2003 ALCS Game 7 vs Red Sox

Background

In the Martínez–Clemens rematch of Game 3, home runs by Trot Nixon and Kevin Millar helped Boston to a 4–0 lead and knocked Roger Clemens out of the game. In the first relief appearance of his career, Mike Mussina pitched three scoreless innings, and two home runs by Jason Giambi kept the Yankees in the game. David Ortiz homered in the eighth to make it 5–2, but Red Sox manager Grady Little left a tiring Pedro Martínez in for the bottom half, a controversial move still discussed years later; a Derek Jeter double, a Bernie Williams single, a Hideki Matsui ground-rule double and a two-run bloop double by Jorge Posada tied the game. Mariano Rivera pitched three shutout innings from the ninth.

Tim Wakefield pitched a scoreless tenth for Boston, and on his first pitch of the 11th, Aaron Boone, who had entered earlier as a pinch-runner, hit a walk-off home run into the left field seats, sending the Yankees to the World Series. Boone became just the second player in MLB history to end a Game 7 of a postseason series with a walk-off home run, after Bill Mazeroski in the 1960 World Series.

Did You Know?

• Mike Mussina's three scoreless innings in Game 7 were the first relief appearance of his career.
• The 2003 ALCS remains the last time the Yankees won a Game 7.