alcs game 7

2004 American League Championship Series
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The 2004 American League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The series, a rematch of the 2003 American League Championship Series, started on October 12, 2004 and ended one minute after midnight Eastern Time on October 21. The Red Sox, down three games to none and trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, came back to win the series in seven games. They became the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game postseason series after losing the first three games and only the 3rd in North American professional sports history. The first team was the Toronto Maple Leafs when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. The second was the New York Islanders when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals.

Following the comeback victory, the Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The victory ended one of the longest droughts in MLB history, as the Red Sox hadn't won the World Series since 1918.

Managers: Joe Torre (New York), Terry Francona (Boston)

Umpires: Randy Marsh, Jeff Nelson, John Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Jeff Kellogg, Joe West

Series MVP: David Ortiz, Boston

Television: FOX (Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Al Leiter announcing)




Contents
1 Game 1
2 Game 2
3 Game 3
4 Game 4
5 Game 5
6 Game 6
7 Game 7
8 Quotes of the Series
9 Records
10 Trivia
11 References in pop culture
12 The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
13 References
14 External links



[edit] Game 1
October 12: Game 1 pitted the Red Sox's star pitcher Curt Schilling against Yankees ace Mike Mussina. Schilling had a 6-1 postseason career record, but the expected pitchers' duel quickly became a one-sided exhibition. Schilling had suffered an ankle injury during the 2004 American League Division Series and was thought to be OK. The reality was that Schilling had suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. Meanwhile, Mussina retired the first 19 Sox batters. The Yankees added two runs off of Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the sixth. Hideki Matsui's single made the score 8-0 and gave him an ALCS record-tying five RBIs in the game.

However, the Red Sox shattered Mussina's bid for a perfect game with a rally of five runs in the seventh and added two more in the eighth, closing the gap to 8-7. With two outs and the tying run on third base, the Yankees called upon closer Mariano Rivera, who got Kevin Millar to pop out. The Yankees, stunned to see their lead nearly gone, scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Bernie Williams. The Sox got two singles in the top of the ninth, but Bill Mueller grounded into a game-ending double play.

It was the end of a long, emotional day for Mariano Rivera, who started in Panama attending a funeral after a family tragedy. He flew back and arrived in Yankee Stadium to a standing ovation in the second inning.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 7 10 0
New York 2 0 4 0 0 2 0 2 X 10 14 0

WP: Mike Mussina (1-0) LP: Curt Schilling (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (1)
HRs: Bos � Jason Varitek (1) NYY � Kenny Lofton (1)

[edit] Game 2
October 13: Game 2 featured Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox against Yankees pitcher Jon Lieber. Again the Yankees struck first, with Gary Sheffield driving in Derek Jeter in the first inning. The 1-0 score held up for several innings, as Lieber and Martinez put together a classic pitcher's duel.

Martinez got himself in and out of trouble in several innings but shortly after making his 100th pitch of the night he walked Jorge Posada and allowed a John Olerud home run. This gave New York a 3-0 lead.

Again, the Red Sox rallied. They chased Lieber with two hits in the eighth and closed the gap to 3-1. With two outs and a runner on third, again the Yankees turned to Rivera, who struck out Johnny Damon to end the inning. In the ninth, Rivera struck out David Ortiz and Millar to end the game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0
New York 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X 3 7 0

WP: Jon Lieber (1-0) LP: Pedro Martinez (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (2)
HRs: NYY � John Olerud (1)

[edit] Game 3
October 16: With the series moving to Fenway Park, Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 15, but was postponed a day due to rain. The starting pitchers were Kevin Brown for the Yankees, and Bronson Arroyo for the Red Sox.

As in the first two games, the Yankees began the game by scoring in the first. Derek Jeter walked then scored from first on a double by Alex Rodríguez. Two batters later Hideki Matsui hit a home run to right field, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Red Sox answered in the second inning, with a leadoff walk by Jason Varitek followed by a Trot Nixon home run to right field. A double by Bill Mueller, an infield hit by Johnny Damon (his first hit of the series), and a Derek Jeter error led to two more runs. The Red Sox led for the first time in the series, 4-3.

The lead was short-lived as Alex Rodríguez led off the third inning with a home run over the Green Monster onto Lansdowne Street. Gary Sheffield walked, Hideki Matsui doubled, and Bronson Arroyo was replaced on the mound by Ramiro Mendoza. He immediately allowed a Bernie Williams RBI single and then balked, allowing Matsui to score. The Yankees now led 6-4 and replaced starter Kevin Brown with Javier Vázquez. However, the Red Sox responded by tying the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on an Orlando Cabrera double. After three innings the game was tied 6-6.

In the fourth inning the Yankees took the lead on a Gary Sheffield three-run home run into the seats on the Green Monster. After another double by Hideki Matsui, the Red Sox put in pitcher Tim Wakefield, who had volunteered to forgo his Game 4 Start in order to preserve Boston's battered bullpen for Game 4. He got Bernie Williams to pop out but then intentionally walked Jorge Posada. Rubén Sierra hit a triple to score Matsui and Posada, giving the Yankees an 11-6 lead.

From that point on the Yankees were in control, setting a team record for postseason runs scored. The two teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra-base hits, both postseason records, and at four hours and twenty minutes, it was the longest nine-inning postseason game ever played. Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying LCS records. Along with Alex Rodríguez, he tied the postseason record for runs scored with five.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 3 0 3 5 2 0 4 0 2 19 22 1
Boston 0 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 15 0

WP: Javier Vázquez (1-0) LP: Ramiro Mendoza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Hideki Matsui 2 (2), Alex Rodriguez (1), Gary Sheffield (1) Bos � Trot Nixon (1), Jason Varitek (2)

[edit] Game 4
October 17: Game 4 featured Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernández, the 1999 ALCS MVP, against Boston's Derek Lowe. For the first time in the series, the Yankees did not score in the first inning. However, the Yankees did score first when Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run over the Green Monster in the third. This hit resembled a home run he hit in Game Three, as it also came in the third inning and went out of the park onto Lansdowne Street. This would be followed by the ball being thrown back into the outfield by fans on the Street, Johnny Damon tossing the ball back over the fence, and the ball once again being tossed back before being pocketed by Umpire Joe West.

Hernández, who had not pitched in two weeks, struggled through the first four innings but did not allow any runs. In the fifth inning he pitched himself into a jam, walking two of the first three batters. With two men on and two out, Orlando Cabrera singled to right field, scoring one run. Manny Ramirez walked to load the bases, and then David Ortiz hit a single to center field, scoring two and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, only their second lead of the series.

The lead lasted less than an inning as Hideki Matsui hit a triple in the sixth. Mike Timlin relieved Lowe, and Bernie Williams hit an infield single to score Matsui and tie the game. The Yankees would add a second run on a tough, bouncing ground ball hit by Tony Clark, starting in place of the injured John Olerud, to take a 4-3 lead.

Massachusetts native Tanyon Sturtze pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Hernández. Mariano Rivera, the Yankees star closer, entered the game in the eighth for a two inning save attempt. However, in the ninth inning, Rivera walked Kevin Millar to begin the inning. That simple base-on-balls would prove to be the turning point of the series. Dave Roberts pinch-ran for Millar. With the Red Sox down to their final three outs, Rivera checked Roberts at first base several times before throwing a pitch to Bill Mueller.

According to Roberts, "The first [time Rivera checked me at first base], I felt I got the jitters and then it kind of dissipated a little bit. The second time the jitters were all gone and I was really into it. After the third pick over was a close play, I think the second one was really close also, and then I felt like I had been there from the first inning on."

Roberts added, "At that point I knew, regardless of a slidestep or whatever, once he goes home, I'm going to run on the pitch. If he would have went to the plate the first pitch, I wouldn't have went. Running down that tunnel in October, it's hard to get loose. But that [series of pickoff attempts] kind of helped me out a little bit."

On Rivera's first pitch to Bill Mueller, the speedy Roberts stole second, putting himself in scoring position. Mueller's single allowed Roberts to score, resulting in Rivera blowing the save and the game going into extra innings, tied 4-4.

