Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS
The 2004 Yankees: A historic collapse in the ALCS.
The 2004 New York Yankees season was the 102nd season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101–61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. The 2004 season was the Yankees third straight season of 100+ wins, the first such instance in franchise history. New York was managed by Joe Torre. In the playoffs, the Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins, 3 games to 1, in the ALDS, before losing to the wild card Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3, in the ALCS. The 2004 Yankees are notable as the only team in MLB history to lose a 7-game playoff series after taking a 3 games to none lead. This was the fourth straight year in which the Yankees lost to the eventual World Series champions in the postseason. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–19) have duplicated the same feat.
- Series
- 2004 American League Championship Series
- Opponent
- Boston Red Sox
- Venue
- Fenway Park, Boston
- Date
- October 20, 2004
- Result
- Red Sox win 10-3
- Series Outcome
- Red Sox win series 4-3
- Historical Context
- End of the 'Curse of the Bambino' for Boston
Lore & Background
The 2004 ALCS is remembered for the Yankees' historic collapse, as they became the only team in MLB history to lose a 7-game playoff series after taking a 3 games to none lead.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Fenway Park was thick with anticipation and the smell of autumn leaves. As Mike Mussina took the mound, the silence from the visiting Yankee fans was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic thud of bats against balls from the Red Sox dugout. The crowd roared as David Ortiz stepped to the plate in the first inning, a figure who had already become a legend in this very series. In that moment, time seemed to slow; every crack of the bat echoed like a gavel striking down an old order, signaling that the long winter for Boston was finally over.
Reader's Guide
It only notes that the Yankees lost the series 4 games to 3 after leading 3 games to none.
Did You Know?
- The 2004 Yankees are the only team in MLB history to lose a 7-game playoff series after taking a 3 games to none lead.
- The Yankees lost to the eventual World Series champions in the postseason for the fourth straight year in 2004.
- Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–19) have duplicated the feat of losing to the eventual World Series champions in four straight postseasons.
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