Red Sox: 10 best MLB postseason performances in franchise history
With the 2017 MLB postseason approaching, we take a look at the most memorable playoff performances in Boston Red Sox history.
For a franchise that was founded in 1901, the Boston Red Sox certainly have a long and storied history. Carrying eight World Series titles to their name, Boston’s baseball club has seen playoff success come their way more frequently than most.
With all the success they’ve had, there’s come a plethora of unforgettable performances from past players. Whether their October run ended in glory or disappointment, Boston has always had their players rise to the occasion when called on.
Here we’ll countdown the 10 most memorable playoff performances in franchise history. From singular games, entire playoff series, and even entire playoff runs, I’ve compiled what I believe to be the Red Sox 10 most historically significant October performances.
Feel free to disagree with me in the comments, but just know that this is my list and I’m never wrong. This is my countdown of the Red Sox’ best playoff performances. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Now let’s get to it.
10. Jim Lonborg – ’67 World Series
Behind a Cy Young award winning campaign from their ace Jim Lonberg, the “Impossible Dream” Red Sox of 1967 shocked the world of baseball when they won the American League pennant in the final days of the season and subsequently took legendary pitcher Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals down to the wire in a thrilling 7-game World Series.
Much is remembered of the ’67 Sox as the group that ultimately revived the franchise and New England’s love for the game of baseball, however it’s important to remember Lonborg’s contribution as the 25-year old led the team’s pitching staff with a 22-9 record, 3.16 ERA, and 246 Ks in 273.0 IP.
An ace in the truest sense, Lonberg took the hill for the Sox in games 2, 5, and 7 of the ’67 Fall Classic. Coming into Game 7 of the series, Lonberg had gone 2-0 over 18 IP while surrendering just one run. After trading wins between himself and Gibson throughout the series, the two men finally faced off in the final, winner-take-all game.
Even though the Sox ultimately came up short in Game 7, with Lonberg suffering his worst outing of October, he still finished the Fall Classic with a 2-1 record, 2.63 ERA, and 11 Ks in 24 IP.
A forgotten postseason performance in Red Sox history because he failed to finish the job, Lonberg’s outings in the ’67 series were vital to the team pushing the Cardinals to the limit. In both Games 2 and 5 – with 5 seeing the Red Sox in a 3-1 hole in the series – Lonberg tossed back-to-back complete games to keep Boston’s hopes of a world title alive.
9. Bruce Hurst – ’86 World Series
Another player performance that fails to garner much recognition because of it being a non-championship campaign, Bruce Hurst in the ’86 Fall Classic unfortunately finds himself within the same category as Jim Lonberg. While the ’86 series is remembered for some other incident I’m failing to recall at the moment, Bruce Hurst was the Red Sox shining star throughout this Fall Classic for all but one inning.
In starting Games 1, 5, and 7, Hurst – much like Lonberg – displayed his brilliance on the mound in his first two outings, but ultimately faltered when his name was called on for a third and final time. After going 2-0 across 17 IP and surrendering just two runs over his first two starts, Hurst entered the 6th inning of his Game 7 start with the Red Sox up 3-0 and just 12 outs from a World Series title.
While Hurst failed to preserve the lead, his previously dominant outings still need to be recalled and recognized. Throughout this series, Hurst put the Red Sox in the best possible positions to take home their first title since 1918 time and time again.
By taking the ball in Game 1, Hurst led the Sox to a 1-0 series lead (at the opposition’s home ballpark no less), and by taking the ball in Game 5 he put the Red Sox up 3-2 in the series by throwing a complete game.
One bad inning is what separated Hurst from becoming a Boston sports legend for life. The work he did to put himself in that position in the first place should not be forgotten.
8. Carl Yastrzemski – ’67 World Series
The face of the “Impossible Dream” team of 1967, Yaz of course is remembered for his MVP, Triple Crown campaign. Even though he may not have been able to cap such a personally successful season with a collective team success such as a World Series title, Yaz did more than his fair share of work with the bat over the course of Boston’s 7 game showdown with St. Louis.
In playing all 7 games of the ’67 Fall Classic, Yaz put up a robust line of .400/.500/.840. Along with those gaudy numbers he put up multi-hit performances in three of the seven games, blasted two home runs and posted four RBIs in Game 2 alone, and altogether collected two doubles, three home runs, 10 hits, and five RBIs.
Although Yaz and Jim Lonberg provided the Sox with all they could muster and more, the aura of Bob Gibson was simply too much for the ’67 team to overcome. In games started by Gibson over the course of the series the Red Sox went 0-3, losing 2-1, 6-0, and 7-2.
