1978 AL East Playoff: Yankees @ Red Sox

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Published 2010-09-27

New York Yankees 5 at Boston Red Sox 4, F -- For two bitter rivals, it all came down to this one-game showdown at historic Fenway Park. The winner would earn a trip to the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals; the loser would go home with 99 wins, and nothing to show for them. The Yankees, who had mounted one of the most memorable comebacks in baseball history (trailing the AL East-leading Red Sox by 14 games in mid-July), sent wiry lefty Ron Guidry and his 24-3 record out to the mound against former teammate Mike Torrez. Reggie Jackson homered and an unorthodox, but key, defensive play by Lou Piniella in left field are both often overlooked, as it was the home run by the light-hitting shortstop Bucky Dent that provided the unexpected muscle to power the Yankees into the postseason.

All Comments (21)

@stephendacey8761 3 years ago

My beloved grandfather who never saw the Red Sox win the world series, and passed away in 88', always watched and loved baseball, especially the Sox, but always had admiration for Reggie Jackson, and always told me he had the best swing in baseball, and a great ballplayer, and he was right. R.I.P. grandpa.
@bridder01 4 years ago

I love Phil Rizzuto's announcing! He is sorely missed.
@bionicbigfoot2790 4 years ago

Few things that stand out: pace of play is incredible. No stepping out of the box and adjusting Robocop armor, no pitchers wandering around the mound between pitches. Superior announcers; today we have....Joe Buck. Superior product to today’s game.
@sertsj1 10 years ago

Bill White and Phil Rizzuto... Nobody was better. I miss those days.
@tektoniks_architects 6 years ago

Given the context, the most intense game I've ever seen.
@kdinva 7 years ago

Bill White a fine, underrated announcer.
@JustCallMeKen 4 years ago

Saw this at 11 years old; couldn't wait to get home from school to watch. The first 6 innings were pretty uneventful; but the last 3 innings made this the best ballgame I've ever seen.
@stevegosselin1353 10 years ago

Red Sox fan ; biggest play of the game was Piniella's play in the 9th. Fenway wasn't built up like it is now, it was almost 5:30pm and the sun was a sinking fireball hanging over the rim of the old 3B side roof boxes. Remy could have had a walk off inside the park home run, except for one of the greatest, but overlooked plays in MLB history.
@oldschoolmuscle4436 5 years ago

Hands down the best of times.
@melbias5046 8 years ago

boy, i miss watching munson play.
@rafaelramirez3180 5 years ago

The greatest of baseball announcers, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer...Scooter was one of a kind, White was one of the best and Messer was no slouch...they don't come any better than this terrific trio 👍👍👌
@Seemsayin 1 month ago

I was 14, and RAN home, after school. With all the people who stopped by here, who watched this live, when we were kids... little did we realize just how legendary it would become. Along with the 1977 season, with Billy Martin and Mr. October's big night in that series... Wow. What a time to be a Yankees fan!
@psyclonejack1523 1 year ago

I watched this game on WPIX, I was 15 and my Dad said I could stay home from school that day. The Yankees had nothing going, and I was thinking we'd lose....until Bucky!! I went CRAZY when he hit it!! Great memories!!
@torrjpct9492 5 years ago

Guidry was an amazing pitcher. As you can see, he would just get the ball and throw, get it and throw again, and again and again. Almost no time between pitches. Like a pitching machine, and pitched a lot of innings.
@tommycscat 4 years ago

1:32:53 Bucky Dent at bat, 1:35:42 Bucky Dent HR, 1:52:40 Reggie Jackson at bat, 1:53:58 Reggie Jackson HR
@markhousman8447 5 years ago

The difference in pace of play between now and 40 years ago is unbelievable. I wish so much that today's MLB could match this pace.
@ceddycedchin 5 years ago

Two great teams. As a 9-yr old Yankees fan in 1978, I absolutely feared the Red Sox. A fantastic ballclub, probably the greatest team that did not make the post-season. Boston would have been favored to win the World Series if they had prevailed. Certainly one of the most exciting games ever.
@coreyveasey4153 10 years ago

Ruzzoto-Messer-White. If you didn't live in NY and follow the Yankees on WPIX from the mid 60's to the mid 80's. You don't know what Im talking about
@DodgerFan1988 5 years ago

In the 1970's the Yankees terrorized 3 teams: Red Sox, Royals, and Dodgers.
@nyterpfan 9 years ago

IMHO the greatest game in baseball history--ESPECIALLY given the rivalry and the dramatic road each team took to get to that point. So many people forget that Boston won 10 or their last 12 games (including 8 straight at the end of the season) to erase a 3 1/2 game deficit and force a playoff----a team without heart couldn't have done that!! All that's remembered is that they lost a 14 game lead---fans don't remember the gutsy Sox comeback at the end of the year. Two out--bottom of the ninth--Gossage against Yaz with the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate---it doesn't get any more dramatic than that!!