Both teams threatened for more runs in the 11th inning, but the game remained tied until the bottom of the 12th. Ramirez led off with a single against new pitcher Paul Quantrill, and Ortiz hit a two-run walk-off home run to right field. Ortiz became the first player with two walk-off homers in the same postseason; his first capped a Red Sox sweep of the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
New York 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 8 0

WP: Curtis Leskanic (1-0) LP: Paul Quantrill (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Alex Rodriguez (2) Bos � David Ortiz (1)

[edit] Game 5
October 18: Game 5 began at 5:10 p.m. on the evening of Monday, October 18, just 16 hours after Game 4 had ended the previous night. Mike Mussina led the Yankees against Boston's Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox drew first blood this time, as Ortiz drove in a run and Varitek walked with the bases loaded in the first inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Bernie Williams homered in the second inning to close the gap to 2-1, a score which would hold up for several innings.

Despite seven strikeouts by Martinez, in the top of the sixth inning Jorge Posada and Rubén Sierra singled with one out. After Miguel Cairo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Derek Jeter cleared the bases with a double, giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The Red Sox threatened in the seventh inning, coming up empty, but for the second straight night the Yankee bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Ortiz led off the eighth inning with a home run off of Tom Gordon, making it a one run game. Kevin Millar followed with a walk and was again replaced by pinch runner Dave Roberts. Roberts went to third on Trot Nixon's single. Gordon was replaced by Mariano Rivera with the lead still intact, but Jason Varitek's sacrifice fly tied the game, setting up another extra-inning marathon.

Each team got its share of base runners in extra innings. Boston's Doug Mientkiewicz doubled in the 10th and moved to third, but couldn't score. Two Red Sox led off the 11th with singles. Esteban Loaiza, who had struggled since being acquired for the Yankees mid-season, came out to pitch with one out and got Orlando Cabrera to ground into a double play. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came out to pitch the 12th. Cairo singled and went to second on a Manny Ramirez error but was stranded there. In the top of the 13th Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who does not normally catch for Wakefield, committed three passed balls, but the Yankees stranded runners on second and third. Loaiza pitched well but in the bottom of the 14th, Damon and Ramirez walked, bringing up Ortiz with two outs. The previous night's hero did his job again, singling to center on the 10th pitch at 10:59 p.m. to bring in Damon and set off another celebration at Fenway. Ortiz's continued heroics prompted Fox TV announcer Tim McCarver to gush shortly afterwards, "He didn't do it again, did he? Yes he did." The late inning heroics of Ortiz also gave the Red Sox fans a chance to create their own chant. The chant "who's your papi?" was instituted by Red Sox fans as a reference to Ortiz, known as Big Papi by teammates and fans, and as a reference to the "who's your daddy?" chant by Yankees fans.

At 5 hours, 49 minutes, the game broke the record for longest duration of a postseason game until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, which was one minute longer.

Before this, the 1998 Atlanta Braves and 1999 New York Mets were the only baseball teams to go down 0-3 in a series and force a Game 6, but neither of them won that game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 13 1

WP: Tim Wakefield (1-0) LP: Esteban Loaiza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Bernie Williams (1) Bos � David Ortiz (2)

[edit] Game 6
Game 6 was held on Tuesday, October 19 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Curt Schilling of the Red Sox and Jon Lieber of the Yankees. The teams played the first few innings scoreless, but in the fourth inning Boston struck first on a two-out single by Jason Varitek which drove in Kevin Millar. Then Mark Bellhorn, who had struggled the entire series, drove a pitch into the left field stands. The ball struck a fan in the chest and it dropped back onto the field. Left field umpire Jim Joyce signaled that the ball was still in play. Boston manager Terry Francona ran onto the field to argue the ruling. The officiating crew huddled and ultimately overruled the call. Bellhorn had a three-run home run and the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead. Schilling, still injured from the ALDS and Game 1, pitched seven strong innings, allowing only one run on a Bernie Williams home run. To help stabilize the tendon in his ankle, Red Sox doctors had placed three sutures connecting the skin with ligament and deep connective tissue next to the bone, effectively creating a wall of tissue to keep the peroneal tendon from disrupting Schilling's pitching mechanics. By the end of his performance, Schilling's white sock was partially soaked in blood, and he said later that he was completely exhausted.

Bronson Arroyo took the mound for Boston in the eighth and, with one out, allowed a Miguel Cairo double. Derek Jeter singled him in to close the gap to 4-2, before the series' most controversial play yet. Alex Rodriguez grounded the ball to Arroyo, who picked up the ball and ran to the baseline to tag Rodríguez out, but the Yankee slapped Arroyo's arm, knocking the ball loose. While the ball rolled down the baseline, Rodríguez went to second and Jeter scored. After another long conversation among the umpires, Rodríguez was called out for interference and Jeter was ordered back to first, thus wiping out the score. The Red Sox got out of the inning without further damage.

The call incensed Yankee fans, who were already irate over the home run call in the fourth. As Torre and Rodríguez continued to frenetically argue with the umpires, many fans began to throw balls and other debris onto the field. Boston manager Terry Francona pulled his players from the field to protect them. After a delay, order was restored when NYPD officers took the field in riot gear. The presence of riot police on the field for a full inning was unprecedented in American professional sports and reflected the chaotic environment that evening. With that background, the Red Sox were retired in the top of the ninth. After Keith Foulke came in for the bottom of the ninth, Matsui and Sierra walked, bringing Tony Clark to the plate as the potential pennant-winning run, but Clark struck out swinging on a full count to end the game.

The Red Sox, the 26th team in Major League Baseball playoff history to face a 3-0 series deficit, became the first one to force a Game Seven. Only two North American professional sports teams, both in the National Hockey League, had ever made up a 3-0 deficit to actually win a 7-game series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders.

For inspiration for their ALCS comeback, the Red Sox sat around Yankee Stadium's visitors' clubhouse prior to Game 7 watching Miracle, the Kurt Russell movie about the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 0
New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 6 0

WP: Curt Schilling (1-1) LP: Jon Lieber (1-1) SV: Keith Foulke (1)
HRs: Bos � Mark Bellhorn (1) NYY � Bernie Williams (2)

[edit] Game 7
October 20: Game 7 began at 8:30 in the evening on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Derek Lowe for the Red Sox versus Kevin Brown for the Yankees. The game started on a strong note for the Red Sox, despite Johnny Damon being thrown out at the plate, with a two-run homer in the first inning from David Ortiz. In the second, the Sox loaded the bases against Brown, causing Yankees manager Joe Torre to remove him and put in Javier Vázquez to face Johnny Damon. Damon hammered Vázquez' first pitch into the right-field seats for a grand slam and the rout was on. Damon also added a two-run homer in the fourth. Damon had three hits in the game after only three hits in the rest of the series. Boston also enjoyed a solid performance from their starting pitcher, Derek Lowe, who allowed only one run and one hit in six innings of work. Pedro Martinez came on in the seventh inning to loud chants of "Who's Your Daddy?", which worsened as he gave up a sequence of hits and two runs. He eventually raised the velocity of his fastball to the mid-90s and shut down the rally. Mike Timlin and Alan Embree finished out the game. At 12:01 a.m., on October 21st, Ruben Sierra hit a groundball to second baseman Pokey Reese, who threw to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to finish the unprecedented comeback. The Red Sox won 10-3, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game series after being down three games to none. David Ortiz was named the series MVP.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 2 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 10 13 0
New York 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 1

WP: Derek Lowe (1-0) LP: Kevin Brown (0-1)
HRs: Bos � David Ortiz (3), Johnny Damon 2 (3), Mark Bellhorn (2)

[edit] Quotes of the Series
"They are down on each other because they liked each other soooo much, after last night's drunken party, and, in this sport, that is an official death sentence. Soon it will be over, and we will spend another dreary winter lamenting this and lamenting that." Page E1 of the October 17 Miami Herald.

