1986 ALCS

From SoSH

Game 1

Game 1 of the best-of-7 series was played at Fenway Park on October 7. Angels' left fielder Brian Downing went 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs and Mike Witt pitched a 5-hit complete game, as California cruised to an 8-1 win.

Game 2

The next day, the tables were turned. Bill Buckner scored the winning run in the 5th inning on a Dwight Evans double, and the Red Sox tacked on insurance runs in the 7th and 8th innings to win 9-2 and tie the series at 1 game all.

Game 3

The scene switched to Anaheim Stadium, home of the Angels, for Game 3 on October 10. In the 7th inning, Dick Schofield homered for California to give the team a 2-1 lead. Gary Pettis followed shortly thereafter with a two-run home run of his own, and the Angels went on to win 5-3. California took a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4

Roger Clemens, the Game 1 loser, started Game 4 for the Red Sox on October 11, and was solid for most of the game. Boston put up a run in the 6th, and two more in the 8th on two hits, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and two errors, but left the bases loaded. In the bottom of the ninth, Doug DeCinces led off with a home run. After the next batter grounded out, Shofield and Bob Boone singled. After coming within two outs of a complete game, Clemens was removed, and Boone was replaced with a pinch runner. Pettis, batting next, doubled to score Shofield. Ruppert Jones was intentionally walked to load the bases, a fatal mistake, as two batters later, Downing was hit by a pitch, forcing in the tying run.

Angels' relief pitcher Doug Corbett pitched a perfect 10th and 11th innings, and California broke through in the bottom of the 11th. Jerry Narron scored on Bobby Grich's one-out single, giving California a 4-3 win and a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5

California looked set to earn their first ever trip to a World Series the next afternoon. Grich, the previous night's hero, homered to give California a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning. Rob Wilfong appeared to put the nail in the coffin with an RBI double in the 7th, and the Angels led 5-2 after eight innings.

The Angels came within one strike from their first-ever AL Pennant. Witt was two outs away from his second complete game victory of the series, when Don Baylor hit a two-strike, two-run home run to pull within 5-4. After retiring the next batter, Witt was replaced by Gary Lucas. With his very first pitch, Lucas hit batter Rich Gedman, and was replaced by Donnie Moore. Moore built up two strikes on Dave Henderson, and then "Hendu" homered, stunning the hometown crowd. Boston had taken a 6-5 lead.

Hendu Homers - one of the top moments in Sox history

The lead would not last, however, as in the bottom of the 9th, Boone singled, and Jones pinch-ran for him. Pettis sacrificed him to second, and Wilfong singled him home, tying the game. Schofield singled, sending Wilfong to 3rd, and Downing was intentionally walked to load the bases with 1 out. All of Boston's top-half heroics would be washed away with a mere sacrifice fly at this point. But instead, DeCinces hit only a short fly ball to right field. A subsequent line-out to pitcher Steve Crawford then ended the inning.

The teams settled down and the 10th inning was again scoreless, but the Red Sox loaded the bases in the top of the 11th for Henderson. Henderson hit a sacrifice fly, scoring the go-ahead run, and Calvin Schiraldi retired the Angels in order in the bottom of the 11th, completing a shocking comeback, and breaking the hearts of Angel Nation.

Game 6

On October 14, the Angels, still reeling from their Game 5 loss, took an early 2-0 lead, but the Sox tied the score without a hit in the bottom of the 1st. Any remaining heart the Angels had appeared to have been crushed by a six-hit, five-run rally in the third inning. Boston went on to win 10-4 to tie the series.

Game 7

On October 15, the Red Sox clinched the American League championship with three unearned runs in the 2nd inning and a 3-run home run from Jim Rice in the 4th. The Angels never mounted a comeback, and Boston won 8-1 to win the series 4 games to 3, another bitter defeat for the Angels.