The 1986

American League Championship Series The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the America ...

was a best-of-seven

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

postseason series between the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

and the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...

for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series. The Red Sox came in with a 95–66 record and the AL East division title, while the Angels went 92–70 during the regular season to win the AL West.

Summary

Boston Red Sox vs. California Angels

Game summaries

Game 1

Tuesday, October 7, 1986, at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...

in Boston, Massachusetts Angels left fielder Brian Downing went 2-for-5 with four RBI and

Mike Witt Michael Atwater Witt (born July 20, 1960) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1981 and 1993, and threw the 11th perfect game in MLB history in 1984. Amateur career Prior to ...

pitched a five-hit

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

, allowing just one run in the sixth on Marty Barrett's RBI single after a two-out walk and single. After getting two outs, Red Sox starter

Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...

walked two in the second before

Ruppert Jones Ruppert Sanderson Jones (born March 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was the first player selected in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft by the Seattle Mariners. Kansas City Royals Jones was born in Da ...

's RBI single, Wally Joyner's RBI double, and Downing's two-run single put the Angels up 4–0.

Gary Pettis Gary George Pettis (born April 3, 1958) is an American former professional baseball center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) and current third base coach for the Houston Astros. During his playing career, Pettis won five Gold Glove Awa ...

's RBI single with two on extended their lead to 5–0, the run unearned due to shortstop

Spike Owen Spike Dee Owen (born April 19, 1961) is an American former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners (1983–86), Boston Red Sox (1986–88), Montreal Expos (1989–92), New York Yankees (1993) and California Angels ( ...

's throwing error to first on Bob Boone's ground-ball. In the eighth,

Dick Schofield Richard Craig Schofield (born November 21, 1962) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 1996 for the California Angels, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los A ...

singled with one out, stole second and scored on Boone's single. After a Pettis single,

Joe Sambito Joseph Charles Sambito (born June 28, 1952) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros (1976–1982, 1984), New York Mets (1985) and Boston Red Sox (1986–1987). He batted and threw left-handed. Early lif ...

relieved Clemens and allowed a two-out walk to load the bases, then Downing's two-run single capped the game's scoring at 8–1 as the Angels took a 1–0 series lead.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 8, 1986, at

in Boston, Massachusetts The next day, the tables were turned. The Red Sox struck first in the bottom of the first when Wade Boggs hit a leadoff triple off

Kirk McCaskill Kirk Edward McCaskill (born April 9, 1961) is a Canadian-American former Major League Baseball pitcher and former professional ice hockey player. He played in Major League Baseball for the California Angels and Chicago White Sox between 1985 a ...

and scored on Marty Barrett's double. Barrett's bases-loaded RBI single next inning made it 2–0 Red Sox, but

Bill Buckner William Joseph Buckner (December 14, 1949 – May 27, 2019) was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams from through , most notably the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red ...

hit into an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.

's bases-loaded single in the fourth cut the Red Sox's lead to 2–1, but Bruce Hurst retired the next two batters to keep them in front. Next inning, Wally Joyner's home run tied the game, but in the bottom half, Dwight Evans's RBI double with two on put the Red Sox ahead for good, 3–2. Boston padded their lead in the seventh. An error, single and walk loaded the bases with one out before another error on Evans's ground ball allowed one run to score and keep the bases loaded, then a third error on

Rich Gedman Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated comm ...

's force out allowed two more runs to score. Next inning, Buckner's sacrifice fly with runners on first and third off Gary Lucas made it 7–2 Red Sox before Jim Rice's home run off

Doug Corbett Douglas Mitchell Corbett (born November 4, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins, California Angels and Baltimore Orioles between 1980 and 1987. Early years Doug Corbett was ...

capped the game's scoring at 9–2. Hurst pitched a complete game as the Red Sox tied the series 1–1 heading to California.

Game 3

Friday, October 10, 1986, at Anaheim Stadium in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

In Game 3, the Red Sox struck first in the second on

's RBI single with two on off

John Candelaria John Robert Candelaria (born November 6, 1953) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed "The Candy Man", he played in MLB during the years 1975–1993 for eight teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New ...

, but after pitching five shutout innings, Oil Can Boyd allowed a game-tying RBI single to

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...

in the sixth.

's two-out home run in the seventh put the Angels up 2–1. After Bob Boone singled,

's two-run home run extended their lead to 4–1. The Red Sox scored two runs in the eighth on Donnie Moore's balk with runners on second and third and Gedman's RBI single, but the Angels padded their lead in the bottom half on

's sacrifice fly off

Calvin Schiraldi Calvin Drew Schiraldi (born June 16, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 through 1991 for five different teams. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and ...

