| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 4–20, 1988[1] |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Dodgers (6th title) |
| Runners-up | Oakland Athletics |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Orel Hershiser (LA) |
The1988 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament ofMajor League Baseball for the1988 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in aLeague Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in theWorld Series.
In the American League, theBoston Red Sox returned for the second time in three years, and theOakland Athletics returned to the postseason for the first time since1981. This was the first of three consecutive appearances for the Athletics.
In the National League, theNew York Mets returned to the postseason for the second time in three years, and theLos Angeles Dodgers returned to the postseason for the fourth and final time this decade. This was the last postseason appearance for the Mets until1999.
The playoffs began on October 4, 1988, and concluded on October 20, 1988, with the Dodgers shocking the Athletics in five games in the1988 World Series. The series was notable for injured DodgerKirk Gibson's dramatic pinch-hit walk-off home run off Athletics closerDennis Eckersley in Game 1. It was the second title in nine years for the Dodgers, and their sixth overall; as of 2024, they have won two World Series since.
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
| League Championship Series (ALCS,NLCS) | World Series | |||||||
| East | Boston | 0 | ||||||
| West | Oakland | 4 | ||||||
| AL | Oakland | 1 | ||||||
| NL | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||
| East | NY Mets | 3 | ||||||
| West | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||
Oakland won the series, 4–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 5 | Oakland Athletics – 2,Boston Red Sox – 1 | Fenway Park | 2:55 | 34,104[6] |
| 2 | October 6 | Oakland Athletics – 4,Boston Red Sox – 3 | Fenway Park | 3:14 | 34,605[7] |
| 3 | October 8 | Boston Red Sox – 6,Oakland Athletics – 10 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 3:14 | 49,261[8] |
| 4 | October 9 | Boston Red Sox – 1,Oakland Athletics – 4 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 2:55 | 49,406[9] |
This was a rematch of the1975 ALCS, which the Red Sox won in a sweep over the Athletics, ending their hopes for a fourth consecutive title. This time, Oakland would sweep Boston, and return to the World Series for the first time since1974 (in the process denying a rematch of the1916 World Series between the Red Sox and Dodgers).
Despite ending in a sweep, each game of the series was decided by four runs or less.Rick Honeycutt helped keep the Red Sox offense at bay in Game 1 as the Athletics narrowly prevailed. The Athletics won by one run again in Game 2, as in the top of the ninth, singles byRon Hassey,Tony Phillips, andWalt Weiss scored Hassey to break a 3–3 tie and put the A's up for good. When the series moved to Oakland, the Athletics prevailed in a Game 3 slugfest, 10–6, to go up 3–0 in the series.Dave Stewart and ace closerDennis Eckersley held the Red Sox to just one run in Game 4 as the Athletics completed the sweep and secured the pennant.
This was the first of three straight AL pennants won by the Athletics.The next year, they defeated theToronto Blue Jays in five games, and in1990 they again defeated the Red Sox in a sweep, which would ultimately be their last during their time in Oakland, as the team would move toLas Vegas.
This was the first of four consecutive losses for the Red Sox in the ALCS. In1990, they would be swept by the Athletics again, and in1999 and2003 they lost both to their archrival in theNew York Yankees. It would be in2004 that the Red Sox would finally win the pennant again.
Los Angeles won the series, 4–3.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 4 | New York Mets – 3,Los Angeles Dodgers – 2 | Dodger Stadium | 2:45 | 55,582[10] |
| 2 | October 5 | New York Mets – 3,Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 3:10 | 55,780[11] |
| 3 | October 8 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 4,New York Mets – 8 | Shea Stadium | 3:44 | 44,672[12] |
| 4 | October 9 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 5,New York Mets – 4(12) | Shea Stadium | 4:29 | 54,014[13] |
| 5 | October 10 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 7,New York Mets – 4 | Shea Stadium | 3:07 | 52,069[14] |
| 6 | October 11 | New York Mets – 5,Los Angeles Dodgers – 1 | Dodger Stadium | 3:16 | 55,885[15] |
| 7 | October 12 | New York Mets – 0,Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 2:51 | 55,693[16] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Mets and Dodgers. The Dodgers upset the heavily favored Mets in seven games and returned to the World Series for the first time since1981 (in the process denying a rematch of the1973 World Series between the Mets and Athletics).