The ’67 team and Yaz specifically can’t be faulted for falling to the greatness of a pitcher such as Gibson. But what makes Yaz’ performance even more impressive is that even with Gibson on the mound for 3 of 7 games, he was still able to post the kinds of numbers at the plate in the Fall Classic that wouldn’t be matched by a Red Sox player until David Ortiz in 2013.
7. Jon Lester – ’13 World Series
While he’s still out there making postseason history with Chicago Cubs these days, Jon Lester was out here doing the same for the Red Sox once upon a time. Remember those times? I do. They were fun.
*sighs*
But anyway! Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive perhaps his finest moments in a Red Sox jersey with the 2013 World Series.
Coming into the 2013 Fall Classic, Lester had already had some outstanding outings in both the ALDS and ALCS. None of those previous outings however, would be able to match what he was capable of against the Cardinals this fall.
In two starts in this World Series, Lester went 2-0, posted a 0.59 ERA(!!!), surrendered just 9 hits, walked 1 batter, allowed just 1 run (a solo HR), and struck out 15 batters over 15.1 IP. Taking these numbers into consideration, it’s not far fetched in the least to suggest that maybe Lester – instead of Ortiz – should be wearing that 2013 World Series MVP ring. If you were to ask David, I’m sure he’d agree.
Lester was a massive player over the course of both the 2007 and 2013 World Series runs. His starts against St. Louis in 2013 though truly cemented him as a player Sox fans will forever be indebted to. His heroics should not be understated with Boston. Lester will go down as an all-time great playoff performer. With that in mind, I think I’m going to go start petitioning for Papi to share that ring with him after all…
6. Keith Foulke – ’04 Playoffs
While I like to think many people are aware of this, it nonetheless bears mentioning that the great distiguisher between the Red Sox of 2003 and 2004 was a shut down closer. The great tragedy that befell Grady Little in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS was not that he held too much faith in Pedro Martinez, it was that he lacked any truly reliable options in the back end of his bullpen.
Following the heartbreak that was Game 7 in ’03, Theo Epstein made sure his team, or his new manager in Terry Francona, would never be put in a similar situation the following year when he went out and acquired Oakland A’s closer Keith Foulke.
While Foulke was phenomenal during the ’04 regular season (2.17 ERA, 32 saves, 79 Ks in 83 IP, 223 ERA+), I believe his contributions that fall have been forgotten thanks to other moments during that postseason that, understandably, stole much of the spotlight from him.
Over the course of the ’04 postseason, Foulke appeared in all but 2 games. He tossed 14 innings of work, recorded 3 saves, finished 8 of the 11 games he appeared in, surrendered just 7 hits and 1 run, and struck out 19 batters to 8 walks all the tune of a cool 0.64 ERA. For Red Sox fans it’s impossible to forget the moment he recorded that final out.
5. Josh Beckett – ’07 Playoffs
Josh Beckett’s Red Sox career was one of many highs and many lows. Although the relationship ended ugly, we can still look back on Beckett and recall what he accomplished in 2007 fondly. Without Beckett the Red Sox do not win the World Series in 2007. Plain and simple.
They ran through the American League that year and Beckett was a huge part in that as he went 20-7, posted a 3.27 ERA, tossed 200 IP, struck out 194 batters, and finished 2nd in Cy Young voting.
The ace of the staff, Beckett shoved in the playoffs for the Sox that fall. In Game 1 of the ALDS against Anaheim he casually tossed a complete game shutout to set the tone for the rest of his fall campaign. His following 3 performances would be almost as good, with his ALCS Game 5 performance in Cleveland being the moment we’ll remember most from this team’s World Series run.
Heading into Game 5 in Cleveland, the Red Sox had only won Beckett’s Game 1 start and faced a daunting 3-1 hole in the series. Prior to the game itself, the Indians even brought in Beckett’s ex-girlfriend to sing the national anthem. An incident the Indians would later deem a “coincidence”. OK.
However, that act of gamesmanship wouldn’t get into his head as he went 8 innings, allowing just 1 run and striking out 11 batters en route to a game 5 victory which would jump start another furious ALCS comeback by the Red Sox and see them take the AL pennant in 7 games.
Over the course of Boston’s playoff run in ’07, Beckett was as reliable as they come. In 4 starts he went 4-0, tossed 30 innings, surrendered just 4 runs to post a 1.20 ERA, and struck out 35 batters.
4. Pedro Martinez – Game 5 ’99 ALDS
While we remember Pedro for his electric starts, ironically enough his only appearance on this list comes in the form of a relief outing.
Heading into Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox had found themselves forcing a decisive winner-take-all match up after earlier being down 2-0 in the best of 5 series. With Brett Saberhagen and Charles Nagy opposing each other on 3 days rest, this one soon became a battle of the bullpens when the score of this game stood at 8-7 Indians after 3 innings.
