October 12th, 1986
American Championship Series, Game 5
Boston Red Sox at California Angels
Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim
The
California Angles were back for another shot. Having fallen short in the ALCS
in both 1979 and 1982, the Angels were hoping the third time was the charm. The
team had never made it to the World Series and were hoping to do so in 1986.
They had pretty much the same team as previous post-season appearances, with
Reggie Jackson, Bob Boone, Doug DeCinces and Brian Downing. But they also had
some younger players like Wally Joyner and Devon White.
Their
opponent for the 1986 ALCS would be the Boston Red Sox, making their first trip
to the playoffs since the heart breaking seven game loss to the Cincinnati Reds
in the 1975 World Series. Three years later, they would lose the A.L. East
title to the New York Yankees in a one-game tiebreaker, then had to watch as the
Yankees went on to win the World Series. Several players were still with the
Sox: Jim Rice, Dwight Evans and Tony Armas. But the Red Sox had loaded up with
younger super stars like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs and Dave Henderson, while
adding veterans like Bill Buckner and Don Baylor.
The
two teams split the first two games in Fenway Park, with the Angels winning the
first game, 8-1, and the Red Sox rebounding for a 9-2 win in Game 2. As the
scene shifted to the West Coast for the middle three games of the series (the
LCS became best-of-seven in 1985), the Angels took control of the series by
winning Game 3 by a score of 4-3, then pushing the Sox to the brink of
elimination with a 4-3 walk-off win in 11 innings in the fourth game.
With
a three games to one lead, the Angels sent Mike Witt to the hill in Game 5,
while the Red Sox countered with lefty Bruce Hurst. Boston, trying to stay
alive and send the series back to Fenway, scored two runs in the top of the
second on a two-run home run by catcher, Rich Gedman.
The
Angels got one back in the bottom of the third on a solo shot by Bob Boone.
They then took the lead in the sixth when Bobby Grich hit a two-run dinger. Now
with a 3-2 lead, the California fans could start counting down the outs to
seeing their Angels with the American League Pennant. Their hopes were buoyed
even further in the seventh when an RBI double by Rob Wilfong and a sacrifice
fly by Brian Downing pushed the lead to 5-2.
Both
teams failed to score in the eighth, meaning the Angels were three outs away from
going to the World Series. But Angel manager Gene Mauch made probably the
biggest tactical mistake of the series when he left Witt in the game to pitch
the ninth. Even though Witt had pitched well, it would probably have been
better to get a fresh arm in the game to finish off the Red Sox.
After
giving up a lead off single to Buckner, Witt got Jim Rice to strike out. With
the Angels now two outs away, the Boston batter was Don Baylor. Witt’s 3-2
pitch was blasted by Baylor into the left field stands. The two-run shot cut
the Angels lead to 5-4. Witt got Dwight Evans to pop up and then was removed
from the game and replaced with reliever Gary Lucas. Red Sox batter, Rich
Gedman, was hit by the only pitch Lucas threw.
With the tying run on
base, Mauch brought in Donnie Moore to pitch to Dave Henderson. On the seventh
pitch of the at bat, Henderson drilled a two-run home run to stun the Angels’
fans and give Boston a 6-5 lead.
The Angels rallied to
tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Henderson would come through again
for Boston in the eleventh when he hit a sacrifice fly to centre that scored
Don Baylor. Red Sox reliever Calvin Schiraldi got the Angels in order in the
bottom of the inning and the Red Sox had stayed alive.
California had been one
strike away from going to the World Series. And even though they still only
needed to win one of the two games in Fenway, the games weren’t even close. The
Red Sox completed the comeback with a 10-4 win in Game 6 and an 8-1 thrashing
in Game 7. It would be another 16 years before the Angels would finally make it
to—and win—the World Championship.
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