"Red Sox are three outs away from being swept out of the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1988"--Joe Buck (Fox) opening of the bottom of the 9th of Game 4. (It actually would have been the first time since 1990...a fact obviously forgotten by Buck.)

"Ortiz into deep right field. Back is Sheffield! We'll see ya later tonight!"--Joe Buck (Fox) calling Red Sox David Ortiz' game winning 12th inning two-run home run in Game 4, echoing his father's famous CBS-TV call of Kirby Puckett's 11th inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

"Damon rounding third... and he can keep on running to New York. Game 6 tomorrow night." Joe Buck (Fox) as Johnny Damon scored on David Ortiz' single to win Game 5 for Boston

"He didn't do it again, did he? Yes, he did!"-- Tim McCarver's (Fox) call in Game 5 after David Ortiz keeps his Red Sox alive to force the Series back to New York for Game 6.

''Curt Schilling's performance tonight will long live in New England baseball lore." -- Tim McCarver (Fox) calling Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's heroic pitching outing with his sutured ankle and bloody sock in Game 6.

"Damon hits it in the air to right field. Sheffield back, in the corner, AT THE WALL, A GRAND SLAM! Johnny Damon. And the Red Sox, have blown it open early!" -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in the 2nd inning of Game 7.

"This would be the fifth pennant for the Red Sox, since that 1918 season.(Ball hit into play) Here it is. (Pokey) Reese. The Boston Red Sox have won the Pennant." -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling the final out of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

"Go spread the news alright" --Tim McCarver (FOX) while "Theme from New York, New York" by Liza Minelli plays over the PA at Yankee Stadium while the Red Sox celebrate on the field after winning the pennant.

"This is the greatest story Baseball ever told."- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN Baseball Analyst


[edit] Records
The Red Sox set a Major League postseason record by winning eight straight postseason games (four straight in the ALCS and four consecutive games in the World Series).
Game 3 was the longest nine-inning postseason game in history, a 4 hour and 20 minute contest.
In Game 3 Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying an American League Championship Series record.
Game 5 was the longest Major League postseason game in history at 5 hours and 49 minutes until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves which lasted 5 hours and 50 minutes.
David Ortiz becomes the first player to hit two walk-off HRs in the same postseason, 2004 American League Division Series Game 3 and 2004 ALCS Game 4.
The 2004 Red Sox became only the third team in any major American sport (first baseball team) to win a best-of-seven series after trailing three games to none. The other two both came from the NHL: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders.

[edit] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Ortiz's second walk off hit of the 2004 ALCS, a single (Game 5), came less than 23 hours after his first, a home run (Game 4) - (October 17-18, 2004).
In Game 3 the teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra base hits.
This is the third time the Red Sox and Yankees have faced each other in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, and the first time the Red Sox have ever beaten the Yankees in a postseason series since the League Championship Series started in 1969. The two previous meetings were in 1999 and 2003.
This series was the first time Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has blown saves in back-to-back postseason games.
Alex Rodriguez slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove has been made fun of on the internet with a digitally altered picture of A-Rod with a purse slapping it out of his glove.

[edit] References in pop culture
On an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the following dialogue was spoken between Jon Stewart and Rob Corddry:
Stewart: "They have the Yankees where they want 'em? Rob, it's over. The Red Sox beat the Yankees. ...
Corddry (interrupting): "Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, Jon, Jon, Jon, you're gonna jinx it, man. You're gonna jinx it! Something could still happen. Umm, there could be a forfeit. Or the pennant could go through Buckner's legs, I don't know. Derek Jeter could fly counterclockwise around the Earth really, really fast until it's the night before like Superman did. It's the Yankees, Jon. They're always pulling shit like that."[1]

[edit] The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
In August of 2006, ESPN Classic aired the The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... the New York Yankees for blowing a three games to none lead in the 2004 ALCS. Here are the reasons:

5. Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes! - The Miracle on Ice inspired the Red Sox to come from behind. The team watched Miracle before Game Seven in Yankee Stadium, and the members of the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team called the Red Sox to lend their personal support.
4. Grady Little - Many felt that Grady Little's managerial style cost the Red Sox the 2003 ALCS, and his replacement in the 2003 off-season prevented a similar collapse from happening again.
3. The Splendid Splinter - The repositioning of Fenway Park for Ted Williams paid off in Game 5 when Ruben Sierra was on first and Tony Clark ripped a ground rule double to right field that almost kicked off the wall but instead bounced into the seats. If it had kicked off the wall, Sierra would have easily scored, thus giving the Yankees the lead.
2. Frankenstein's Monster - This metaphor is used to describe the procedure by Dr. Bill Morgan on Curt Schilling's ankle. Without Schilling, the Red Sox would not have reached Game Seven.
1. Big Papi - If the Minnesota Twins had not decided to cut David Ortiz loose, he would not have become the hero of the Red Sox. He drove in 11 runs and had two game-winning hits.
The Best of the Rest included:

The New Empire Strikes Back - The Red Sox decided to play the Yankees' game of gigantic spending: they acquired Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke in the 2003 off-season, who both made a difference in their run.
Hockey's Comeback Kings - Twice in the NHL it was proven that a three games to none deficit wasn't necessarily a death sentence. Red Sox manager Terry Francona used these examples to inspire the Sox, and further adapted the approach of the 1975 New York Islanders in their 0-3 comeback, approaching the monumental task inning by inning.
2004 American League Championship Series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The 2004 American League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The series, a rematch of the 2003 American League Championship Series, started on October 12, 2004 and ended one minute after midnight Eastern Time on October 21. The Red Sox, down three games to none and trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, came back to win the series in seven games. They became the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game postseason series after losing the first three games and only the 3rd in North American professional sports history. The first team was the Toronto Maple Leafs when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. The second was the New York Islanders when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals.

Following the comeback victory, the Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The victory ended one of the longest droughts in MLB history, as the Red Sox hadn't won the World Series since 1918.

Managers: Joe Torre (New York), Terry Francona (Boston)

Umpires: Randy Marsh, Jeff Nelson, John Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Jeff Kellogg, Joe West

Series MVP: David Ortiz, Boston

Television: FOX (Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Al Leiter announcing)




Contents
1 Game 1
2 Game 2
3 Game 3
4 Game 4
5 Game 5
6 Game 6
7 Game 7
8 Quotes of the Series
9 Records
10 Trivia
11 References in pop culture
12 The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
13 References
14 External links



[edit] Game 1
October 12: Game 1 pitted the Red Sox's star pitcher Curt Schilling against Yankees ace Mike Mussina. Schilling had a 6-1 postseason career record, but the expected pitchers' duel quickly became a one-sided exhibition. Schilling had suffered an ankle injury during the 2004 American League Division Series and was thought to be OK. The reality was that Schilling had suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. Meanwhile, Mussina retired the first 19 Sox batters. The Yankees added two runs off of Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the sixth. Hideki Matsui's single made the score 8-0 and gave him an ALCS record-tying five RBIs in the game.

However, the Red Sox shattered Mussina's bid for a perfect game with a rally of five runs in the seventh and added two more in the eighth, closing the gap to 8-7. With two outs and the tying run on third base, the Yankees called upon closer Mariano Rivera, who got Kevin Millar to pop out. The Yankees, stunned to see their lead nearly gone, scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Bernie Williams. The Sox got two singles in the top of the ninth, but Bill Mueller grounded into a game-ending double play.

It was the end of a long, emotional day for Mariano Rivera, who started in Panama attending a funeral after a family tragedy. He flew back and arrived in Yankee Stadium to a standing ovation in the second inning.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 7 10 0
New York 2 0 4 0 0 2 0 2 X 10 14 0

WP: Mike Mussina (1-0) LP: Curt Schilling (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (1)
HRs: Bos � Jason Varitek (1) NYY � Kenny Lofton (1)

[edit] Game 2
October 13: Game 2 featured Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox against Yankees pitcher Jon Lieber. Again the Yankees struck first, with Gary Sheffield driving in Derek Jeter in the first inning. The 1-0 score held up for several innings, as Lieber and Martinez put together a classic pitcher's duel.