For the Red Sox, all manager Jimy Williams thought they needed was Pedro – and he was right. Even though Pedro hadn’t pitched since coming out of Game 1 with a back injury, a hampered Pedro was still better than most other options a manager had at his disposal. Pedro didn’t disappoint either. In 6 dazzling innings of relief, Pedro didn’t surrender a single hit and struck out 8 Cleveland hitters.
The Red Sox would finally take the lead on a Troy O’Leary 3-run home run in the 7th inning and Pedro finished up the rest, leading the Sox to a 12-8 victory. Without Martinez and his 6-no hit innings Boston’s chances of advancing to the ALCS would have diminished significantly. While he put himself at tremendous risk by pitching through an injury, he lifted up his entire team and an entire region with a performance that will never be forgotten.
3. Curt Schilling – Game 6 ’04 ALCS
Following Pedro comes another performance from an electric right-handed started who battled through injury to deliver a legendary performance. For Schilling, as we all know by now, it was his ankle that hampered his movement out there on the mound throughout the 2004 postseason. After being rocked in his Game 1 start in the ALCS against New York where he just lasted 3 innings and gave up 6 runs, many wondered if Schilling would even be able to take the hill again in October if the Red Sox made it to his next scheduled start.
Injury or not, Schilling certainly isn’t handed the ball again if not for the heroics of Dave Roberts and David Ortiz in Games 4 and 5 of the series, which saw Boston clinging to life entering New York for Game 6. Now down just 3-2 after being down 3-0.
Prior to Game 6 everyone knew Schilling’s ankle would play a huge factor. How long would he be able to go? Would he be able to move? Could the Red Sox truly risk putting him and his bum ankle out there with how far they’ve come?
These questions and more were all ultimately answered as Schilling silenced both the losers, the haters, and all of Yankee Stadium in going 7 strong innings and surrendering just 1 run. In doing so he helped the Red Sox force Game 7 in the Bronx and pushed Boston ever closer to completing the greatest comeback in the history of sports and breaking the infamous “Curse of the Bambino”.
2. David Ortiz – ’13 World Series
For all the great moments David Ortiz provided us with, his performance in the 2013 Fall Classic was one of the best. A dominant offensive force from beginning to end, Ortiz put up a historic display in the batters box rivaled only by a select few.
Ortiz was such a force in the 2013 World Series that by the end it, the St. Louis Cardinals seemed all but reserved to the fact that they wouldn’t be getting the man they called “Big Papi” out even if they tried pitching to him. Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny had Ortiz intentionally walked 3 times in the deciding Game 6 alone.
Over the course of the series, Ortiz posted multiple hits in 4 of the 6 games, hit 2 home runs, 2 doubles, walked a total of 8 times (4 times intentionally), recorded 6 RBIs, 11 hits, scored 7 runs, and posted a line of .688/.760/1.188. Needless to say, these numbers garnered Ortiz with the World Series MVP award.
Ortiz’ 2013 performance was not just historic in a baseball sense. It became significant for the entire city of Boston as his prowess at the plate led the Sox to a championship their city desperately needed following the marathon bombings that previous April. Ortiz did his share to help this franchise to their 8th World Series title thanks to those gaudy numbers, but more importantly – he helped the city heal when they needed it most.
1. David Ortiz – ’04 ALCS
It might seem obvious, or even a little cheap, that I have Ortiz in the ’04 ALCS taking home the #1 spot on this list. But who are we kidding? Not only was Big Papi’s run during the ’04 championship series one of the most impressive postseason displays in franchise history, it was far and away the most significant performance by a Red Sox player in October. Ortiz in ’04 changed everything for the Red Sox and their fans. By the end of the series Red Sox fans had gone from a group that was always afraid something would go wrong, to a confident bunch that felt like the World Series was their’s for the taking.
Ortiz’ dismantling of the Yankees in ’04 helped Red Sox fans believe that they could beat the Yankees. And let’s be honest – it was about time they did. Ortiz didn’t just lead the Red Sox to their 9th American League pennant at that point, he changed the entire mindset of the fanbase and the organization forever
Over the course of the ALCS, Ortiz hit .387/.457/.742, hit 3 HRs and 1 3B(!), knocked in 11 runs, scored 6 runs, and compiled 12 hits and 4 walks. Papi led the Red Sox’s historic comeback from beginning to end. Between his walk off HR in Game 4, his solo shot and walk off single in Game 5, and his HR in Game 7, Ortiz showed up when the Red Sox needed him most and would continue to do so until retiring after last season.
Next: Porcello a postseason liability
For me at least, Ortiz in the ’04 ALCS is the clear #1 when it comes to most memorable Red Sox postseason moments. While they look like they could really use his magic again as they try to gear up for October this fall, let’s hope this year’s Red Sox can make some memories of their own and shock the baseball world.