Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff history: All-time record and more on MLB rivalry, from Curse of the Bambino to 2004 comeback

JUMP TO: 

• Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff record
• Last time Yankees and Red Sox played in playoffs
• How many times have Yankees and Red Sox played in playoffs?
• What was the Curse of the Bambino?
• What was the Bucky Dent game?
• 1999 ALCS: Yankees win, 4-1
• 2003 ALCS: Yankees win, 4-3
• 2004 ALCS: Red Sox win, 4-3
• 2018 ALDS: Red Sox win, 3-1
• 2021 Wild Card game: Red Sox win, 6-2
• Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff results
• Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry memorable moments in the playoffs

Every game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is an event, even when the stakes aren't particularly high.

Time and time again, though, the stakes have been at their highest when these two teams meet late in the year. The Yankees and Red Sox have had a handful of postseason meetings over the years, which produced iconic moments that include brawls, historic comebacks and even a pennant-winning home run.

The next playoff chapter in the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is still to be written, but it will have high expectations to match.

Here's a look back at the postseason history between the Yankees and Red Sox.

MORE: Most home runs in an MLB Game, from Lou Gehrig to Kyle Schwarber

Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff record

The Yankees and Red Sox share an even 12-12 postseason record against one another. When simplified to each individual series, however, the Red Sox lead 3-2.

Yankees vs. Red Sox all-time record

The Yankees lead the all-time series against the Red Sox 1,261-1,049-14, including both the regular season and postseason, as of the end of the 2025 regular season. The two first met in 1903 and continue to face off more than a dozen times each season.

NOTE: This record will be updated at the end of each season. 

Last time Yankees and Red Sox played in playoffs

The Yankees and Red Sox last met in the postseason in the 2021 American League Wild Card Game. It marked the last AL Wild Card Game before the format switched to two three-game series rather than a single one-game playoff in each league.

The Red Sox got the better of the Yankees at home, quieting New York's bats and winning 6-2 to earn the right to face the AL East-winning Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Boston advanced to the ALCS before falling to the Houston Astros. 

MORE: Inside MLB's all-time home run leaderboard

How many times have Yankees and Red Sox played in playoffs?

The Yankees and Red Sox have met five separate times in the postseason for a total of 24 games. Their first meeting didn't come until 1999 despite nearly a century of history against one another, largely because the postseason was only made up of the World Series until the introduction of the ALCS and NLCS in 1969.

For three more decades, the Yankees and Red Sox never clashed in the ALCS. Since 1999, however, New York and Boston have met in the ALCS three times, the ALDS once and the AL Wild Card Game once.

MORE: The list of most home runs ever hit before the MLB All-Star break

What was the Curse of the Bambino?

By the time the Red Sox faced the Yankees for the first time in the postseason in 1999, the Yankees had already won 24 championships, while the Red Sox hadn't won since 1918. Some believed that was more than just a coincidence.

The Red Sox infamously sold the rights to Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, only for Ruth to become one of the iconic players in the history of baseball in pinstripes. Ruth helped New York's first run of championship-level success, while the Red Sox remained without another title until 2004. 

The Curse of the Bambino isn't as much of a talking point today, after the Red Sox won four championships in a span of 15 years, but some insist it was that ill-fated decision that cost the franchise for more than eight decades. 

MORE: Who are MLB's 50-50 club members?

What was the Bucky Dent game?

One of the most famous games in the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry wasn't actually a playoff game, but it certainly had the feel and the stakes of one. 

New York and Boston met for a one-game tiebreaker at the end of the 1978 season to determine the winner of the AL East. The winner would advance to the ALCS while the loser would see their season end, meaning the Yankees were at risk of missing the postseason after winning the World Series in 1977.

After falling behind 2-0, the Yankees turned the game upside down in the seventh inning when Bucky Dent hit a 3-run home run over the Green Monster. The Red Sox battled back after falling behind 5-2, pulling within a run in the eighth inning, but the Yankees wiggled out of a two-on, one-out jam after Lou Piniella prevented what would have been the tying run from advancing to third base on an earlier hit. 

The Yankees ultimately won the World Series again, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the Red Sox saw what was at its largest a 10-game division lead go up in flames. 

MORE: Is there really a Home Run Derby curse that ruins swings?

1999 ALCS: Yankees win, 4-1

Series summary

The Red Sox had a chance to dethrone the Yankees in 1999 after New York finished a dominant 1998 season by winning its second championship in three years, but the series quickly went awry for Boston, even if by the smallest of margins. The Yankees opened the series with a pair of one-run victories, winning Game 1 on a walk-off home run from Bernie Williams, and a blowout 13-1 win for the Red Sox in Game 3 would only be a hiccup for New York. The Yankees closed out the series with a 6-1 win at Fenway Park in Game 5.