Martinez got himself in and out of trouble in several innings but shortly after making his 100th pitch of the night he walked Jorge Posada and allowed a John Olerud home run. This gave New York a 3-0 lead.

Again, the Red Sox rallied. They chased Lieber with two hits in the eighth and closed the gap to 3-1. With two outs and a runner on third, again the Yankees turned to Rivera, who struck out Johnny Damon to end the inning. In the ninth, Rivera struck out David Ortiz and Millar to end the game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0
New York 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X 3 7 0

WP: Jon Lieber (1-0) LP: Pedro Martinez (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (2)
HRs: NYY � John Olerud (1)

[edit] Game 3
October 16: With the series moving to Fenway Park, Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 15, but was postponed a day due to rain. The starting pitchers were Kevin Brown for the Yankees, and Bronson Arroyo for the Red Sox.

As in the first two games, the Yankees began the game by scoring in the first. Derek Jeter walked then scored from first on a double by Alex Rodríguez. Two batters later Hideki Matsui hit a home run to right field, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Red Sox answered in the second inning, with a leadoff walk by Jason Varitek followed by a Trot Nixon home run to right field. A double by Bill Mueller, an infield hit by Johnny Damon (his first hit of the series), and a Derek Jeter error led to two more runs. The Red Sox led for the first time in the series, 4-3.

The lead was short-lived as Alex Rodríguez led off the third inning with a home run over the Green Monster onto Lansdowne Street. Gary Sheffield walked, Hideki Matsui doubled, and Bronson Arroyo was replaced on the mound by Ramiro Mendoza. He immediately allowed a Bernie Williams RBI single and then balked, allowing Matsui to score. The Yankees now led 6-4 and replaced starter Kevin Brown with Javier Vázquez. However, the Red Sox responded by tying the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on an Orlando Cabrera double. After three innings the game was tied 6-6.

In the fourth inning the Yankees took the lead on a Gary Sheffield three-run home run into the seats on the Green Monster. After another double by Hideki Matsui, the Red Sox put in pitcher Tim Wakefield, who had volunteered to forgo his Game 4 Start in order to preserve Boston's battered bullpen for Game 4. He got Bernie Williams to pop out but then intentionally walked Jorge Posada. Rubén Sierra hit a triple to score Matsui and Posada, giving the Yankees an 11-6 lead.

From that point on the Yankees were in control, setting a team record for postseason runs scored. The two teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra-base hits, both postseason records, and at four hours and twenty minutes, it was the longest nine-inning postseason game ever played. Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying LCS records. Along with Alex Rodríguez, he tied the postseason record for runs scored with five.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 3 0 3 5 2 0 4 0 2 19 22 1
Boston 0 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 15 0

WP: Javier Vázquez (1-0) LP: Ramiro Mendoza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Hideki Matsui 2 (2), Alex Rodriguez (1), Gary Sheffield (1) Bos � Trot Nixon (1), Jason Varitek (2)

[edit] Game 4
October 17: Game 4 featured Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernández, the 1999 ALCS MVP, against Boston's Derek Lowe. For the first time in the series, the Yankees did not score in the first inning. However, the Yankees did score first when Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run over the Green Monster in the third. This hit resembled a home run he hit in Game Three, as it also came in the third inning and went out of the park onto Lansdowne Street. This would be followed by the ball being thrown back into the outfield by fans on the Street, Johnny Damon tossing the ball back over the fence, and the ball once again being tossed back before being pocketed by Umpire Joe West.

Hernández, who had not pitched in two weeks, struggled through the first four innings but did not allow any runs. In the fifth inning he pitched himself into a jam, walking two of the first three batters. With two men on and two out, Orlando Cabrera singled to right field, scoring one run. Manny Ramirez walked to load the bases, and then David Ortiz hit a single to center field, scoring two and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, only their second lead of the series.

The lead lasted less than an inning as Hideki Matsui hit a triple in the sixth. Mike Timlin relieved Lowe, and Bernie Williams hit an infield single to score Matsui and tie the game. The Yankees would add a second run on a tough, bouncing ground ball hit by Tony Clark, starting in place of the injured John Olerud, to take a 4-3 lead.

Massachusetts native Tanyon Sturtze pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Hernández. Mariano Rivera, the Yankees star closer, entered the game in the eighth for a two inning save attempt. However, in the ninth inning, Rivera walked Kevin Millar to begin the inning. That simple base-on-balls would prove to be the turning point of the series. Dave Roberts pinch-ran for Millar. With the Red Sox down to their final three outs, Rivera checked Roberts at first base several times before throwing a pitch to Bill Mueller.

According to Roberts, "The first [time Rivera checked me at first base], I felt I got the jitters and then it kind of dissipated a little bit. The second time the jitters were all gone and I was really into it. After the third pick over was a close play, I think the second one was really close also, and then I felt like I had been there from the first inning on."

Roberts added, "At that point I knew, regardless of a slidestep or whatever, once he goes home, I'm going to run on the pitch. If he would have went to the plate the first pitch, I wouldn't have went. Running down that tunnel in October, it's hard to get loose. But that [series of pickoff attempts] kind of helped me out a little bit."

On Rivera's first pitch to Bill Mueller, the speedy Roberts stole second, putting himself in scoring position. Mueller's single allowed Roberts to score, resulting in Rivera blowing the save and the game going into extra innings, tied 4-4.

Both teams threatened for more runs in the 11th inning, but the game remained tied until the bottom of the 12th. Ramirez led off with a single against new pitcher Paul Quantrill, and Ortiz hit a two-run walk-off home run to right field. Ortiz became the first player with two walk-off homers in the same postseason; his first capped a Red Sox sweep of the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
New York 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 8 0

WP: Curtis Leskanic (1-0) LP: Paul Quantrill (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Alex Rodriguez (2) Bos � David Ortiz (1)

[edit] Game 5
October 18: Game 5 began at 5:10 p.m. on the evening of Monday, October 18, just 16 hours after Game 4 had ended the previous night. Mike Mussina led the Yankees against Boston's Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox drew first blood this time, as Ortiz drove in a run and Varitek walked with the bases loaded in the first inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Bernie Williams homered in the second inning to close the gap to 2-1, a score which would hold up for several innings.

Despite seven strikeouts by Martinez, in the top of the sixth inning Jorge Posada and Rubén Sierra singled with one out. After Miguel Cairo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Derek Jeter cleared the bases with a double, giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The Red Sox threatened in the seventh inning, coming up empty, but for the second straight night the Yankee bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Ortiz led off the eighth inning with a home run off of Tom Gordon, making it a one run game. Kevin Millar followed with a walk and was again replaced by pinch runner Dave Roberts. Roberts went to third on Trot Nixon's single. Gordon was replaced by Mariano Rivera with the lead still intact, but Jason Varitek's sacrifice fly tied the game, setting up another extra-inning marathon.

Each team got its share of base runners in extra innings. Boston's Doug Mientkiewicz doubled in the 10th and moved to third, but couldn't score. Two Red Sox led off the 11th with singles. Esteban Loaiza, who had struggled since being acquired for the Yankees mid-season, came out to pitch with one out and got Orlando Cabrera to ground into a double play. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came out to pitch the 12th. Cairo singled and went to second on a Manny Ramirez error but was stranded there. In the top of the 13th Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who does not normally catch for Wakefield, committed three passed balls, but the Yankees stranded runners on second and third. Loaiza pitched well but in the bottom of the 14th, Damon and Ramirez walked, bringing up Ortiz with two outs. The previous night's hero did his job again, singling to center on the 10th pitch at 10:59 p.m. to bring in Damon and set off another celebration at Fenway. Ortiz's continued heroics prompted Fox TV announcer Tim McCarver to gush shortly afterwards, "He didn't do it again, did he? Yes he did." The late inning heroics of Ortiz also gave the Red Sox fans a chance to create their own chant. The chant "who's your papi?" was instituted by Red Sox fans as a reference to Ortiz, known as Big Papi by teammates and fans, and as a reference to the "who's your daddy?" chant by Yankees fans.

