Curt Schilling’s Game 6 start in the 2004 American League Championship Series sits right near the top of any Red Sox-Yankees playoff list for a reason. Boston had already climbed back from the brink, and with the season hanging by a thread, Schilling walked into Yankee Stadium on a damaged ankle and turned in one of the most unforgettable outings the rivalry has produced.
The backdrop was brutal. Schilling had hurt himself after a line drive hit his foot, and the injury showed up in Game 1 of the ALCS, when he was limited to three innings and tagged for six runs after suffering a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. By Game 6, doctors had sutured the injury in place, and the Red Sox needed him to hold up long enough to keep the comeback alive.
He did more than that.
In cold, windy conditions in a hostile Yankee Stadium, Schilling worked seven strong innings and gave up just one run. He fielded the ball only once, and the Yankees surprisingly never tried to bunt against him.
By the time he finished, the white sock had turned blood red. Boston took the game, 4-2, and Schilling was praised for what he had just pulled off.
The scale of it made sense then, and it still does now. Nobody knew what Schilling would have in that start, and even Red Sox management had questions.
Instead, he beat the expectations and then some, giving Boston the key win in the middle of its epic ALCS comeback. That performance helped swing the series toward the Red Sox and into the Yankees’ collapse, which culminated in Game 7, a 10-3 decimation of New York.
Schilling’s October work didn’t stop there. He also earned a World Series win, throwing six innings and striking out four.
But the Game 6 start against the Yankees remains the defining snapshot: a massive gamble, a serious health risk, and the bridge to history. The Red Sox used it as fuel to roll past the Cardinals and capture the organization’s first World Series since 1918.
In Other News...
Red Sox Have 3 Under The Radar October Roster Decisions
As the Red Sox sort through the last layer of their postseason puzzle, a few names that have not always sat at the center of the conversation are suddenly carrying real weight. Romy Gonzalez, Alec Gamboa and Jahmai Jones all bring different kinds of utility to a roster that has to account for injuries, matchup issues and the squeeze of October roster construction, and each has a path to becoming more than just a depth option if Boston needs the right specialist at the right time.
Gonzalez can help against left-handed pitching and give the club some cover at first base, while Gamboa has shown the kind of groundball-heavy relief work that can fit in a short series. Jones has also looked strong versus lefties since joining the Red Sox, which makes him another potentially useful piece if Boston wants to lean into matchups. The catch, of course, is that postseason benches are rarely roomy enough for everyone, and the Red Sox still have to decide which of these under-the-radar fits best into the October plan. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have Another Injury Concern Before Yankees Series
The Red Sox finally get a day off before opening their wild-card series against the Yankees, but the pause has come with more injury uncertainty attached to it. Garrett Crochet, Tyron Guerrero and Johan Oviedo are among the players dealing with issues, and the timing matters with the postseason about to begin and every available arm and bat carrying extra weight.
Mickey Gasper is also in the mix, though his status appears especially shaky heading into the series. He has been one of the more interesting small-payroll stories on the roster, with a 2026 season that compares favorably in some ways to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., including a higher home run total and more wins above replacement despite earning the minimum salary. For a Red Sox club trying to line up the right pieces for New York, the concern is not just who is hurt, but who is actually able to help. [Read more 🡒]
Tanner Houcks Red Sox Playoff Spot Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
The Red Soxs pitching picture tightened over the weekend, and not necessarily in the way they wanted. With Boston needing to trim its staff to 12 pitchers by Tuesday, the club shuffled arms around again, placing Tyron Guerrero on the injured list, recalling Wyatt Olds and activating Tanner Houck from the 60-day injured list. Houcks return was a notable development on its own, but his first game back did little to settle anything as the Red Sox continue sorting out who belongs in October.
The bigger question now is whether Houck has run out of time to make his case. Boston is expected to carry a postseason pitching group built around 12 other arms, and recent performance plus health concerns have put Houck on the outside of that projection for the moment. For a club trying to line up its best possible staff for a short October run, every outing and every roster decision carries extra weight, and Houcks path back into the picture suddenly looks much less secure. [Read more 🡒]