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The Red Sox rolled through the postseason en route to their ninth World Series title, knocking off the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers while losing just one game in each round. The championship run featured a bunch of unforgettable moments, so let's take a look back at the top 10.
10. J.D. Martinez opens the postseason with a bang
It didn't take long to get a feel for how J.D. Martinez would do in his first postseason with the Red Sox. In the first inning of Game 1 of the ALDS, Martinez blasted a three-run homer into the Monster seats to give the Red Sox an early lead and set the tone for the series. Boston went on to win the game, 5-4.
9. Brock Holt hits for the first cycle in postseason history
In Game 3 of the ALDS, the Red Sox handed the Yankees a 16-1 beatdown -- New York's worst postseason loss ever -- and Brock Holt made history. With a single, double and triple already to his name, Holt stepped up to the plate in the ninth and hit a home run down the right-field line to complete the first cycle in postseason history.
8. Andrew Benintendi’s diving catch to save Game 4 of the ALCS
Down two runs with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, the Astros were threatening to tie the series at two games apiece. All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman hit a sinking line drive to left field that would have at least tied the game had it dropped, but Andrew Benintendi came in to make a miraculous diving catch to save the game and give the Red Sox a commanding 3-1 series lead.
7. Mitch Moreland blasts a pinch-hit three-run homer in Game 4 of the World Series
Down 4-0 to the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series following a devastating 18-inning loss the night before, the Red Sox had been playing some uninspiring baseball. It looked as though the Dodgers were about to tie the series, until Mitch Moreland happened. With two on and two out, the pinch-hitting Moreland cut the lead to one with a clutch three-run homer halfway up the right field bleachers.
6. Chris Sale strikes out Manny Machado to end the World Series
In the ninth inning of Game 5, the Red Sox called upon their ace Chris Sale to close out the Dodgers. In a dominant display, Sale mowed through the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup, striking out longtime AL East rival Manny Machado to seal the Red Sox' World Series victory.
5. David Price dominates Astros, gets postseason monkey off his back
Though skeptics had questions about the Red Sox pitching entering the postseason, nobody faced more criticism than David Price. In Price’s 11 previous postseason starts, he had put up an 0-9 record and a 6.16 ERA. The storylines around Price all changed with Game 5 of the ALCS, though. Pitching on three days' rest, Price fanned nine Astros over six scoreless innings to lift the Red Sox to a series-clinching victory and punch their ticket to the World Series. Price would remain dominant in two starts and a relief appearance against the Dodgers, proving his Game 5 start was indeed a turning point and not just a fluke.
4. Nathan Eovaldi’s transcendent effort in extra innings of World Series Game 3
Up one run wth two on and two out in the seventh inning, Alex Cora turned to Eduardo Nunez to pinch hit for Rafael Devers. On the second pitch, Nunez took a breaking ball down and in and hit it over the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox three huge insurance runs and propelling them to an 8-4 Game 1 victory.
2. Jackie Bradley Jr.'s grand slam buries Astros in Game 3 of ALCS
Down 0-2 in the count in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS, Brock Holt let an inside pitch graze the top of his back foot, loading the bases for Mitch Moreland. On the first pitch, Moreland was also hit, giving the Red Sox a two-run lead and bringing up a bases-loaded opportunity for Jackie Bradley Jr. With a 1-1 count, Bradley took a fastball over the right field fence to break the game open for the Red Sox, giving them a commanding 8-2 lead in the game and ensuring they'd take a 2-1 lead in the series. It was one of three huge hits for Bradley in the ALCS and helped him earn series MVP honors.
1. Steve Pearce launches two home runs in World Series-clinching Game 5
When the Red Sox needed to put the World Series away, nobody was more important than Steve Pearce, who closed out the Dodgers with two home runs in the series-clinching Game 5. Pearce set the tone early with a two-run shot off Clayton Kershaw in the first inning, and came full circle with a solo shot in the eighth inning to finalize the score line at 5-1. Pearce’s two bombs in Game 5 -- along with a big home run and big double in Game 4 -- not only led the Sox to their fourth World Series title of the 21st century, but also helped earn the first baseman MVP honors.