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Red Sox: Top 10 most important home runs in team history

By Drew Athans

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 10: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the final at bat of his career during the eighth inning of game three of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 10, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 10: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the final at bat of his career during the eighth inning of game three of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 10, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – OCTOBER 20: Johnny Damon #18 of the Boston Red Sox hits a grand-slam home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees during game seven of the American League Championship Series on October 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City.(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – OCTOBER 20: Johnny Damon #18 of the Boston Red Sox hits a grand-slam home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees during game seven of the American League Championship Series on October 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City.(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

Johnny Damon’s Grand Slam

I feel like I’m overlooking Mark Bellhorn‘s three-run homer from Game Six of this series which proved to be the margin of victory and forced Game Seven. However, that homer put the Sox up 4-0 in the middle of the game and the Red Sox held on to win. He definitely merits an honorable mention here.  I don’t think there’s any question that this next entry is deserving, though.

The Red Sox had battled back from being down three games to none to tie the series and force a deciding Game Seven at Yankee Stadium. Speaking for (I think) all Red Sox fans, I had visions of 2003’s nightmare finish in the same game at the same ballpark when this one started. The Red Sox had a 2-0 lead after the first inning when they came to bat in the second.

After loading the bases with one out, Johnny Damon came to bat and hit Javier Vazquez‘ first pitch into the right field stands for a grand slam and a 6-0 lead. You could see the fear on the Yankees’ faces (as well as those of their fans) and it was at that moment that I knew there was no way the Red Sox would lose this game.

For good measure, Damon hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and the Red Sox won this game 10-3 to complete the most epic comeback in baseball history. They had finally beaten the Yankees in the postseason, won their first pennant in eighteen years, and would go on to win their first World Series in eighty-six years.

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