1988 American League Championship Series

Game 1

Wednesday, October 5, 1988 at Fenway Park

Fenway Park

Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...

in Boston, Massachusetts
In an interview conducted before Game 1, José Canseco

José Canseco

José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...

denied reports in that day's Washington Post by baseball reporter Thomas Boswell

Thomas Boswell

Thomas M. Boswell is an American sports columnist.Boswell has spent his entire career at the Washington Post, joining it shortly after graduating from Amherst College in 1969. He became a Post columnist in 1984. Writing primarily about baseball, he is credited with inventing the total average...

that he had used steroids. Canseco was supported in this denial by former slugger Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...

.

The opening game in Fenway Park

Fenway Park

pitted Bruce Hurst

Bruce Hurst

Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. He was even named World Series M.V.P...

against Oakland's newfound ace, Dave Stewart. The game was scoreless until the fourth when Canseco, coming off the first 40–40 season in major league history, drilled a solo homer to give the A's a 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Jim Rice

Jim Rice

James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...

walked and gave way to pinch-runner Kevin Romine

Kevin Romine

Kevin Andrew Romine is a former utility outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox throughout his career .-Biography:...

. Jody Reed

Jody Reed

Jody Eric Reed is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1987-1997. The 5'9" second baseman played with the Boston Red Sox from 1987–1992, and in 1990 he led the American League with 45 doubles and finished 10th in the AL with 173 hits...

reached when Stewart hit him with a pitch. A single by Rich Gedman

Rich Gedman

Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...

loaded the bases with one out and Stewart gave way to reliever Rick Honeycutt

Rick Honeycutt

Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...

. Honeycutt induced a line out to left field by Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs

Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...

that plated Romine and tied the game at one. Marty Barrett grounded out and the game was tied after seven innings.

A Carney Lansford

Carney Lansford

Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...

double and a Dave Henderson

Dave Henderson

David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...

single gave the A's a 2–1 lead, and Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...

held on for the save as the A's prevailed, 2–1. Hurst went the distance allowing only six hits and two runs but wound up with the loss, while Stewart got the win.

The victory gave the A's a 1–0 lead in games.

Game 2

Thursday, October 6, 1988 at Fenway Park

Fenway Park

in Boston, Massachusetts
Game 2 saw Storm Davis

Storm Davis

George Earl "Storm" Davis , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1982-1994.-World Series experience:...

take the mound against Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...

. After five innings, the A's had two hits, the Red Sox one, and the game was still scoreless. In the bottom of the sixth, a sequence of errors gave the Red Sox two unearned runs. With two outs, Dwight Evans

Dwight Evans

Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....

and Mike Greenwell

Mike Greenwell

Michael Lewis Greenwell is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox . He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan , before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

walked. With two on and two out, Davis appeared out of the inning, but an error by Dave Henderson

Dave Henderson

allowed Evans to score the first run of the game. Ellis Burks

Ellis Burks

Ellis Rena Burks is a former outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...

then singled home Greenwell to make it 2–0 Boston. Davis then threw a wild pitch that moved Burks to second but retired the side on a strikeout of Todd Benzinger

Todd Benzinger

Todd Eric Benzinger is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from 1987 to 1995. Benzinger is a graduate of New Richmond High School in New Richmond, Ohio....

.

Trailing for the first time in the series, the A's deficit only lasted two batters. Henderson singled and José Canseco

José Canseco

hit his second home run in two games to tie the score at two. Dave Parker

Dave Parker

David Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...

singled but was forced at second by Lansford. Lansford got to go to second when Clemens balk

Balk

In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...

ed and to third on a wild pitch

Wild pitch

In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...

. Lansford then scored on Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire

Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...

's single to give the A's a 3–2 lead.

Boston tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Rich Gedman

Rich Gedman

Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...

hit a solo home run off Oakland reliever Greg Cadaret

Greg Cadaret

Gregory James Cadaret is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from - and -....

. Three ninth inning singles by Ron Hassey

Ron Hassey

Ronald William Hassey is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. Hassey began his career with the Cleveland Indians after the Indians drafted him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB amateur draft...

, Tony Phillips

Tony Phillips

Keith Anthony Phillips is a former Major League Baseball utility player who had an 18-year career from to . He played regularly at three infield positions, primarily as a second baseman, but also had significant time as a shortstop and third baseman...

, and Walt Weiss

Walt Weiss

Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...

scored Hassey with what proved to be the winning run. Eckersley retired the side again in the ninth for his second save and Oakland carried a two games to none lead with them back to California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson (baseball)

Wayland Eugene Nelson , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1981 to 1993. After beginning his career as a starting pitcher with the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, Nelson gradually converted to a relief role starting in 1983...

got the win while Boston reliever Lee Smith

Lee Smith (baseball)

Lee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career...

was the losing pitcher.

Game 3

Saturday, October 8, 1988 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

McAfee Coliseum

O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...

in Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

After two calm games in Boston, Game 3 saw both teams mount offense and go wild, scoring eleven runs in the first three innings (the first two games combined saw only eleven runs scored in eighteen total innings). Game 3 saw two former post-season heroes square off against one another as Oakland threw Bob Welch, famous for striking out Reggie Jackson to end Game 2 of the 1978 World Series

1978 World Series

-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...

