This post is sponsored by Fox Sports 1. All opinions are our own.
The MLB Division Series, which will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, are set to start fairly soon and in order to get properly hyped for the postseason, we’re taking a look back at some of the best MLB playoff moments.
Today, we honor David Ortiz and his back to back walk-offs, in Game 4 and Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS.
There is a chance that we will never witness a MLB playoff series which was as dramatic as the 2004 ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees took a 3-0 series lead and a Yankees trip to the World Series seemed like a certainty. Game 4 did not look like it was going to go the Red Sox way, especially when Mariano Rivera entered the game in the 8th inning with the Yankees leading 4-3. However, the Red Sox managed to steal a run (thanks to the speed of Dave Roberts), and send the game into extra innings. Ortiz stepped to the plate in the 12th inning with Manny Ramirez on first base and launched a walk-off home run to right field winning the game. The crowd reaction at Fenway was one for the ages.
Just 16 hours later, Game 5 began and the Red Sox had a little bit of momentum on their side, but being down 3-1 in a series against the Yankees is a very large mountain to climb. The game would be a back and forth battle between the two rivals, with the Red Sox tying the game at 4 in the 8th inning. In the bottom of the 14th inning, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez were both walked and that set the stage for Big Papi to do his thing for the second night in a row. Ortiz proceeded to hit a walk-off single to lead the Red Sox to victory sparking the famous “Who’s your Papi?” chant by the Fenway faithful.