Key players

Yankees starter Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez was named the ALCS MVP after posting a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings. Bernie Williams delivered the big blow for New York with a walk-off home run in Game 1, while Pedro Martinez shined for the Red Sox with seven shutout innings and 12 strikeouts in Boston's only win of the series.

Notable stats

The Yankees only outscored the Red Sox by two runs despite a decisive 4-1 series win.

MORE: 16 NFL stars you didn't know were drafted by MLB teams

2003 ALCS: Yankees win, 4-3

Series summary

The Red Sox finished six games behind the Yankees in 2003 but entered the series with hopes of keeping New York out of the World Series for the second consecutive year. Those hopes were not realized. Boston came out of the gate strong, winning Game 1, but the Yankees answered with back-to-back wins to take a 2-1 series lead.

Game 3 featured bad blood, as Manny Ramirez charged at Roger Clemens after a hard slide ignited tensions earlier in the game. A brawl ensued, but it effectively ended when Pedro Martinez grabbed Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer by the head and threw him to the ground. Concern shifted to Zimmer, who was 72, but Zimmer was not seriously hurt and Martinez was not suspended.

The Red Sox answered each time the Yankees went in front, ultimately forcing a decisive Game 7, and that Game 7 was a thriller. The Yankees overcame a 4-0 deficit, winning when Aaron Boone hit a walk-off home run off Tim Wakefield in the 11th inning. Boone's shot into the night sent the Yankees to the World Series, which they would lose to the Marlins in an upset, and it ended the Red Sox' season in devastating fashion.

Key players

Boone's home run became easily the most memorable moment of his career, though he otherwise struggled in the series. Jason Giambi and Trot Nixon each hit three home runs in the series, while Mariano Rivera allowed one earned run and walked no one in eight innings of work.

Notable stats

The run totals reflected how evenly-matched the series was, as the Yankees and Red Sox had each scored exactly 29 runs before Boone's walk-off blast. The Red Sox had 14 more hits than the Yankees, but struggles by starters Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe doomed Boston as the pair allowed 19 earned runs over a combined 28.1 innings.

MORE: Ranking the 11 most memorable Subway Series moments between Yankees, Mets

2004 ALCS: Red Sox win, 4-3

How did the Red Sox beat the Yankees in 2004?

The Red Sox became the only team in MLB history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit by winning the last four games of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees and advancing to the World Series. The comeback might not have happened without a key stolen base by Dave Roberts, who moved into scoring position with the Red Sox trailing in the ninth inning of Game 4 and tied the game when he scored on a single by Bill Mueller.

David Ortiz extended the series on a walk-off home run in extra innings, and surviving required another walk-off in Game 5. After the Red Sox tied the game with two runs in the eighth inning, Ortiz hit a walk-off single in the 14th and sent the series back to the Bronx, where the pressure seemed to shift to the Yankees and the Red Sox never trailed again. 

Series summary

The Red Sox braced for another disappointing exit at the hands of the Yankees after an ugly Game 3 in which they allowed a whopping 19 runs. One game earlier, Yankees fans had chanted, "Who's your daddy!" at Pedro Martinez, adding insult to injury to Boston after Martinez called the Yankees his "daddy" during the regular season. Walk-off wins by the Red Sox in Games 4 and 5 staved off what still seemed to be the inevitable in some eyes, but those wins restored full belief inside Boston's clubhouse. Curt Schilling pitched through injury to win Game 6 in what became known as the "bloody sock game," and Game 7 turned out to be Boston's least stressful game of the series after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead. 

Key players

Ortiz was the hero for the Red Sox in more ways than one, batting .387 with three home runs and a 1.199 OPS. The series was also a window into a Yankees slugger's penchant for postseason heroics, as Hideki Matsui hit .412 with a series-best 14 hits. Matsui would win World Series MVP honors in 2009. Mariano Rivera allowed only one earned run in the series, but that run allowed the Red Sox to extend the series to a Game 5. 

Notable stats

The Yankees outscored the Red Sox by four runs but struggled to make contact as efficiently as Boston, batting only .227 over the seven games with much of their run production coming in Game 3. New York only scored 13 runs over the final four games of the series after scoring 19 in Game 3.

