Five memorable Red Sox-Indians playoff moments
There's a good chance this list expands after this year's ALDS.
The Red Sox begin what they hope will be a long playoff run Thursday against the Cleveland Indians. Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable moments the Sox have had when they’ve met the Tribe in the postseason.
Manny Ramirez beats the Sox as a member of the Indians:
The Red Sox opened the 1998 playoffs with a bang, beating the Indians 11-3 in Game 1 of the ALDS. The Indians won Game 2, and a crucial Game 3 also went Cleveland’s way when Manny Ramirez hit two home runs in a 4-3 win. The Indians won the series, but the Sox got the last laugh when they signed Manny as a free agent two seasons later.
Pedro Martinez comes out of the bullpen to win the 1999 ALDS:
One of the most iconic moments in Red Sox playoff history came against the Indians: Pedro Martinez left Game 1 of the 1999 ALDS with an injury after shutting down Cleveland for four innings, only to see the Boston bullpen lose the game. With the series on the line in Game 5, Pedro was shockingly brought on in relief, and proceeded to toss six hitless innings with eight strikeouts.
J.D. Drew’s grand slam:
Nicknamed the “$14 million grand slam” because of the disappointing season Drew had in his first year in Boston, the bases-loaded bomb came at the perfect time for the Sox. They trailed three games to two in the 2007 ALCS at the time but would go on to win the game 12-2, and the series in seven games before sweeping the Rockies in the World Series.
Dustin Pedroia hits his first postseason home run:
Pedey burst onto the scene in the 2007 regular season, but his impact was never felt more than his two-run shot in Game 7 of the ALCS. It was his first playoff homer, and it gave the Sox a 5-2 lead and broke the will of the Indians, who surrendered six runs in the following inning.
Coco Crisp makes the catch to send the Red Sox to the World Series:
The last playoff game between the Indians and Red Sox ended with style: a deep fly ball into the triangle in center field was snagged by Coco Crisp as he slammed into the wall, and the Red Sox were American League champions.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com