1986 ALCS recap

Hoping to celebrate their 25th anniversary with their first World Series appearance, owner Gene Autry's Angels split the first two games in Boston and then took command of the ALCS by winning the next two games back home in Anaheim. In Game 5, the Angels took a three-run lead into the top of the ninth. It appeared that a dream was about to become reality.

Angels starter Mike Witt was hoping to go to the distance and take care of matters himself. He surrendered a leadoff single to Bill Buckner, got Jim Rice looking at strike three and then was taken deep by Don Baylor for a two-run homer that cut the Angels' lead to a run. Witt then got Dwight Evans to popup to third, so the home team was one out away.

Should Angels manager Gene Mauch -- who had spent a lifetime trying to manage a team into the World Series -- have stayed with his starter? Mauch brought in Gary Lucas, his big lefty reliever, to face left-handed-hitting Rich Gedman, the Red Sox's catcher. Lucas hit him with the first pitch. Had Lucas retired his batter, he would have celebrated a pennant on the mound and spared what happened next.

Donnie Moore, a journeyman right-handed reliever with his fifth club, and a former No. 3 overall pick by the Cubs back in 1973, came out of the bullpen for his biggest assignment to date. Dave Henderson had struck out in his last at-bat, against Witt. It was up to Moore to finish it off, and he had Henderson in a 2-2 count with fans holding their breath. Henderson fouled a grounder to the left, and then just got a piece of one that went back to the backstop. Red-jacketed personnel were ringing the sideline stands, ready to hold back gleeful fans. Henderson stepped back into the box, Moore looked in, and then Henderson called time and stepped back out.

Then it happened. Henderson -- who had a two-run homer go off his glove earlier as a defensive replacement -- atoned by launching what broadcaster Al Michaels called "one for the ages." Henderson went down for a forkball and pulled it a few rows into the seats in left-center, giving Boston a one-run lead.

After the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, Moore faced Henderson again in the 11th, and this time gave up a sacrifice fly. Boston won Game 5 by a 7-6 score, and then it was all Boston back at Fenway Park for Games 6 and 7. The Red Sox had a date with the Mets; the Angels would have to wait another 16 years for that first World Series appearance (a 2002 title)

Path to the ALCS: Boston (95-66) won the AL East by 5 1/2 games; California (92-70) won the AL West by five games

Managers: John McNamara, BOS; Gene Mauch, CAL

MVP: Marty Barrett