At 5 hours, 49 minutes, the game broke the record for longest duration of a postseason game until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, which was one minute longer.

Before this, the 1998 Atlanta Braves and 1999 New York Mets were the only baseball teams to go down 0-3 in a series and force a Game 6, but neither of them won that game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 13 1

WP: Tim Wakefield (1-0) LP: Esteban Loaiza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Bernie Williams (1) Bos � David Ortiz (2)

[edit] Game 6
Game 6 was held on Tuesday, October 19 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Curt Schilling of the Red Sox and Jon Lieber of the Yankees. The teams played the first few innings scoreless, but in the fourth inning Boston struck first on a two-out single by Jason Varitek which drove in Kevin Millar. Then Mark Bellhorn, who had struggled the entire series, drove a pitch into the left field stands. The ball struck a fan in the chest and it dropped back onto the field. Left field umpire Jim Joyce signaled that the ball was still in play. Boston manager Terry Francona ran onto the field to argue the ruling. The officiating crew huddled and ultimately overruled the call. Bellhorn had a three-run home run and the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead. Schilling, still injured from the ALDS and Game 1, pitched seven strong innings, allowing only one run on a Bernie Williams home run. To help stabilize the tendon in his ankle, Red Sox doctors had placed three sutures connecting the skin with ligament and deep connective tissue next to the bone, effectively creating a wall of tissue to keep the peroneal tendon from disrupting Schilling's pitching mechanics. By the end of his performance, Schilling's white sock was partially soaked in blood, and he said later that he was completely exhausted.

Bronson Arroyo took the mound for Boston in the eighth and, with one out, allowed a Miguel Cairo double. Derek Jeter singled him in to close the gap to 4-2, before the series' most controversial play yet. Alex Rodriguez grounded the ball to Arroyo, who picked up the ball and ran to the baseline to tag Rodríguez out, but the Yankee slapped Arroyo's arm, knocking the ball loose. While the ball rolled down the baseline, Rodríguez went to second and Jeter scored. After another long conversation among the umpires, Rodríguez was called out for interference and Jeter was ordered back to first, thus wiping out the score. The Red Sox got out of the inning without further damage.

The call incensed Yankee fans, who were already irate over the home run call in the fourth. As Torre and Rodríguez continued to frenetically argue with the umpires, many fans began to throw balls and other debris onto the field. Boston manager Terry Francona pulled his players from the field to protect them. After a delay, order was restored when NYPD officers took the field in riot gear. The presence of riot police on the field for a full inning was unprecedented in American professional sports and reflected the chaotic environment that evening. With that background, the Red Sox were retired in the top of the ninth. After Keith Foulke came in for the bottom of the ninth, Matsui and Sierra walked, bringing Tony Clark to the plate as the potential pennant-winning run, but Clark struck out swinging on a full count to end the game.

The Red Sox, the 26th team in Major League Baseball playoff history to face a 3-0 series deficit, became the first one to force a Game Seven. Only two North American professional sports teams, both in the National Hockey League, had ever made up a 3-0 deficit to actually win a 7-game series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders.

For inspiration for their ALCS comeback, the Red Sox sat around Yankee Stadium's visitors' clubhouse prior to Game 7 watching Miracle, the Kurt Russell movie about the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 0
New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 6 0

WP: Curt Schilling (1-1) LP: Jon Lieber (1-1) SV: Keith Foulke (1)
HRs: Bos � Mark Bellhorn (1) NYY � Bernie Williams (2)

[edit] Game 7
October 20: Game 7 began at 8:30 in the evening on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Derek Lowe for the Red Sox versus Kevin Brown for the Yankees. The game started on a strong note for the Red Sox, despite Johnny Damon being thrown out at the plate, with a two-run homer in the first inning from David Ortiz. In the second, the Sox loaded the bases against Brown, causing Yankees manager Joe Torre to remove him and put in Javier Vázquez to face Johnny Damon. Damon hammered Vázquez' first pitch into the right-field seats for a grand slam and the rout was on. Damon also added a two-run homer in the fourth. Damon had three hits in the game after only three hits in the rest of the series. Boston also enjoyed a solid performance from their starting pitcher, Derek Lowe, who allowed only one run and one hit in six innings of work. Pedro Martinez came on in the seventh inning to loud chants of "Who's Your Daddy?", which worsened as he gave up a sequence of hits and two runs. He eventually raised the velocity of his fastball to the mid-90s and shut down the rally. Mike Timlin and Alan Embree finished out the game. At 12:01 a.m., on October 21st, Ruben Sierra hit a groundball to second baseman Pokey Reese, who threw to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to finish the unprecedented comeback. The Red Sox won 10-3, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game series after being down three games to none. David Ortiz was named the series MVP.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 2 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 10 13 0
New York 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 1

WP: Derek Lowe (1-0) LP: Kevin Brown (0-1)
HRs: Bos � David Ortiz (3), Johnny Damon 2 (3), Mark Bellhorn (2)

[edit] Quotes of the Series
"They are down on each other because they liked each other soooo much, after last night's drunken party, and, in this sport, that is an official death sentence. Soon it will be over, and we will spend another dreary winter lamenting this and lamenting that." Page E1 of the October 17 Miami Herald.

"Red Sox are three outs away from being swept out of the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1988"--Joe Buck (Fox) opening of the bottom of the 9th of Game 4. (It actually would have been the first time since 1990...a fact obviously forgotten by Buck.)

"Ortiz into deep right field. Back is Sheffield! We'll see ya later tonight!"--Joe Buck (Fox) calling Red Sox David Ortiz' game winning 12th inning two-run home run in Game 4, echoing his father's famous CBS-TV call of Kirby Puckett's 11th inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

"Damon rounding third... and he can keep on running to New York. Game 6 tomorrow night." Joe Buck (Fox) as Johnny Damon scored on David Ortiz' single to win Game 5 for Boston

"He didn't do it again, did he? Yes, he did!"-- Tim McCarver's (Fox) call in Game 5 after David Ortiz keeps his Red Sox alive to force the Series back to New York for Game 6.

''Curt Schilling's performance tonight will long live in New England baseball lore." -- Tim McCarver (Fox) calling Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's heroic pitching outing with his sutured ankle and bloody sock in Game 6.

"Damon hits it in the air to right field. Sheffield back, in the corner, AT THE WALL, A GRAND SLAM! Johnny Damon. And the Red Sox, have blown it open early!" -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in the 2nd inning of Game 7.

"This would be the fifth pennant for the Red Sox, since that 1918 season.(Ball hit into play) Here it is. (Pokey) Reese. The Boston Red Sox have won the Pennant." -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling the final out of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

"Go spread the news alright" --Tim McCarver (FOX) while "Theme from New York, New York" by Liza Minelli plays over the PA at Yankee Stadium while the Red Sox celebrate on the field after winning the pennant.

"This is the greatest story Baseball ever told."- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN Baseball Analyst


[edit] Records
The Red Sox set a Major League postseason record by winning eight straight postseason games (four straight in the ALCS and four consecutive games in the World Series).
Game 3 was the longest nine-inning postseason game in history, a 4 hour and 20 minute contest.
In Game 3 Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying an American League Championship Series record.
Game 5 was the longest Major League postseason game in history at 5 hours and 49 minutes until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves which lasted 5 hours and 50 minutes.
David Ortiz becomes the first player to hit two walk-off HRs in the same postseason, 2004 American League Division Series Game 3 and 2004 ALCS Game 4.
The 2004 Red Sox became only the third team in any major American sport (first baseball team) to win a best-of-seven series after trailing three games to none. The other two both came from the NHL: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders.

[edit] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Ortiz's second walk off hit of the 2004 ALCS, a single (Game 5), came less than 23 hours after his first, a home run (Game 4) - (October 17-18, 2004).
In Game 3 the teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra base hits.
This is the third time the Red Sox and Yankees have faced each other in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, and the first time the Red Sox have ever beaten the Yankees in a postseason series since the League Championship Series started in 1969. The two previous meetings were in 1999 and 2003.
This series was the first time Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has blown saves in back-to-back postseason games.
Alex Rodriguez slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove has been made fun of on the internet with a digitally altered picture of A-Rod with a purse slapping it out of his glove.

