| 1990 American League Championship Series | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Dates | October 6–10 | |||||||||
| MVP | Dave Stewart (Oakland) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Rich Garcia(crew chief) John Hirschbeck Jim Evans Terry Cooney Vic Voltaggio Larry McCoy | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | CBS | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Dick Stockton andJim Kaat | |||||||||
| Radio | CBS | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jim Hunter andJohnny Bench | |||||||||
The1990American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series inMajor League Baseball's1990 postseason that matched theEast Division championBoston Red Sox against theWest Division championOakland Athletics. For the second time in three years, the Athletics swept the Red Sox four games to none. The sweep was capped by aRoger Clemens ejection in Game 4 for arguing balls and strikes. The Athletics would go on to lose to theCincinnati Reds in the1990 World Series in a four-game sweep.
This was the last pennant ever won by the Athletics during their time in Oakland, as the team is scheduled to move toLas Vegas in 2028.
The Athletics finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, at 103–59 (.636), easily winning their third consecutiveAmerican League West division title by nine games over theChicago White Sox. By contrast, the Red Sox ended the season with a record of 88–74 (.543), finishing two games ahead of theToronto Blue Jays, and claiming their thirdAmerican League East division title in five years.
Oakland won the series, 4–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 6 | Oakland Athletics – 9, Boston Red Sox – 1 | Fenway Park | 3:26 | 35,192[1] |
| 2 | October 7 | Oakland Athletics – 4, Boston Red Sox – 1 | Fenway Park | 3:42 | 35,070[2] |
| 3 | October 9 | Boston Red Sox – 1,Oakland Athletics – 4 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 2:47 | 49,026[3] |
| 4 | October 10 | Boston Red Sox – 1,Oakland Athletics – 3 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 3:02 | 49,052[4] |
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Saturday, October 6, 1990, atFenway Park inBoston, Massachusetts
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Dave Stewart (1–0) LP:Larry Andersen (0–1) Home runs: OAK: None BOS:Wade Boggs (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The opening game of the series saw a battle of aces, as Oakland sentDave Stewart to the hill against Boston'sRoger Clemens. The game was a scoreless pitchers' duel until the bottom of the fourth, when Red Sox third basemanWade Boggs launched a home run off Stewart. Despite mounting scoring threats in each of the next two innings, the Athletics failed to deliver against the "Rocket."
The shot by Boggs turned out to be the only home run in the 1990 ALCS.
Oakland finally came through in the seventh, whenLarry Andersen replaced Clemens on the mound. Andersen walkedMark McGwire, who then wasforced out at second by the next batter,Walt Weiss. A single by pinch-hitterJamie Quirk moved Weiss to third, and he came home on asacrifice fly byRickey Henderson. In the eighth, the A's took the lead viasmall ball, asJosé Canseco singled, wassacrificed over to second byHarold Baines, stole third, and then plated on a single byCarney Lansford.
In the ninth, the wheels came off for the Red Sox bullpen, as Oakland blew the game wide open by erupting for seven runs, a historic distinction done only twice before in the postseason and the first intwenty years.[5] Henderson led the way with a two-run single and a stolen base,Terry Steinbach andWillie Randolph added RBI base hits, and Canseco chipped in with a sacrifice fly. With the game now far from a save situation, A's closerDennis Eckersley shut Boston down in the bottom half of the inning. giving Oakland a 9–1 victory and a 1–0 series lead.
Sunday, October 7, 1990, atFenway Park inBoston, Massachusetts
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Bob Welch (1–0) LP:Greg Harris (0–1) Sv:Dennis Eckersley (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 2 saw the A'sBob Welch, the eventual 1990 American LeagueCy Young Award winner, take on Boston'sDana Kiecker. The Red Sox struck against Welch in the third, asLuis Rivera doubled, took third on aJody Reed grounder, and scored on a sacrifice fly byCarlos Quintana. Oakland got the run back the very next half-inning, however, asWillie McGee doubled and scored on a single by Baines.
