1978 American League East tie-breaker game
Fenway Park, the host of the 1978 American League East tie-breaker game
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| Teams | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 2, 1978 |
| Venue | Fenway Park |
| City | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Umpires | |
| Attendance | 32,925 |
The 1978 American League East tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1978 regular season, played between the rival New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to determine the winner of the American League's (AL) East Division. The game was played at Fenway Park in Boston, on October 2, 1978. The tie-breaker was necessitated after the Yankees and Red Sox finished the season tied for first place in the AL East with identical 99–63 records. The Red Sox were the home team by virtue of a coin toss. In baseball statistics, the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game for both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.
Ron Guidry started for the Yankees, while Mike Torrez started for the Red Sox. The Yankees fell behind 2–0, with a home run by Carl Yastrzemski and a run batted in single by Jim Rice. The Yankees took the lead on a three run home run by Bucky Dent. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 5–4, with Guidry getting the win, while Goose Gossage recorded a save. With the victory, the Yankees clinched the AL East championship, en route to winning the 1978 World Series. As of 2016[update], the '78 Yankees remain the last team to have won the World Series after playing a tiebreaker.
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