[edit] References in pop culture
On an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the following dialogue was spoken between Jon Stewart and Rob Corddry:
Stewart: "They have the Yankees where they want 'em? Rob, it's over. The Red Sox beat the Yankees. ...
Corddry (interrupting): "Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, Jon, Jon, Jon, you're gonna jinx it, man. You're gonna jinx it! Something could still happen. Umm, there could be a forfeit. Or the pennant could go through Buckner's legs, I don't know. Derek Jeter could fly counterclockwise around the Earth really, really fast until it's the night before like Superman did. It's the Yankees, Jon. They're always pulling shit like that."[1]

[edit] The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
In August of 2006, ESPN Classic aired the The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... the New York Yankees for blowing a three games to none lead in the 2004 ALCS. Here are the reasons:

5. Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes! - The Miracle on Ice inspired the Red Sox to come from behind. The team watched Miracle before Game Seven in Yankee Stadium, and the members of the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team called the Red Sox to lend their personal support.
4. Grady Little - Many felt that Grady Little's managerial style cost the Red Sox the 2003 ALCS, and his replacement in the 2003 off-season prevented a similar collapse from happening again.
3. The Splendid Splinter - The repositioning of Fenway Park for Ted Williams paid off in Game 5 when Ruben Sierra was on first and Tony Clark ripped a ground rule double to right field that almost kicked off the wall but instead bounced into the seats. If it had kicked off the wall, Sierra would have easily scored, thus giving the Yankees the lead.
2. Frankenstein's Monster - This metaphor is used to describe the procedure by Dr. Bill Morgan on Curt Schilling's ankle. Without Schilling, the Red Sox would not have reached Game Seven.
1. Big Papi - If the Minnesota Twins had not decided to cut David Ortiz loose, he would not have become the hero of the Red Sox. He drove in 11 runs and had two game-winning hits.
The Best of the Rest included:

The New Empire Strikes Back - The Red Sox decided to play the Yankees' game of gigantic spending: they acquired Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke in the 2003 off-season, who both made a difference in their run.
Hockey's Comeback Kings - Twice in the NHL it was proven that a three games to none deficit wasn't necessarily a death sentence. Red Sox manager Terry Francona used these examples to inspire the Sox, and further adapted the approach of the 1975 New York Islanders in their 0-3 comeback, approaching the monumental task inning by inning.
2004 American League Championship Series
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The 2004 American League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The series, a rematch of the 2003 American League Championship Series, started on October 12, 2004 and ended one minute after midnight Eastern Time on October 21. The Red Sox, down three games to none and trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, came back to win the series in seven games. They became the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game postseason series after losing the first three games and only the 3rd in North American professional sports history. The first team was the Toronto Maple Leafs when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. The second was the New York Islanders when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals.

Following the comeback victory, the Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The victory ended one of the longest droughts in MLB history, as the Red Sox hadn't won the World Series since 1918.

Managers: Joe Torre (New York), Terry Francona (Boston)

Umpires: Randy Marsh, Jeff Nelson, John Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Jeff Kellogg, Joe West

Series MVP: David Ortiz, Boston

Television: FOX (Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Al Leiter announcing)




Contents
1 Game 1
2 Game 2
3 Game 3
4 Game 4
5 Game 5
6 Game 6
7 Game 7
8 Quotes of the Series
9 Records
10 Trivia
11 References in pop culture
12 The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
13 References
14 External links



[edit] Game 1
October 12: Game 1 pitted the Red Sox's star pitcher Curt Schilling against Yankees ace Mike Mussina. Schilling had a 6-1 postseason career record, but the expected pitchers' duel quickly became a one-sided exhibition. Schilling had suffered an ankle injury during the 2004 American League Division Series and was thought to be OK. The reality was that Schilling had suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. Meanwhile, Mussina retired the first 19 Sox batters. The Yankees added two runs off of Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the sixth. Hideki Matsui's single made the score 8-0 and gave him an ALCS record-tying five RBIs in the game.

However, the Red Sox shattered Mussina's bid for a perfect game with a rally of five runs in the seventh and added two more in the eighth, closing the gap to 8-7. With two outs and the tying run on third base, the Yankees called upon closer Mariano Rivera, who got Kevin Millar to pop out. The Yankees, stunned to see their lead nearly gone, scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Bernie Williams. The Sox got two singles in the top of the ninth, but Bill Mueller grounded into a game-ending double play.

It was the end of a long, emotional day for Mariano Rivera, who started in Panama attending a funeral after a family tragedy. He flew back and arrived in Yankee Stadium to a standing ovation in the second inning.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 7 10 0
New York 2 0 4 0 0 2 0 2 X 10 14 0

WP: Mike Mussina (1-0) LP: Curt Schilling (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (1)
HRs: Bos � Jason Varitek (1) NYY � Kenny Lofton (1)

[edit] Game 2
October 13: Game 2 featured Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox against Yankees pitcher Jon Lieber. Again the Yankees struck first, with Gary Sheffield driving in Derek Jeter in the first inning. The 1-0 score held up for several innings, as Lieber and Martinez put together a classic pitcher's duel.

Martinez got himself in and out of trouble in several innings but shortly after making his 100th pitch of the night he walked Jorge Posada and allowed a John Olerud home run. This gave New York a 3-0 lead.

Again, the Red Sox rallied. They chased Lieber with two hits in the eighth and closed the gap to 3-1. With two outs and a runner on third, again the Yankees turned to Rivera, who struck out Johnny Damon to end the inning. In the ninth, Rivera struck out David Ortiz and Millar to end the game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0
New York 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X 3 7 0

WP: Jon Lieber (1-0) LP: Pedro Martinez (0-1) SV: Mariano Rivera (2)
HRs: NYY � John Olerud (1)

[edit] Game 3
October 16: With the series moving to Fenway Park, Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 15, but was postponed a day due to rain. The starting pitchers were Kevin Brown for the Yankees, and Bronson Arroyo for the Red Sox.

As in the first two games, the Yankees began the game by scoring in the first. Derek Jeter walked then scored from first on a double by Alex Rodríguez. Two batters later Hideki Matsui hit a home run to right field, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Red Sox answered in the second inning, with a leadoff walk by Jason Varitek followed by a Trot Nixon home run to right field. A double by Bill Mueller, an infield hit by Johnny Damon (his first hit of the series), and a Derek Jeter error led to two more runs. The Red Sox led for the first time in the series, 4-3.

The lead was short-lived as Alex Rodríguez led off the third inning with a home run over the Green Monster onto Lansdowne Street. Gary Sheffield walked, Hideki Matsui doubled, and Bronson Arroyo was replaced on the mound by Ramiro Mendoza. He immediately allowed a Bernie Williams RBI single and then balked, allowing Matsui to score. The Yankees now led 6-4 and replaced starter Kevin Brown with Javier Vázquez. However, the Red Sox responded by tying the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on an Orlando Cabrera double. After three innings the game was tied 6-6.

In the fourth inning the Yankees took the lead on a Gary Sheffield three-run home run into the seats on the Green Monster. After another double by Hideki Matsui, the Red Sox put in pitcher Tim Wakefield, who had volunteered to forgo his Game 4 Start in order to preserve Boston's battered bullpen for Game 4. He got Bernie Williams to pop out but then intentionally walked Jorge Posada. Rubén Sierra hit a triple to score Matsui and Posada, giving the Yankees an 11-6 lead.