MORE: Revisiting Dave Roberts' consequential 2004 stolen base

2018 ALDS: Red Sox win, 3-1

Series summary

The Red Sox were MLB's most dominant regular season team in 2018, but the Yankees waited all season long to get healthy and believed they were close enough to full health to knock off Boston in the ALDS. The Yankees evened the series at one with a Game 2 win at Fenway Park after a Game 1 comeback fell one run short, but New York's momentum took a nosedive when they were pummeled 16-1 by the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in Game 3. The Yankees again found themselves playing from behind in Game 4 and nearly completed a ninth inning comeback, but Gary Sanchez narrowly missed a home run before Gleyber Torres grounded out to end the series.

Key players

Brock Holt only appeared in one game in the series, but he took full advantage by becoming the first player in MLB history to hit for the cycle during the Red Sox' Game 3 blowout of the Yankees. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez each hit two home runs for the Yankees despite the series loss.

Notable stats

The Red Sox' 16-1 win in Game 3 tied the second-largest margin of victory in postseason history, and 16 runs represents the most Boston has ever scored in a road postseason.

MORE: Ranking the 13 greatest Home Run Derby performances in history

2021 Wild Card game: Red Sox win, 6-2

The Yankees and Red Sox met again in what would be the final AL Wild Card Game before the new postseason format took hold in 2022. The result for the Yankees was the same was 2004 and 2018, albeit without as much heartbreak.

Gerrit Cole lasted less than three innings, exiting the game with a 3-0 deficit, and the Yankees' offense struggled to turn opportunities into rallies against Nathan Eovaldi. New York only scored on home runs by Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton, and the Red Sox rolled to the ALDS, where they eliminated the Rays before falling in the ALCS.

MORE: Ranking the worst 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' performances ever

Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff results

Here's a look at the all-time playoff results between New York and Boston. 

MORE: Complete list of every MLB All-Star Game MVP by year

Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry memorable moments in the playoffs

There has been no shortage of massive moments in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry's postseason history. 

Bernie Williams walk-off HR: 1999 ALCS

The first-ever postseason meeting between the Red Sox and Yankees couldn't end with a whimper. Bernie Williams delivered the big blow in the 10th inning of Game 1 of the 1999 ALCS, hitting a walk-off home run to bring New York a step closer to a second consecutive trip to the World Series. The Yankees would win the series 4-1, and Williams' heroic home run put them on track. 

Pedro Martinez throws Don Zimmer to the ground: 2003 ALCS

There aren't many good feelings between the Yankees and Red Sox, but most agreed the rivalry was taken a bit too far when a brawl resulted in Boston ace Pedro Martinez grabbed 72-year-old Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer by the head and tossed him to the ground. The incident came after Manny Ramirez charged at Roger Clemens on the mound. A hard slide earlier in the game first inflamed the tensions. Fortunately, Zimmer was mostly fine once he was checked out, but the incident went down as one of the darkest in the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

MORE: Who are the oldest players to see action in an MLB game?

Aaron Boone walk-off HR: 2003 ALCS

A nail-biter of a series ended with another Yankees win when Aaron Boone delivered the swing of his life off Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. A blown lead by the Red Sox breathed new energy into the Yankees, and Boone's 11th inning home run turned him from just another Yankee into someone who would be remembered for his time in pinstripes long before he became the franchise's manager. 

The Dave Roberts steal: 2004 ALCS

The Red Sox' historic 2004 ALCS comeback might not happen without a key ninth inning stolen base from Dave Roberts, who put himself in scoring position and ultimately scored the tying run in Game 4 with Boston down to its final three outs. Jorge Posada's throw was just late, and the stolen base marked a run of good fortune for the Red Sox that has never been replicated in MLB history -- at least not under those circumstances. 

MORE: Complete list of every pitcher in the 3,000 strikeout club

Curt Schilling 'bloody sock' game: 2004 ALCS

Red Sox ace Curt Schilling famously quieted the Yankees' bats while pitching through a torn tendon in his ankle in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. Schilling underwent a minor procedure to try to stabilize the ankle ahead of his start, but the stitches did not hold up, and his sock became bloodstained during the outing. Schilling's start became known as the "bloody sock game" and seemed to inspire his teammates to keep the pressure on the Yankees.

Brock Holt hits for first ever postseason cycle: 2018 ALDS

Utility player Brock Holt made MLB history when he hit for the first postseason cycle ever in a 16-1 Red Sox win over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS. Holt, who was never known as a power hitter, secured the cycle with a home run off Yankees catcher Austin Romine as New York tried to preserve the rest of its bullpen for Game 4. It was the second cycle of Holt's career. Holt's blast added onto a historic margin for the Red Sox, and Boston would finish off the Yankees the following day.