, and Boston turned to Mike Boddicker

Mike Boddicker

For the similarly named musician , see Michael BoddickerMichael James "Mike" Boddicker was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Kansas City Royals , and Milwaukee Brewers...

, the Orioles' post-season hero of 1983

1983 American League Championship Series

-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandPlaying in their first postseason game since the 1959 World Series, the White Sox jumped out to a 1–0 series lead behind a complete-game victory by Hoyt, the American League Cy Young Award winner...

. Neither pitcher would last the first three innings.

The Red Sox began quickly in the first. Ellis Burks

Ellis Burks

Ellis Rena Burks is a former outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...

singled and went to second on a balk. He reached third when Marty Barrett singled. A Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs

single scored Burks and put Barrett at second. Mike Greenwell

Mike Greenwell

then doubled both home, and the Red Sox had a 3–0 lead after only four batters. After a ground out by Jim Rice

Jim Rice

James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...

, Welch promptly loaded the bases with walks to Evans and Gedman. With the bases loaded and only one out, Welch induced short outfield pop flies by Reed and Benzinger to get out of the first trailing only 3–0.

The Red Sox had batted through in the first, so Burks led off the second with a double. Barrett bunted Burks to third, and Burks scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Boggs. Mike Greenwell

Mike Greenwell

, who had doubled home two runs in the first, hit a solo home run to make the score 5–0 and send Welch to the showers. Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson (baseball)

came on in relief and got Rice to stop the deficit at 5–0.

In the bottom of the second, the A's came back. Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire

led off with a home run. Consecutive fielder's choice grounders put Mike Gallego

Mike Gallego

Michael Anthony Gallego is the Oakland Athletics third base and infield coach, and a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Athletics, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1985 to 1997.-Baseball career:Gallego was the A's starting second baseman during their three-year...

at first with two outs. Walt Weiss

Walt Weiss

Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...

doubled and Carney Lansford

Carney Lansford

Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...

homered, and the score after two was Red Sox 5, A's 4.

With two outs in the third, the A's took the lead. Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire

singled, and Ron Hassey

Ron Hassey

Ronald William Hassey is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. Hassey began his career with the Cleveland Indians after the Indians drafted him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB amateur draft...

drilled a two-run homer to put the A's in front, 6–5. Boddicker left and Wes Gardner

Wes Gardner

Wesley Brian Gardner is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher drafted by the New York Mets in the 22nd round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas.-New York Mets:...

came in to relieve.

In the fifth, a McGwire single and Hassey double scored McGwire to make the score, 7–5. In the seventh, Boggs hit a single and went to second on Henderson's error. Boggs then scored on a single by Dwight Evans

Dwight Evans

to make it 7–6. A Dave Parker

Dave Parker

double Stan Javier

Stan Javier

Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter who played with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , San Francisco Giants , Houston...

single made it 8–6. In the bottom of the eighth, a Lansford single and Dave Henderson home run closed out the scoring as the A's prevailed, 10–6, to take a three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series.

Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson (baseball)

got his second win in two games while Eckersley got his third save. Boddicker got the loss.

Game 4

Sunday, October 9, 1988 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

McAfee Coliseum

O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...

in Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

The Oakland Athletics completed a four-game sweep against the Boston Red Sox to make their first World Series appearance since 1974

1974 World Series

-Game 1:Saturday, October 12, 1974 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReggie Jackson put the A's on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second off 20-game winner Andy Messersmith...

. They would face the Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

who coincidentally were their opponent in that 1974 World Series.

Game 4 was a rematch of Game 1 as Bruce Hurst

Bruce Hurst

squared off against Dave Stewart. José Canseco

José Canseco

drilled his third home run in the bottom of the first to give the A's a 1–0 lead. In the third, two singles by Weiss and Lansford followed by a Dave Henderson

Dave Henderson

double made it 2–0 A's. In the top of the sixth, the Red Sox cut the lead in half when Marty Barrett walked, went to second on a single, and scored on consecutive fielder's choice ground outs.

Needing two runs to win, the Red Sox took the field with one series of at-bats left in the bottom of the eighth. Lee Smith

Lee Smith (baseball)

, ineffective in Game 2, was again ineffective as the A's pushed across two insurance runs. Canseco singled, stole second, and came home on a McGwire single. Stan Javier

Stan Javier

bunted to move McGwire to second and wound up on first due to poor execution by the Red Sox. A walk to Luis Polonia

Luis Polonia

Luis Andrew Polonia Almonte was a Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter....

loaded the bases with nobody out. Don Baylor

Don Baylor

Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...

hit a sacrifice fly that scored McGwire and made the score 4–1. Smith retired the next two hitters, but the Red Sox were finished. Eckersley finished the ninth to get his fourth save in only four games, an all-time record. Eckersley won the Most Valuable Player Award for his efforts.

Composite box

1988 ALCS (4–0): Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

over Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

Series quotes

External links

1988 ALCS at Baseball-Reference

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