Classic Teams 2.0 - All Red Sox ALDS Game 3

Carl Yastrzemski turned in an otherworldly performance for the 1978 Red Sox as he singlehandedly pushed the '41 squad to the brink of elimination. Yaz belted a hattrick of homers and drove in all 5 runs as the '78 edition took Game 3 by the score of 5-2. Captain Carl's heroics overshadowed another marvelous outing by the Red Sox pitching corps. Luis Tiant went the distance in a 98 pitch complete-game effort.  It was the second such outing in the series for '78 Boston as Dennis Eckersley turned the trick in Game 1 . 

Tex Hughson was the victim of two Yastrzemski bridge balls but had only given up 3 hits until
that point. Yaz touched him up for a solo blast in the second for '78 Boston's first hit of the game, and he again got Hughson in the fourth with Carlton Fisk aboard. Eventually, Yastrzemski knocked Hughson out of the game with his third hit which was an RBI single in the sixth. Hughson surrendered only four hits in 5 plus innings but was down 4-2 when he hit the showers. Dick Newsome tossed an impressive 4 innings out of the pen for the '41 Red Sox, but he couldn't escape the wrath of Yastrzemski as Carl finished up his perfect 4-4 day by wrapping one of his offerings around the Pesky Pole for his third homer of the day.

The '41 squad's version of the "Bash Brothers" were at it again with Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx gifting fans with souvenirs. However, their damage was mitigated due to the fact that their dingers were of the solo variety. These were the only extra-base hits off Tiant. Williams tried early on for a double, but Fred Lynn pegged him attempting to stretch a single into a two-bagger.

This was a huge rebound for the heavily favored '78 team after a mistake-riddled Game 2. It would be in their best interests to try and end things in four games, setting up their ace Dennis Eckersley for a Game 1 ALCS start against either the '96 Cleveland Indians or '98 New York Yankees. The Yankees currently lead that ALDS 2-0.