. Moore pitched a scoreless ninth as the Angels went up 2–1 in the series with a 5–3 win.

Game 4

Saturday, October 11, 1986, at Anaheim Stadium in

, the Game 1 loser for the Red Sox, started Game 4, and was solid for most of the game. Boston put up a run in the sixth on

's RBI double with two on off Don Sutton. In the eighth,

hit a leadoff single off Vern Ruhle, moved to third on a groundout and

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) 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, or the batter (on an uncaught third str ...

, then scored on Marty Barrett's single. Chuck Finley relieved Ruhle and a

passed ball In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a ru ...

and error on Buckner's ground ball allowed Barrett to score to make it 3–0 Red Sox. Another error and walk off

loaded the bases, but

hit into a forceout to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Doug DeCinces led off with a home run. After the next batter grounded out,

and Bob Boone singled. After coming within two outs of a complete game, Clemens was removed, and Boone was replaced with a

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been subs ...

, batting next, doubled to score Schofield.

was intentionally walked to load the bases, a fatal mistake, as two batters later, Brian Downing was hit by a pitch, bringing in the tying run. Angels

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...

pitched a perfect tenth and eleventh innings, and California broke through in the bottom of the 11th.innings

Jerry Narron Jerry Austin Narron (born January 15, 1956) is an American professional baseball manager, coach, and former player. He most recently served as a major league instructor for the Chicago White Sox. He most recently served as the bench coach for ...

scored on

Bobby Grich Robert Anthony Grich (born January 15, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles (–) and the California Angels (–). In 1981, Grich led the ...

's one-out single off

, giving California a 4–3 win and a 3–1 series lead.

Game 5

Sunday, October 12, 1986, at Anaheim Stadium in

Heading into Game 5, California looked set to earn their first trip to a World Series.

's two-run home run in the second put the Red Sox up 2–0, but Bob Boone's home run off Bruce Hurst in the third cut the lead to 2–1.

, the previous night's hero, hit a two-run home run to give the Halos a 3–2 lead in the sixth inning; Red Sox center fielder

Dave Henderson David Lee Henderson (July 21, 1958 – December 27, 2015), nicknamed "Hendu", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athleti ...

had tried to leap at the wall to catch Grich's long fly ball, but ended up deflecting it over the fence. The Angels added to their lead in the seventh inning off Bob Stanley on Rob Wilfong's RBI double with two on and Brian Downing's bases-loaded sacrifice fly. In the ninth,

allowed a leadoff single to

but struck out Jim Rice, putting him two outs away from his second complete game victory of the series. The next batter,

Don Baylor Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate (" crowdin ...

, hit a two-strike, two-run home run to pull the Red Sox within one run. After retiring the next batter, Witt was replaced. Gary Lucas was brought in to face catcher

who had been 3 for 3 in the game against Witt, including a double and a home run. Lucas, on the other hand, had a history of striking Gedman out. But with his very first pitch, Lucas

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

Gedman, and was replaced by Donnie Moore. The Angels closer brought his team within one strike of its first AL pennant, but Henderson caught hold of a Moore forkball and launched a home run into the left field stands, stunning the hometown crowd and greatly redeeming himself for his earlier miscue. Boston had taken a 6–5 lead. The lead would not last, however, as in the bottom of the ninth, Bob Boone singled off Stanley, and

pinch-ran for him.

sacrificed Jones to second, and Wilfong singled him home off

, tying the game.

then singled, sending Wilfong to third, and Downing was intentionally walked to load the bases with only one out. All of Boston's top-half heroics would have been washed away with a mere

sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...

at this point. But instead, Doug DeCinces only managed to hit a short fly ball to right field. Grich's subsequent line-out to pitcher Steve Crawford ended the inning. The teams settled down and the tenth inning was again scoreless, but the Red Sox loaded the bases in the top of the 11th off Donnie Moore on a hit-by-pitch and two singles for Henderson. He hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Baylor with the go-ahead run.

then retired the Halos in order in the bottom of the 11th, completing a shocking comeback and sending the series back to Boston.

Game 6

Tuesday, October 14, 1986, at

in Boston, Massachusetts Still reeling from their Game 5 loss, the Angels struck first in the top of the first off Oil Can Boyd on back-to-back two-out RBI doubles by

and Doug DeCinces after a one-out walk, but the Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the inning off

without a hit. With runners on second and third and one out via two walks and a groundout, a passed ball and Jim Rice's groundout scored both runners. In the third, after back-to-back leadoff singles, Marty Barrett's RBI double put the Red Sox up 3–2, then

's RBI single extended their lead to 4–2. After a forceout at home,

's two-run single (aided by first baseman

's throwing error) and Dwight Evans's RBI single made it 7–2 Red Sox.

