The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will clash once more this week in the Bronx for a best‑of‑three Wild Card series that begins Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. While the 2026 showdown promises fresh drama, the two clubs have already faced each other in six playoff series – seven if the 1978 American League East tiebreaker is counted – with each side claiming three victories.
1978: The Bucky Dent game
In a one‑game tiebreaker at Fenway Park, the Red Sox led 2‑0 in the seventh inning before shortstop Bucky Dent, still remembered in Boston as “Bucky F—— Dent,” launched a three‑run homer to give New York the lead. Dent, who finished his career with just five home runs in a season, helped the Yankees win the game and later the World Series, earning series MVP honors.
1999: First official Wild Card meeting
The addition of the wild‑card in 1994 set the stage for the first formal postseason meeting between the rivals in 1999. New York took the series 4‑1, winning the first two games in the Bronx, dropping Game 3 at home to Pedro Martínez, then clinching the final two games at Fenway before capturing another World Series title.
2003: A seven‑game thriller
During the Yankees’ early‑2000s dynasty, the Red Sox finally broke through in a tightly contested series that went the distance. Boston won Games 1, 4 and 6, while New York captured Games 2, 3 and 5. In Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, the Sox led 5‑2 into the eighth inning, but the Yankees rallied for three runs. Aaron Boone, the Yankees’ manager, hit a walk‑off homer in the 11th to seal the win, though New York fell short in the World Series a week later.
2004: Red Sox revenge
The following year the Red Sox erased the memory of the 2003 loss. After falling behind 3‑0 in the series – a deficit never before overcome in MLB history – Boston rallied. Game 3 saw a 19‑8 Yankees blowout, but the Sox responded with marathon victories in Games 4 and 5 (12 and 14 innings). Curt Schilling’s famous “bloody sock” performance forced a Game 7, where Boston surged to a 10‑3 win and ended an 86‑year championship drought.
2018: Dominant Red Sox performance
Fourteen years later the two clubs met again, each posting impressive regular‑season records (108 wins for Boston, 100 for New York). The Red Sox took Games 1 and 2 at Fenway, then delivered a historic 16‑1 rout in Game 3, highlighted by Brock Holt’s first postseason cycle. Boston closed the series with a 4‑3 win in Game 4 and went on to a dominant postseason run, finishing 11‑3.
2022: A one‑game decider
In a 2022 Wild Card showdown, Boston jumped on New York ace Gerrit Cole early, scoring twice in the first inning and adding two more on home runs by Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber. Alex Verdugo contributed three RBIs as the Red Sox secured a 6‑2 victory, later falling to the Houston Astros in the ALCS.
2025: Recent Wild Card clash
The most recent meeting before the 2026 series occurred in 2025. Boston won Game 1 (3‑1) behind a strong outing from Garrett Grochet. New York answered with a 4‑3 win in Game 2, driven by Austin Wells’ go‑ahead run. Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler delivered eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts to clinch Game 3, 4‑0, before the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in the ALDS.
With this rich history in mind, fans on both sides can anticipate another memorable chapter. The series will be broadcast nationally, offering a chance for families and faithful baseball lovers to enjoy high‑stakes competition rooted in tradition and community spirit.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