In the sixth, Boston managerJoe Morgan pulled Kiecker in favor of the bullpen, and as they had in Game 1, the A's went to work.Mike Gallego and Rickey Henderson ripped consecutive singles, and McGee forced Henderson, moving Gallego to third. He came home on a groundout by Baines, giving the A's a 2–1 advantage. In the ninth, the Athletics extended their lead to three runs, courtesy of an RBI double by Baines and a run-scoring single by McGwire. Eckersley worked a 1–2–3 ninth to secure his first save of the series, and Oakland carried a 2–0 ALCS lead back to theColiseum.
Tuesday, October 9, 1990, atOakland-Alameda County Coliseum inOakland, California
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Mike Moore (1–0) LP:Mike Boddicker (0–1) Sv:Dennis Eckersley (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For Game 3 in Oakland, the Red Sox threwMike Boddicker, who had been the1983 ALCS MVP with theBaltimore Orioles, against the Athletics'Mike Moore. In the second, the Red Sox drew first blood whenMike Greenwell walked, moved up to third on a single byDwight Evans, and came home on a sacrifice fly byTom Brunansky. Boston continued to lead until the bottom of the fourth, when the A's struck for two runs. Canseco and Baines both got on base and then executed a double steal, enabling Canseco to subsequently score on aDave Henderson sacrifice fly and Baines to eventually plate on a single by Randolph.
In the sixth, Oakland added a pair of runs to their lead thanks to some shoddy fielding by the Red Sox. An error by Rivera on a ground ball allowed Baines to reach base, take second on a fly out by McGwire, then move to third when Dave Henderson was forced out by Steinbach. An RBI single by Randolph scored Baines and moved Steinbach to third. Steinbach then boldly tried to steal home and was gunned down, but an error by his Boston counterpartTony Peña resulted in another run. In the ninth, Eckersley picked up his second save as the A's took a 3–0 stranglehold on the series.
Wednesday, October 10, 1990, atOakland-Alameda County Coliseum inOakland, California
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oakland | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Dave Stewart (2–0) LP:Roger Clemens (0–1) Sv:Rick Honeycutt (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The fourth game was a pitching rematch of Game 1, as Stewart again faced Clemens. In the bottom of the second, the "Rocket" gave up consecutive singles to Lansford and Steinbach, and both advanced one base due to a throwing error by Greenwell. McGwire then forced Steinbach, driving in Lansford with the first run of the game.
Randolph was the next batter, and when home plate umpireTerry Cooney adjudged Clemens' fifth pitch to him to be ball four, the Red Sox ace lost his composure, letting loose a stream of profanities. Although Clemens later claimed he was talking to his glove, Cooney assumed the comments were directed at him and promptly ejected Clemens from the game. Video evidence posted on YouTube showsClemens looking at and talking directly to Cooney.[6] Boston managerJoe Morgan and Clemens fiercely argued the call. The Red Sox bench also exploded, with Clemens' teammates hurling water coolers and litter onto the field. In the end, Clemens andMarty Barrett were thrown out; an angry Barrett was ejected by throwing things onto the field.[7]
The ejection proved to be the turning point of the game, as Gallego proceeded to belt a double to center field off Clemens' replacement,Tom Bolton, scoring both McGwire and Randolph. The Red Sox briefly mounted a last-ditch rally in the top of the ninth, scoring a single run courtesy of anEllis Burks double and a single byJody Reed, but Athletics relieverRick Honeycutt got Greenwell to ground out, handing Oakland its third straight American League pennant.
This was Oakland's last postseason series win until2006. This was also the last pennant ever won by the Athletics during their time in Oakland, as the team is scheduled to move toLas Vegas in 2028.
1990 ALCS(4–0):Oakland Athletics overBoston Red Sox
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 38 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston Red Sox | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 168,340 Average attendance: 42,085 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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