keep the Sox from pushing ahead. Despite having Dennis Lamp and Tom Bolton up in the down in the bullpen several times, Lee Smith was sent out for the bottom of the 9th and the Boston closer was up to the task retiring the top of the Yanks lineup in order. 9th inning goat, Lyle, was sent back out for the 10th but it was clearly weighing on his mind as he was not sharp. Boggs led off with a single followed by 2 outs but then back to back walks to Dwight Evans (a 12 pitch AB that saw Dewey foul off pitch after pitch) and Anderson loaded the bases for Todd Benzinger. Benzinger, again, came up big with a ground ball single that plated Greenwell and Evans and ended the night for Lyle. Tippy Martinez retired Rick Cerone to end the inning but the damage was done and the Sox held the 5-3 lead heading to the bottom of the 10th. Smith was once again sent back out for the 10th heading into his 4th inning of relief after entering in the 7th. Bobby Bonds gave the NY faithful hope with a leadoff triple that brought the tying run to the plate. But Smith was able to get Chambliss to pop to the catcher, Nettles to line out to Greenwell in left and the Sandy Alomar grounded back to Smith and unlike his counterpart, Lyle, the Boston closer was able to compete the out by hitting his 1B in the glove with a throw that sent this epic series back to Boston for a deciding game 5.

GM 5 - October 9
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
64 Degress, 10 mph out to LCF
Doc Medich (2-6) vs Roger Clemens (9-1)

Boston wins 9-3

WP: Roger Clemens (10-1) - 9 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
LP: Doc Medich (2-7) - 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
SV: NONE
HR: Mike Greenwell (6)
GWRBI: Jim Rice

MVP: Mike Greenwell (3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR)

At a quick glance after the game, one might think this was a let down series finale with the home team winning 9-3 but despite lacking the end of game drama of the 2 Shea games, this game saw plenty of fireworks. The Yankees jumped on Clemens early with single runs in the 1st and the 3rd as the NY bats continued to have no problems timing the hard throwing righty ace. However, it was that 3rd inning that may have been the turning point of the game and what will be talked about for years to come. With 2 outs and the bases empty, Clemens allowed a single to Thurman Munson on a broken bat blooper to left center. As the Yankee captain ran down the line to first, Clemens, clearly upset with his playoff performance, picked up the splintered Munson bat and fired the lumber angrily towards the Yankee bench. Unlike his ugly incident with Mike Piazza, Clemens did not aim the bat towards Munson heading down the line, the bat however did come dangerously close to on deck batter Bobby Bonds. Bonds, never one to back down from confrontation, voiced his displeasure as he headed to the batters box for his at bat. Clemens just glared in at Bonds clearly still seeing red but focusing on his catcher signs instead of engaging Bonds. After a ball and a strike to Bonds, Clemens unleashed a 96 MPH fastball that caught the Yankee OF in the shoulder and caused Fenway to go absolutely silent. Bonds took one step back upon impact and then took off in a sprint towards the Boston mound. What happened next will be be remembered as the 1st and only SAVE of Boston shortstop Jody Reed's MLB career. Reed, seeing trouble from his position at short, was able to intercept Bonds on his way to Clemens with an open field tackle that would have made Dick Butkus proud. Both benches emptied and some light pushing and shoving ensued but when the dust settled the umpires decided that just Reed and Bonds would be tossed with Clemens being allowed to continue on the mound. With Clemens struggling and trailing 2-0 this seemed like something that was only going delay an early shower for Rocket, but with a depleted bullpen after 2 extra innings games, having Clemens avoid the ejection was huge for Boston. And the Red Sox offense seemed to woken up by the near brawl as an inning later they broke through with 3 big runs off of starter Medich. One of the key contributors was Reed replacement, Spike Owen (2-4, R, 2B) who was seeing his first action of the series. The Red Sox would really deliver the knockout punch to the visitors in the 6th when they struck for 4 more runs thanks to a single by Greenwell, a triple by Evans, a single by Larry Parrish, a double by Gedman and a single by Marty Barrett. Now pitching with a lead and confidence, Clemens was able to settle in and would go on to throw his 7th complete game in his 12 KOD starts for the series clinching victory.