From that point on the Yankees were in control, setting a team record for postseason runs scored. The two teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra-base hits, both postseason records, and at four hours and twenty minutes, it was the longest nine-inning postseason game ever played. Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying LCS records. Along with Alex Rodríguez, he tied the postseason record for runs scored with five.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 3 0 3 5 2 0 4 0 2 19 22 1
Boston 0 4 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 15 0

WP: Javier Vázquez (1-0) LP: Ramiro Mendoza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Hideki Matsui 2 (2), Alex Rodriguez (1), Gary Sheffield (1) Bos � Trot Nixon (1), Jason Varitek (2)

[edit] Game 4
October 17: Game 4 featured Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernández, the 1999 ALCS MVP, against Boston's Derek Lowe. For the first time in the series, the Yankees did not score in the first inning. However, the Yankees did score first when Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run over the Green Monster in the third. This hit resembled a home run he hit in Game Three, as it also came in the third inning and went out of the park onto Lansdowne Street. This would be followed by the ball being thrown back into the outfield by fans on the Street, Johnny Damon tossing the ball back over the fence, and the ball once again being tossed back before being pocketed by Umpire Joe West.

Hernández, who had not pitched in two weeks, struggled through the first four innings but did not allow any runs. In the fifth inning he pitched himself into a jam, walking two of the first three batters. With two men on and two out, Orlando Cabrera singled to right field, scoring one run. Manny Ramirez walked to load the bases, and then David Ortiz hit a single to center field, scoring two and giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, only their second lead of the series.

The lead lasted less than an inning as Hideki Matsui hit a triple in the sixth. Mike Timlin relieved Lowe, and Bernie Williams hit an infield single to score Matsui and tie the game. The Yankees would add a second run on a tough, bouncing ground ball hit by Tony Clark, starting in place of the injured John Olerud, to take a 4-3 lead.

Massachusetts native Tanyon Sturtze pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Hernández. Mariano Rivera, the Yankees star closer, entered the game in the eighth for a two inning save attempt. However, in the ninth inning, Rivera walked Kevin Millar to begin the inning. That simple base-on-balls would prove to be the turning point of the series. Dave Roberts pinch-ran for Millar. With the Red Sox down to their final three outs, Rivera checked Roberts at first base several times before throwing a pitch to Bill Mueller.

According to Roberts, "The first [time Rivera checked me at first base], I felt I got the jitters and then it kind of dissipated a little bit. The second time the jitters were all gone and I was really into it. After the third pick over was a close play, I think the second one was really close also, and then I felt like I had been there from the first inning on."

Roberts added, "At that point I knew, regardless of a slidestep or whatever, once he goes home, I'm going to run on the pitch. If he would have went to the plate the first pitch, I wouldn't have went. Running down that tunnel in October, it's hard to get loose. But that [series of pickoff attempts] kind of helped me out a little bit."

On Rivera's first pitch to Bill Mueller, the speedy Roberts stole second, putting himself in scoring position. Mueller's single allowed Roberts to score, resulting in Rivera blowing the save and the game going into extra innings, tied 4-4.

Both teams threatened for more runs in the 11th inning, but the game remained tied until the bottom of the 12th. Ramirez led off with a single against new pitcher Paul Quantrill, and Ortiz hit a two-run walk-off home run to right field. Ortiz became the first player with two walk-off homers in the same postseason; his first capped a Red Sox sweep of the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
New York 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 8 0

WP: Curtis Leskanic (1-0) LP: Paul Quantrill (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Alex Rodriguez (2) Bos � David Ortiz (1)

[edit] Game 5
October 18: Game 5 began at 5:10 p.m. on the evening of Monday, October 18, just 16 hours after Game 4 had ended the previous night. Mike Mussina led the Yankees against Boston's Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox drew first blood this time, as Ortiz drove in a run and Varitek walked with the bases loaded in the first inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Bernie Williams homered in the second inning to close the gap to 2-1, a score which would hold up for several innings.

Despite seven strikeouts by Martinez, in the top of the sixth inning Jorge Posada and Rubén Sierra singled with one out. After Miguel Cairo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Derek Jeter cleared the bases with a double, giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The Red Sox threatened in the seventh inning, coming up empty, but for the second straight night the Yankee bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Ortiz led off the eighth inning with a home run off of Tom Gordon, making it a one run game. Kevin Millar followed with a walk and was again replaced by pinch runner Dave Roberts. Roberts went to third on Trot Nixon's single. Gordon was replaced by Mariano Rivera with the lead still intact, but Jason Varitek's sacrifice fly tied the game, setting up another extra-inning marathon.

Each team got its share of base runners in extra innings. Boston's Doug Mientkiewicz doubled in the 10th and moved to third, but couldn't score. Two Red Sox led off the 11th with singles. Esteban Loaiza, who had struggled since being acquired for the Yankees mid-season, came out to pitch with one out and got Orlando Cabrera to ground into a double play. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came out to pitch the 12th. Cairo singled and went to second on a Manny Ramirez error but was stranded there. In the top of the 13th Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who does not normally catch for Wakefield, committed three passed balls, but the Yankees stranded runners on second and third. Loaiza pitched well but in the bottom of the 14th, Damon and Ramirez walked, bringing up Ortiz with two outs. The previous night's hero did his job again, singling to center on the 10th pitch at 10:59 p.m. to bring in Damon and set off another celebration at Fenway. Ortiz's continued heroics prompted Fox TV announcer Tim McCarver to gush shortly afterwards, "He didn't do it again, did he? Yes he did." The late inning heroics of Ortiz also gave the Red Sox fans a chance to create their own chant. The chant "who's your papi?" was instituted by Red Sox fans as a reference to Ortiz, known as Big Papi by teammates and fans, and as a reference to the "who's your daddy?" chant by Yankees fans.

At 5 hours, 49 minutes, the game broke the record for longest duration of a postseason game until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, which was one minute longer.

Before this, the 1998 Atlanta Braves and 1999 New York Mets were the only baseball teams to go down 0-3 in a series and force a Game 6, but neither of them won that game.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12 1
Boston 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 13 1

WP: Tim Wakefield (1-0) LP: Esteban Loaiza (0-1)
HRs: NYY � Bernie Williams (1) Bos � David Ortiz (2)

[edit] Game 6
Game 6 was held on Tuesday, October 19 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Curt Schilling of the Red Sox and Jon Lieber of the Yankees. The teams played the first few innings scoreless, but in the fourth inning Boston struck first on a two-out single by Jason Varitek which drove in Kevin Millar. Then Mark Bellhorn, who had struggled the entire series, drove a pitch into the left field stands. The ball struck a fan in the chest and it dropped back onto the field. Left field umpire Jim Joyce signaled that the ball was still in play. Boston manager Terry Francona ran onto the field to argue the ruling. The officiating crew huddled and ultimately overruled the call. Bellhorn had a three-run home run and the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead. Schilling, still injured from the ALDS and Game 1, pitched seven strong innings, allowing only one run on a Bernie Williams home run. To help stabilize the tendon in his ankle, Red Sox doctors had placed three sutures connecting the skin with ligament and deep connective tissue next to the bone, effectively creating a wall of tissue to keep the peroneal tendon from disrupting Schilling's pitching mechanics. By the end of his performance, Schilling's white sock was partially soaked in blood, and he said later that he was completely exhausted.

Bronson Arroyo took the mound for Boston in the eighth and, with one out, allowed a Miguel Cairo double. Derek Jeter singled him in to close the gap to 4-2, before the series' most controversial play yet. Alex Rodriguez grounded the ball to Arroyo, who picked up the ball and ran to the baseline to tag Rodríguez out, but the Yankee slapped Arroyo's arm, knocking the ball loose. While the ball rolled down the baseline, Rodríguez went to second and Jeter scored. After another long conversation among the umpires, Rodríguez was called out for interference and Jeter was ordered back to first, thus wiping out the score. The Red Sox got out of the inning without further damage.

The call incensed Yankee fans, who were already irate over the home run call in the fourth. As Torre and Rodríguez continued to frenetically argue with the umpires, many fans began to throw balls and other debris onto the field. Boston manager Terry Francona pulled his players from the field to protect them. After a delay, order was restored when NYPD officers took the field in riot gear. The presence of riot police on the field for a full inning was unprecedented in American professional sports and reflected the chaotic environment that evening. With that background, the Red Sox were retired in the top of the ninth. After Keith Foulke came in for the bottom of the ninth, Matsui and Sierra walked, bringing Tony Clark to the plate as the potential pennant-winning run, but Clark struck out swinging on a full count to end the game.

