2004 ALCS Game 4 vs Yankees
The night the impossible became possible, breaking an 86-year curse.
Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series stands as the singular pivot point in Boston Red Sox history, marking the moment the franchise defied a three-game deficit against their arch-rivals, the New York Yankees. Facing elimination on October 17, 2004, the Red Sox were down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, a situation no team in Major League Baseball history had ever overcome to win a championship. This game initiated the greatest comeback in sports history, transforming a season of despair into an era of redemption.
- Series Status
- Down 3-0 (Facing Elimination)
- Final Score
- Red Sox 6, Yankees 4
- Key Turning Point
- Dave Roberts' Steal and Bill Mueller's Single
- Legendary Pitcher
- Derek Lowe
- Opposing Ace
- Javier Vazquez
Lore & Background
The tension didn't just break; it detonated in the bottom of the twelfth inning when David Ortiz launched a walk-off solo home run off Paul Quantrill into the right-field bleachers. That single swing did more than keep Boston's season alive; it cut the Yankees' commanding lead to 3-1, shattering the psychological stranglehold the Bronx Bombers had held over Boston for decades and proving their aura of invincibility was fragile. The momentum didn't just shift; it flipped on its axis, electrifying a city and setting the stage for Curt Schilling's legendary 'Bloody Sock' performance in Game 6, igniting the chain reaction that would finally lift the Curse of the Bambino.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Yankee Stadium felt heavy, thick with the smell of roasted nuts and the Yankees' certainty of victory. But down in the dugout, Dave Roberts saw a crack in the armor. With one out in the ninth, he crouched behind the plate, eyes locked on Mariano Rivera, knowing that one mistake would end the season. As Rivera wound up for his slider, Roberts didn't just run; he exploded from the box, a flash of red socks against the green turf, beating the throw by inches to steal second base in silence before the crowd could even gasp. The roar that followed wasn't triumph—it was confusion. Then came Bill Mueller. With two outs and the count full, the weight of 86 years rested on his shoulders. He fouled off a slider, then crushed a fastball back up the middle for a single, sending Roberts home. The crack of the bat echoed like a gunshot, turning a season of despair into extra innings and the impossible into reality.
Reader's Guide
It remains the defining moment of the modern Red Sox era, symbolizing resilience and the overturning of fate. The game is studied not just for its statistical improbability but for its emotional weight, turning a season of near-certain failure into an enduring legend of triumph against all odds.
Did You Know?
- No team in Major League Baseball history had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series before the Red Sox achieved this feat in 2004.
- Dave Roberts was acquired by Boston on September 1, 2004—roughly six weeks before the ALCS began—and his steal of second base in Game 4 is widely considered the single most important play in franchise history.
- Curt Schilling pitched Game 6 with a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle; sutures kept the skin together but blood soaked through his sock, creating one of baseball's most iconic images.
- David Ortiz hit a walk-off home run in Game 4 and a dramatic walk-off single in Game 5, single-handedly keeping the season alive and cementing his nickname 'Big Papi' among fans forever.