's bases-loaded groundout off

in the fifth made it 8–2 Red Sox. Brian Downing hit a home run in the top of the seventh off Boyd, but in the bottom of the inning,

's two-run triple off Corbett after a single and walk made it 10–3 Red Sox. The Angels got a run in the eighth off Bob Stanley on shortstop Owen's throwing error on Rob Wilfong with

at second, but could not score again as the Red Sox's 10–4 win forced a deciding Game 7.

Game 7

Wednesday, October 15, 1986, at

in Boston, Massachusetts In Game 7, the Red Sox loaded the bases in the second off

with no outs on an error, single and walk.

's groundout scored a run and after an intentional walk reloaded the bases, Wade Boggs's two-run single made it 3–0 Red Sox. In the fourth

reached third on an error, then scored on

's single. After a two-out walk, Jim Rice's three-run home run made it 7–0 Red Sox, all runs unearned. Dwight Evans's home run in the seventh off Don Sutton made it 8–0 Red Sox. The Angels scored their only run of the game on Doug DeCinces's RBI single off

, the run charged to starter

. Schiraldi pitched two innings to close as the Red Sox advanced to the World Series with an 8–1 win after trailing the series three games to one. It was their first pennant in 11 years.

Composite box

1986 ALCS (4–3):

over

Aftermath

By virtue of winning the ALCS, the Red Sox advanced to the 1986 World Series, where they faced the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

, with memorable results. Like the Angels in the ALCS, the Red Sox found themselves one strike away from winning the World Series, yet could not hold the lead. Taking a 5–3 lead into the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 6, the Red Sox gave up three runs, culminating in an infamous ground ball through the legs of Bill Buckner to hand the Mets a 6–5 victory. The Mets would go on to win Game 7 and the Series. As for the Angels, Donnie Moore was regarded the

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

of the series for giving up Henderson's home run in Game 5, and then his game-winning sacrifice fly two innings later. Moore was blasted by the sports media, as well as the fans. He sank into depression and alcoholism over the next two years, and committed suicide on July 18, 1989. The 1986 ALCS was Reggie Jackson’s last playoff series. He retired the following season in 1987, playing for the team that originally drafted him, the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

. Nicknamed Mr. October, Jackson always seemed to elevate his game during the biggest stage. He finished his career hitting .278/.358/.527 with 18 home runs in 77 career games in the postseason, which was highlighted by two World Series MVPs in 1973 and 1977. 1986 was also Gene Mauch's last chance at winning a pennant. In his 26 years as manager, his name became linked with coming up just short. In 1964, his

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

suffered a dramatic collapse during the final two weeks of the season. The "Phold of '64", as it became known, was one of the most infamous collapses in baseball history. Mauch only won two division titles in his managerial career -- with the California Angels in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

and

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

-- but even those teams had a reputation of melting down in key moments. Despite this, many players considered him their most insightful manager. Mauch retired in 1987 with 3,942 games managed and 1,902 games won. In retrospect, most people consider the 1986 postseason to be one of the best (if not the best) postseasons of all time, as it not only was exciting but also made up for a lackluster regular season, in which the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

all won their divisions handily. In 2002, the Angels would finally have their moment(s) of glory. They would win the American League Wild Card, as well as their Division Series (dethroning the four-time defending A.L. champion N.Y. Yankees in four games), their first pennant (over

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

in five games), and their first World Series title (over

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

in seven games). In 2004, the Angels and Red Sox met in the

American League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...

with the Red Sox sweeping the series. The Red Sox would eventually go on to defeat the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

for their first pennant since 1986 and also win their first World Series title since against the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2007, the Angels and Red Sox met again in the

ALDS In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...

. The Red Sox again swept the series, continuing their domination of the Halos in the postseason. The Red Sox would go on to win another

world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

that year. From Game 4 of the 1986 ALCS until Game 3 of the 2008 ALDS, the Angels lost 11 straight playoff games against the Red Sox, who won all four playoff meetings against them in that span. The Red Sox would win the 2008 ALDS three games to one despite losing eight of nine regular season games against the Angels. In 2009, the Angels finally broke through and defeated the Red Sox in a sweep of the

References

External links

Baseball-Reference's 1986 ALCS pageMLB Network Remembers: 1986 ALCS1986 ALCS Official Souvenir Program
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