The Red Sox, the 26th team in Major League Baseball playoff history to face a 3-0 series deficit, became the first one to force a Game Seven. Only two North American professional sports teams, both in the National Hockey League, had ever made up a 3-0 deficit to actually win a 7-game series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders.

For inspiration for their ALCS comeback, the Red Sox sat around Yankee Stadium's visitors' clubhouse prior to Game 7 watching Miracle, the Kurt Russell movie about the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 0
New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 6 0

WP: Curt Schilling (1-1) LP: Jon Lieber (1-1) SV: Keith Foulke (1)
HRs: Bos � Mark Bellhorn (1) NYY � Bernie Williams (2)

[edit] Game 7
October 20: Game 7 began at 8:30 in the evening on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium. The starting pitchers were Derek Lowe for the Red Sox versus Kevin Brown for the Yankees. The game started on a strong note for the Red Sox, despite Johnny Damon being thrown out at the plate, with a two-run homer in the first inning from David Ortiz. In the second, the Sox loaded the bases against Brown, causing Yankees manager Joe Torre to remove him and put in Javier Vázquez to face Johnny Damon. Damon hammered Vázquez' first pitch into the right-field seats for a grand slam and the rout was on. Damon also added a two-run homer in the fourth. Damon had three hits in the game after only three hits in the rest of the series. Boston also enjoyed a solid performance from their starting pitcher, Derek Lowe, who allowed only one run and one hit in six innings of work. Pedro Martinez came on in the seventh inning to loud chants of "Who's Your Daddy?", which worsened as he gave up a sequence of hits and two runs. He eventually raised the velocity of his fastball to the mid-90s and shut down the rally. Mike Timlin and Alan Embree finished out the game. At 12:01 a.m., on October 21st, Ruben Sierra hit a groundball to second baseman Pokey Reese, who threw to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to finish the unprecedented comeback. The Red Sox won 10-3, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a seven-game series after being down three games to none. David Ortiz was named the series MVP.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 2 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 10 13 0
New York 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 1

WP: Derek Lowe (1-0) LP: Kevin Brown (0-1)
HRs: Bos � David Ortiz (3), Johnny Damon 2 (3), Mark Bellhorn (2)

[edit] Quotes of the Series
"They are down on each other because they liked each other soooo much, after last night's drunken party, and, in this sport, that is an official death sentence. Soon it will be over, and we will spend another dreary winter lamenting this and lamenting that." Page E1 of the October 17 Miami Herald.

"Red Sox are three outs away from being swept out of the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1988"--Joe Buck (Fox) opening of the bottom of the 9th of Game 4. (It actually would have been the first time since 1990...a fact obviously forgotten by Buck.)

"Ortiz into deep right field. Back is Sheffield! We'll see ya later tonight!"--Joe Buck (Fox) calling Red Sox David Ortiz' game winning 12th inning two-run home run in Game 4, echoing his father's famous CBS-TV call of Kirby Puckett's 11th inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

"Damon rounding third... and he can keep on running to New York. Game 6 tomorrow night." Joe Buck (Fox) as Johnny Damon scored on David Ortiz' single to win Game 5 for Boston

"He didn't do it again, did he? Yes, he did!"-- Tim McCarver's (Fox) call in Game 5 after David Ortiz keeps his Red Sox alive to force the Series back to New York for Game 6.

''Curt Schilling's performance tonight will long live in New England baseball lore." -- Tim McCarver (Fox) calling Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's heroic pitching outing with his sutured ankle and bloody sock in Game 6.

"Damon hits it in the air to right field. Sheffield back, in the corner, AT THE WALL, A GRAND SLAM! Johnny Damon. And the Red Sox, have blown it open early!" -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in the 2nd inning of Game 7.

"This would be the fifth pennant for the Red Sox, since that 1918 season.(Ball hit into play) Here it is. (Pokey) Reese. The Boston Red Sox have won the Pennant." -- Joe Buck (Fox) calling the final out of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

"Go spread the news alright" --Tim McCarver (FOX) while "Theme from New York, New York" by Liza Minelli plays over the PA at Yankee Stadium while the Red Sox celebrate on the field after winning the pennant.

"This is the greatest story Baseball ever told."- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN Baseball Analyst


[edit] Records
The Red Sox set a Major League postseason record by winning eight straight postseason games (four straight in the ALCS and four consecutive games in the World Series).
Game 3 was the longest nine-inning postseason game in history, a 4 hour and 20 minute contest.
In Game 3 Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui had five hits and five RBIs, tying an American League Championship Series record.
Game 5 was the longest Major League postseason game in history at 5 hours and 49 minutes until Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves which lasted 5 hours and 50 minutes.
David Ortiz becomes the first player to hit two walk-off HRs in the same postseason, 2004 American League Division Series Game 3 and 2004 ALCS Game 4.
The 2004 Red Sox became only the third team in any major American sport (first baseball team) to win a best-of-seven series after trailing three games to none. The other two both came from the NHL: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders.

[edit] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Ortiz's second walk off hit of the 2004 ALCS, a single (Game 5), came less than 23 hours after his first, a home run (Game 4) - (October 17-18, 2004).
In Game 3 the teams combined for 37 hits and 20 extra base hits.
This is the third time the Red Sox and Yankees have faced each other in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, and the first time the Red Sox have ever beaten the Yankees in a postseason series since the League Championship Series started in 1969. The two previous meetings were in 1999 and 2003.
This series was the first time Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has blown saves in back-to-back postseason games.
Alex Rodriguez slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove has been made fun of on the internet with a digitally altered picture of A-Rod with a purse slapping it out of his glove.

[edit] References in pop culture
On an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the following dialogue was spoken between Jon Stewart and Rob Corddry:
Stewart: "They have the Yankees where they want 'em? Rob, it's over. The Red Sox beat the Yankees. ...
Corddry (interrupting): "Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, Jon, Jon, Jon, you're gonna jinx it, man. You're gonna jinx it! Something could still happen. Umm, there could be a forfeit. Or the pennant could go through Buckner's legs, I don't know. Derek Jeter could fly counterclockwise around the Earth really, really fast until it's the night before like Superman did. It's the Yankees, Jon. They're always pulling shit like that."[1]

[edit] The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
In August of 2006, ESPN Classic aired the The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... the New York Yankees for blowing a three games to none lead in the 2004 ALCS. Here are the reasons:

5. Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes! - The Miracle on Ice inspired the Red Sox to come from behind. The team watched Miracle before Game Seven in Yankee Stadium, and the members of the 1980 U.S. men's gold-medal hockey team called the Red Sox to lend their personal support.
4. Grady Little - Many felt that Grady Little's managerial style cost the Red Sox the 2003 ALCS, and his replacement in the 2003 off-season prevented a similar collapse from happening again.
3. The Splendid Splinter - The repositioning of Fenway Park for Ted Williams paid off in Game 5 when Ruben Sierra was on first and Tony Clark ripped a ground rule double to right field that almost kicked off the wall but instead bounced into the seats. If it had kicked off the wall, Sierra would have easily scored, thus giving the Yankees the lead.
2. Frankenstein's Monster - This metaphor is used to describe the procedure by Dr. Bill Morgan on Curt Schilling's ankle. Without Schilling, the Red Sox would not have reached Game Seven.
1. Big Papi - If the Minnesota Twins had not decided to cut David Ortiz loose, he would not have become the hero of the Red Sox. He drove in 11 runs and had two game-winning hits.
The Best of the Rest included:

The New Empire Strikes Back - The Red Sox decided to play the Yankees' game of gigantic spending: they acquired Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke in the 2003 off-season, who both made a difference in their run.
Hockey's Comeback Kings - Twice in the NHL it was proven that a three games to none deficit wasn't necessarily a death sentence. Red Sox manager Terry Francona used these examples to inspire the Sox, and further adapted the approach of the 1975 New York Islanders in their 0-3 comeback, approaching the monumental task inning by inning.