2003 ALCS Collapse vs Yankees

Lore & Background

Nicknamed "The Rivalry" by some, the 1919 sale of star Red Sox player Babe Ruth to the Yankees popularized one of the most well-known aspects of the rivalry: a superstition known as the "Curse of the Bambino", attributed to Boston’s 86-year World Series drought which began upon Ruth’s sale to New York. Coincidentally, when the Red Sox broke the curse by winning the 2004 World Series, they defeated the Yankees in the ALCS after overcoming a 3–0 deficit. The Red Sox and the Yankees have faced each other four times in the ALCS, with the Yankees winning twice, in 1999 and 2003, and the Red Sox winning in 2004 and 2018. The two teams have also met once in the American League Division Series (ALDS), in 2018, with Boston winning 3–1. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2021 American League Wild Card Game, while most recently the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the 2025 American League Wild Card Series.

In Their Own Story

The lights of Fenway hummed low over Green Monster on a chilly October night. In the stands, a sea of red caps hung heavy in anticipation. The air smelled of popcorn and nervous sweat as the final out approached. A single grounder rolled toward second base, fielded cleanly by New York's infielder. The throw to first was sharp, the umpire's call decisive. No celebration erupted; instead, a collective exhale swept through the park, marking another year where destiny remained just out of reach.

Reader's Guide

The rivalry is often a heated subject of conversation, especially in the home region of both teams, the Northeastern United States. Until 2014, every MLB postseason featured one or both teams beginning with the inception of the wild card format and resultant additional Division Series in 1995, when both teams were assigned to the American League’s East Division. The Yankees and the Red Sox finished tied for first in 1978; subsequently, the Yankees won a high-profile tie-breaker game for the division title. The first-place tie came after the Red Sox had a 14-game lead over the Yankees more than halfway through the season. Similarly, in the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees ultimately lost a best-of-seven series after leading 3–0. The Red Sox comeback was the only time in American baseball history that a team has come back from a 3–0 deficit to win a series.

Did You Know?

• The 1919 sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees is linked to the superstition known as the "Curse of the Bambino."
• The Red Sox broke the curse by winning the 2004 World Series after defeating the Yankees in the ALCS from a 3–0 deficit.
• The Yankees won the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox, 4 games to 3.
• The 2018 ALDS saw the Red Sox beat the Yankees 3–1, including a 16–1 win in Game 3, the largest margin of defeat in a postseason game in Yankees history.