Walk-offs, curses and brawls: The best moments of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry

It started with Babe Ruth. Or possibly with Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. It accrued successful ferocity with Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk and reached its apex with Derek Jeter and David Ortiz. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox person agelong been adversaries, though the rivalry has admittedly cooled disconnected from that pinnacle of animosity 21 years ago.

For the sixth time, the Yankees and Red Sox are gathering successful the postseason arsenic they quadrate disconnected successful the wild-card series, a best-of-three with each games astatine Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox won the play series, 9 to 4, but the Yankees person been connected a rotation since mid-August. As the bid kicks off, let's look astatine the 10 times erstwhile the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was astatine its hottest.

1. 2003: Pedro, Grady and Boone

What happened: The Yankees bushed the Red Sox successful the 2003 ALCS, winning Game 7 connected Aaron Boone's walk-off location tally successful the 11th inning.

Before we get to Game 7, let's backtrack a moment. By 2003, the Red Sox and Yankees played 19 regular-season games a twelvemonth successful MLB's unbalanced docket -- and each 1 felt similar its ain small mini war. It's hard to picture the emotions of these games successful this epoch -- not conscionable from the players, but the desperation among Red Sox fans intertwined with the winning arrogance of Yankees fans.

Game 3 was a Martinez-Clemens showdown astatine Fenway Park. In the 4th inning, Pedro Martinez threw a transportation down Karim Garcia's head. In the bottommost of the inning, Roger Clemens threw up-and-in to Manny Ramirez, which acceptable disconnected a benches-clearing brawl and featured the ignominious infinitesimal erstwhile Martinez grabbed 72-year-old Yankees manager Don Zimmer by the caput and tossed him to the ground. In the ninth inning, a Fenway groundskeeper got into a scuffle successful the bullpen with Garcia and Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson. These teams did not similar each other.

Fast-forward to Game 7, different Martinez-Clemens matchup. Clemens lasted conscionable three-plus innings arsenic the Red Sox led 5-2 entering the bottommost of the eighth. Throughout the season, Martinez's numbers had importantly dropped disconnected aft reaching 100 pitches, but manager Grady Little brought him backmost out. Martinez got the archetypal out, but past allowed a treble to Derek Jeter and azygous to Bernie Williams. Little visited the mound and, to the astonishment of everyone, near Martinez successful the game. He past allowed doubles to Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada and was yet removed aft 123 pitches. The Yankees had tied the game.

In the bottommost of the 11th inning, Aaron Boone led disconnected against Tim Wakefield and deed the archetypal transportation for the series-winning location run. Mariano Rivera, who had pitched the last 3 innings for the Yankees, alternatively of joining the solemnisation to mob Boone astatine location plate, went to the pitcher's mound, dropped to his knees, and cried. Yankees manager Joe Torre was successful tears arsenic helium hugged his players. Mike Mussina, who had pitched 3 scoreless innings successful alleviation of Clemens, sat successful beforehand of his locker aft the postgame champagne celebration, tears streaming down his face, hardly capable to talk.

We would spot antithetic emotions the pursuing year.

2. 2004: Big Papi and the top comeback ever

What happened: Down 3-0 successful the ALCS and trailing 4-3 successful the bottommost of the ninth of Game 4, the Red Sox tied the crippled disconnected Rivera -- you've astir apt heard astir Dave Roberts' bargain -- and won successful 12 innings. Then they won the adjacent 3 games arsenic well, the lone squad successful MLB playoff past to rally from a 3-0 bid deficit. Boston swept a 105-win Cardinals squad successful the World Series.

In precocious September, the Yankees doubly bushed Martinez -- scoring 8 runs successful the archetypal crippled and rallying successful the eighth inning to bushed him successful the second. "What tin I say? I extremity my headdress and telephone the Yankees my daddy," a glum Martinez said. When Martinez mislaid 3-1 successful Game 2, and past the Yankees blasted the Red Sox 19-8 successful Game 3, and with Curt Schilling seemingly retired with a ruptured tendon successful his ankle, it looked each over. Maybe the Red Sox ne'er would bushed the Yankees.

Enter David Ortiz. After Roberts' bargain and Bill Mueller's tying RBI single, Ortiz won Game 4 with a two-run location run. Then helium won Game 5 with a two-out RBI azygous successful the 14th inning. Then Schilling miraculously m...