1973 ALCS - Red Sox vs Royals

The American League playoff bracket was home to the underdogs as Boston wasn't the only unforeseen club to advance to the ALCS. The Kansas City Royals winning percentage in 1973 ranked them fourth overall, so they played hosts in the wildcard game defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-1. Incredibly, they proceeded to sweep the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in their  ALDS series sending them on a collision course with Boston.

Much like the ALDS, Boston was involved in some narrow victories in the ALCS. Four of the six games played in the series were decided by a one-run margin, so once again, there was little room for error. Boston managed to outlast the Royals in three of these contests which enabled them to win the series.

The ALCS opened at Fenway Park, and Boston treated the fans to a thrilling 3-2 extra innings walk-off victory. Reggie Smith's solo shot in the bottom of the tenth sent the sellout crowd home happy. Red Sox starter Bill Lee took a positive step forward surrendering 2 runs in 5.2 innings, but the story of Game One on the hill was the Sawx bullpen, tossing 4.1 shutout innings while allowing only 2 hits. Craig Skok picked up the win by blanking the Royals in the tenth, and Ray Culp and Bobby Bolin held the Kansas City bats at bay for the preceding 3.1 innings. Unfortunately for Boston, the bullpen was also the story in Game Two for the wrong reasons. Red Sox starter John Curtis left the game after 6 innings in line for a potential victory with Boston holding a 4-3 lead. The roof collapsed in the seventh as the Royals scored 3 runs off reliever Roger Moret, and Kansas City went on to take Game Two 7-4. John Mayberry was a one-man wrecking crew with a 4-5 performance at the dish clubbing 2 doubles and notching 3 RBI. Mayberry was now carrying a smoking .608 batting average at this point in the playoffs.

With the scene shifting to Kaufman Stadium, Boston made themselves right at home. "El Tiante" picked up where he left off in the ALDS spinning yet another gem in a 2-1 Red Sox victory. Tiant tossed 8.2 innings of one-run ball and Bobby Bolin nailed things down to pick up his second save of the playoffs. Boston then deflated the Royals in Game Four as the hosts roared back from a 6-3 to tie the game in the sixth inning. The Red Sox got the bats going in the seventh throwing two runs up on the board and pulling away for good. The Red Sox benefited from 4 homers with two coming off the bat of Carlton Fisk. Dwight Evans and Reggie Smith also went over and out for Boston. Kansas City salvaged one home game to stave off elimination with a 3-2 win in Game Five to force the series back to Boston. Paul Splittorff was dazzling in 7 innings holding the Boston offense to a pair of runs. Marty Pattin suffered his first loss of the playoffs, but he pitched well enough to keep the team in the game in his 6 innings of work. However, the Red Sox had no answers for the Kansas City bullpen as Gene Garber and Doug Bird each tossed shutout innings to wrap things up.

Game Six provided the third 3-2 score of the series with all victories going to the home team. Boston clinched the series and punched their ticket to the Fall Classic on the back of their bullpen. John Curtis was stellar through 6 innings, but would not factor into the decision for the second time in the series as Boston had to rally back from an early 2-0 deficit. Bobby Bolin picked up the win, and Roger Moret earned the save compensating for his egregious Game Two implosion. Royals' rookie Steve Busby was fantastic for 7 innings allowing only 2 runs, but Bruce Del Canton took the loss giving up a run in the eighth after centerfielder Amos Otis had a ball bounce over his glove on an Orlando Cepeda single allowing the game-clinching run to count. Otis had a gold glove game before that misplay making two tremendous diving catches to keep Kansas City in the game.