In Game 1, the Dodgers were three outs away from victory, but the Mets, thanks to a three-run RBI fromGary Carter, came from behind to win. In Game 2, the Dodgers’ offense got to Mets’ aceDavid Cone early and prevailed by three runs to even the series headed to Queens. In Game 3, the Dodgers led 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Mets put up five unanswered runs to win and regain the series lead. Game 4 was a long and grueling extra inning battle that was won by the Dodgers, asKirk Gibson hit a two-out solo homer in the top of the twelfth to put the Dodgers ahead for good. Gibson hit his second homer of the series in Game 5 as the Dodgers won to take a 3–2 series lead heading back to Los Angeles. Cone redeemed him with a complete game performance as the Mets won Game 6 to force a seventh game. In Game 7,Orel Hershiser, despite being on three-days rest, pitched a five-hit complete game shutout as the Dodgers won 6-0 to secure the pennant.
This was the first time that the Mets lost in the NLCS. Previously, they had won the NL pennant in each of their last three appearances in1969,1973 and1986. The Mets returned to the NLCS in1999, but lost to theAtlanta Braves in six games. The Mets would win their next pennant in2000 over theSt. Louis Cardinals in five games before falling in the World Series that year.
This was the last time the Dodgers won the NL pennant until2017, where they defeated theChicago Cubs in five games before falling in the World Series.
The Mets and Dodgers would meet in the postseason again in the NLDS in2006 and2015, as well as the NLCS again in2024, with the Mets winning the former two and the Dodgers winning the latter en route to a World Series title.
Los Angeles won the series, 4–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 15 | Oakland Athletics – 4,Los Angeles Dodgers – 5 | Dodger Stadium | 3:04 | 55,983[17] |
| 2 | October 16 | Oakland Athletics – 0,Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 2:30 | 56,051[18] |
| 3 | October 18 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 1,Oakland Athletics – 2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 3:21 | 49,316[19] |
| 4 | October 19 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 4,Oakland Athletics – 3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 3:05 | 49,317[20] |
| 5 | October 20 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 5,Oakland Athletics – 2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 2:51 | 49,317[21] |
The 1988 World Series was the second to feature two teams fromCalifornia. It was also a rematch of the1974 World Series, which the Athletics won in five games en route to a three-peat. This time, the Dodgers shocked the heavily-favored Athletics in five games to win their sixth championship in franchise history.
The series was notable for injured DodgerKirk Gibson's dramatic pinch-hit walk-off two-run home run off Athletics closerDennis Eckersley in Game 1, which gave the Dodgers a 5-4 win.Orel Hershiser pitched a three-hit complete-game shutout in Game 2 as the Dodgers blew out the Athletics, 6–0, to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Oakland. The Athletics would take Game 3 off a walk-off home run fromMark McGwire to avoid a sweep, but that would be their only win of the series. Dodgers' relief pitcherJay Howell held off a late comeback by the Athletics in Game 4 to preserve a one-run Dodgers victory and take a commanding 3–1 series lead. In Game 5, the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead in the first inning and maintained it, thanks to stellar pitching from Hershiser, who pitched another complete game in a 5–2 Dodger victory. Hershiser got the final out by striking outTony Phillips, as the Dodgers clinched the title in Oakland.
This was the last World Series appearance for the Dodgers until2017, where they lost to theHouston Astros in seven games. The Dodgers’ next title would come in2020, where they defeated theTampa Bay Rays in six games.
36 years later, Gibson’s Game 1 walk-off would be replicated byFreddie Freeman in Game 1 of the2024 World Series, who hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 1 against theNew York Yankees. Freeman’s walk-off would end up being widely compared to Gibson’s, as both of their home runs were to right field at Dodger Stadium in almost the same spot and both came at 8:37 PM Pacific Time.Joe Davis, who was the color commentator for the 2024 World Series, paid tribute toVin Scully’s call of Gibson’s walk-off with the line “Freeman hits a ball, right field — she is…. gone! Gibby, meet Freddie! Game 1 of the World Series!”[22][23][24] Also like in 1988, the Dodgers would end up winning that World Series in five games.
The Athletics would return to the World Series thevery next year and sweep theSan Francisco Giants in another all-California matchup, which would ultimately be their last title in Oakland as the team would move toLas Vegas after the2024 season.
ABC televised both LCS nationally in the United States.NBC then aired the World Series.
