Intensely felt and passionately fought, the Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry is baseball’s most storied fable. There is real anger and dislike between these two famous clubs. The two teams have won a total of 36 World Series championships between them. Even though the Yankees have won most of their games against the Red Sox, the Red Sox have had their moments. During that time, there have been some fights that got very heated. Let’s explore the top ten of those games that have made it into popular folklore around the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
The Punching Day on May 20, 1976
There have been fights between the clubs before, but none like the one on May 20, 1976, at Yankee Stadium. Chaos broke out when Lou Pinella ran into Calton Fisk at home plate, which made the benches empty. After that, there was a fight for the ages that defined the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry. Bill Lee tore his shoulder when the Yankees’ Graig Nettles tackled him.
Target A-Rod on July 24, 2004
Red Sox fans found it easy to hate Alex Rodriguez. The 14-time All-Star often had a high-stake contention with many of the players on the opposite bench. That anger boiled over at Fenway Park on a hot day in July.
Bronson Arroyo, who throws with his right hand, hit Rodriguez in the arm. As Rodriguez walked to first, he said some harsh things to the Boston starter. Jason Varitek, who is known for being a fiery person, didn’t like it and went after A-Rod. Because of this, the benches were moved.
The Red Sox won the game 11-10, thanks to a home run by Bill Mueller. It was a very exciting yet bloody game in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry. The game was a warm-up for the historic AL Championship Series, which happened four months later.
The Curse of Bambino began on May 1, 1920
In 1919, Boston traded Babe Ruth to New York, and the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry would never be the same after this deal.
Babe Ruth hit his first home run for the Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. Not many people will remember this game, though. Ruth’s two RBIs helped the Yankees win the game 6-0 at the Polo Grounds.
The game set the tone for the next 84 years, during which the Red Sox never won a World Series. Fans may not have known how important this moment was at the time, but it could be seen as the beginning of the Curse of the Bambino.
The end of the Curse of Bambino on Oct 20, 2004
In game seven of the 2004 American League Championship Series, New York and Boston played each other. Boston had a storied night to remember in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry when they won the game 10–3.
The Red Sox had been without a World Series title for 106 years, so they were ready to end their drought. Coming back from being down 3-0 was a big deal. It was poetic to put an end to the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium. Many Red Sox fans think that this game broke the “Curse of the Bambino,” which was central to the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
The No-Hitter Day on July 4, 1983
In baseball, no-hitters are very rare. And in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry, it is exotic to see a pitcher doing this. But Dave Righetti did it in front of 41,077 fans.
Righetti couldn’t be hit that night. The Yankees starter was too good for the lineup, which had many of the finest hitters Boston ever had. Righetti had nine strikeouts and four walks by the end of the night. In what turned out to be a historic night for the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won by a score of 4-0.
When injury bowed before the Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry on Oct 19, 2004
This was one of the bravest and most determined things a pitcher has ever done on the mound. There used to be doubts about Curt Shilling’s health. Many Red Sox fans were hoping he would be healthy enough to play. What happened next was very inspiring.
It was a game in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry and a must-win game for Boston. Schilling did not make a single mistake. After seven innings, he only let one run score against him. The six-time All-Star only let the Yankees get four hits and struck out four batters to help the Red Sox win 4-2 over the Yankees. He pitched with socks soaked in blood.
Boone’s bravery on Oct 17, 2003
The series went back and forth until game 7 when a winner was finally chosen. Another pitching match between Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens. After the Red Sox took an early 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, the Yankees looked like they were done for. But it soon became a red letter day in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
Pedro Martinez stayed in the game until the seventh inning. He is without a doubt the best pitcher on the Red Sox team. The Yankees came back, led by Jason Giambi, and somehow tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth.
Aaron Boone stepped up to bat after many innings of extra play. Boone hit a home run to left field, which solidified his place in Yankees history. That night, Aaron Boone went from being a role player for the Yankees to being a New York icon in this Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
The War on Oct 11, 2003
The game was interesting because there was so much going on in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry. The problem happened after one of the most-anticipated games in Boston in decades.
At 1-1, the teams are tied. Everything was in this game. Roger Clemens, who has won the Cy Young Award seven times, will face Pedro Martinez, who has won the award three times. Martinez hit Karim Garcia in the head with a ball. Roger Clemens got back at Manny Ramirez by throwing a high, tight pitch. The stands were cleared, and Pedro threw 72-year-old Don Zimmer into the ground. In addition, there was a fight in the bullpen.
In the end, the Yankees won the game 4-3. Grady Little, the manager of the Red Sox, was quoted as saying after the game, “We’ve turned the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry from a battle to a war.”
The Boston Redemption on Oct 17, 2004
The year before, the Red Sox lost in seven games, so they were out to get even. When they lost their first three games to the Yankees, the plan didn’t go so well. In the history of Major League Baseball, no team has ever come back from being down 3-0.
It looked like Boston would be again at the receiving end of the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry. With only three outs left, they went into the ninth inning down by one run and had to face Mariano Rivera, who was very good at his job. When Kevin Millar got to first base, it gave Red Sox fans a little bit of hope. As a pinch runner, Dave Roberts was able to steal second base. When the tying run came in on a single by Bill Mueller, the crowd went crazy.
A two-run homer by David “Big Papi” Ortiz ended the tie in favor of the Yankees after three more hard and tense innings. Boston went to the World Series for the first time since 1918 gaining a temporary upper hand in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
The Dent in Boston Dream on Oct 2, 1978
Boston fans have worked hard over the years to forget what happened on October 2, 1978. This was one of the worst and most unlikely ways for an MLB game to end and a perfect example of why the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry is a fabled tale.
During the whole season, the Red Sox were the best team in the American League, and they were in charge of their own fate. A four-game sweep by the Yankees in Boston at the end of the season would lead to a one-game playoff decider between the AL and the Yankees.
The tie-breaker game in 1978 was one of the most anticipated baseball games of the decade. Martinez had a lot to lose, and the game needed a hero.
When Bucky Dent came into the game, the Yankees were behind by two runs. Dent had only hit four home runs in 122 regular-season games before the game. Dent’s first hit of the night, with two runners on base, was a three-run home run to left field over the “green monster.” The Yankees would win the game 5-4 in the end. In one of the most exciting moments in MLB history, Bucky Dent made his mark in the Yankees vs Red Sox rivalry.
Do you have any other games to add? Tell us in the comment.
