# 1988 Major League Baseball postseason

The 1988 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1988 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Boston Red Sox returned for the second time in three years, and the Oakland Athletics returned to the postseason for the first time since 1981. This was the first of three consecutive appearances for the Athletics.
In the National League, the New York Mets returned to the postseason for the second time in three years, and the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the postseason for the fourth and final time this decade. This was the last postseason appearance for the Mets until 1999.
The playoffs began on October 4, 1988, and concluded on October 20, 1988, with the Dodgers shocking the Athletics in five games in the 1988 World Series. The series was notable for injured Dodger Kirk Gibson's dramatic pinch-hit walk-off home run off Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley in Game 1. It was the second title in nine years for the Dodgers, and their sixth overall; as of 2024, they have won two World Series since.

## Playoff seeds

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

### American League

* Boston Red Sox – 89–73, AL East champions
* Oakland Athletics – 104–58, AL West champions

### National League

* New York Mets – 100–60, NL East champions
* Los Angeles Dodgers – 94–67, NL West champions

## Playoff bracket

| League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | World Series | World Series |
| East | Boston | 0 | | | |
| West | Oakland | 4 | | | |
| West | Oakland | 4 | AL | Oakland | 1 |
| | | | NL | Los Angeles | 4 |
| East | NY Mets | 3 | NL | Los Angeles | 4 |
| West | Los Angeles | 4 | | | |

## American League Championship Series
### Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics

Oakland won the series, 4–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
| 1 | October 5 | Oakland Athletics – 2, Boston Red Sox – 1 | Fenway Park | 2:55 | 34,104 |
| 2 | October 6 | Oakland Athletics – 4, Boston Red Sox – 3 | Fenway Park | 3:14 | 34,605 |
| 3 | October 8 | Boston Red Sox – 6, Oakland Athletics – 10 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 3:14 | 49,261 |
| 4 | October 9 | Boston Red Sox – 1, Oakland Athletics – 4 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 2:55 | 49,406 |
This was a rematch of the 1975 ALCS, which the Red Sox won in a sweep over the Athletics, ending their hopes for a fourth consecutive title. This time, Oakland would sweep Boston, and return to the World Series for the first time since 1974 (in the process denying a rematch of the 1916 World Series between the Red Sox and Dodgers).
Despite ending in a sweep, each game of the series was decided by four runs or less. Rick Honeycutt helped keep the Red Sox offense at bay in Game 1 as the Athletics narrowly prevailed. The Athletics won by one run again in Game 2, as in the top of the ninth, singles by Ron Hassey, Tony Phillips, and Walt Weiss scored Hassey to break a 3–3 tie and put the A's up for good. When the series moved to Oakland, the Athletics prevailed in a Game 3 slugfest, 10–6, to go up 3–0 in the series. Dave Stewart and ace closer Dennis Eckersley held the Red Sox to just one run in Game 4 as the Athletics completed the sweep and secured the pennant.
This was the first of three consecutive AL pennants won by the Athletics. The next year, they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in five games, and in 1990 they again defeated the Red Sox in a sweep, which would ultimately be their last during their time in Oakland, as the team would move to Las Vegas.
This was the first of four consecutive losses for the Red Sox in the ALCS. In 1990, they would be swept by the Athletics again, and in 1999 and 2003 they lost both to their archrival in the New York Yankees. It would be in 2004 that the Red Sox would finally win the pennant again.

## National League Championship Series
### Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets

Los Angeles won the series, 4–3.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
| 1 | October 4 | New York Mets – 3, Los Angeles Dodgers – 2 | Dodger Stadium | 2:45 | 55,582 |
| 2 | October 5 | New York Mets – 3, Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 3:10 | 55,780 |
| 3 | October 8 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 4, New York Mets – 8 | Shea Stadium | 3:44 | 44,672 |
| 4 | October 9 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 5, New York Mets – 4 (12) | Shea Stadium | 4:29 | 54,014 |
| 5 | October 10 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 7, New York Mets – 4 | Shea Stadium | 3:07 | 52,069 |
| 6 | October 11 | New York Mets – 5, Los Angeles Dodgers – 1 | Dodger Stadium | 3:16 | 55,885 |
| 7 | October 12 | New York Mets – 0, Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 2:51 | 55,693 |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Mets and Dodgers. The Dodgers upset the heavily favored Mets in seven games and returned to the World Series for the first time since 1981 (in the process denying a rematch of the 1973 World Series between the Mets and Athletics).
In Los Angeles, the first two games were split by both teams – the Mets overcame a 2–0 Dodgers lead in the top of the ninth to win by a 3–2 score in Game 1, and in Game 2, the Dodgers drove Mets' starting pitcher David Cone from the mound after scoring the game's first five runs, winning 6–3 to even the series. When the series moved to Queens for Game 3, the Mets overcame a late Dodgers lead with a five-run eighth inning to win and go up 2–1 in the series. The Dodgers prevailed in an ugly 12-inning Game 4 by one run thanks to a solo home run from Kirk Gibson to tie the series at two. The Dodgers fended off a late rally by the Mets in Game 5 to take a 3–2 series lead headed back to Los Angeles. The Mets won Game 6 by a 5–1 score thanks to a complete-game performance from Cone to force a seventh game. In Game 7, Orel Hershiser, despite being on three days rest, led the Dodgers to the pennant with a complete-game shutout, 6–0.
This was the first time that the Mets lost in the NLCS. The Mets returned to the NLCS in 1999, but lost to the Atlanta Braves in six games. This was the last time the Dodgers won the NL pennant until 2017, where they defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games before falling in the World Series.
The Mets and Dodgers would meet in the postseason again in the NLDS in 2006 and 2015, with the Mets winning both times. Both of them would eventually meet in the NLCS again in 2024, which the Dodgers won in six games en route to a World Series title.

## 1988 World Series
### Oakland Athletics (AL) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

Los Angeles won the series, 4–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
| 1 | October 15 | Oakland Athletics – 4, Los Angeles Dodgers – 5 | Dodger Stadium | 3:04 | 55,983 |
| 2 | October 16 | Oakland Athletics – 0, Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 | Dodger Stadium | 2:30 | 56,051 |
| 3 | October 18 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 1, Oakland Athletics – 2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 3:21 | 49,316 |
| 4 | October 19 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 4, Oakland Athletics – 3 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 3:05 | 49,317 |
| 5 | October 20 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 5, Oakland Athletics – 2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 2:51 | 49,317 |
The 1988 World Series was the second to feature two teams from California. It was also a rematch of the 1974 World Series, which the Athletics won in five games en route to a three-peat. This time, the Dodgers shocked the heavily-favored Athletics in five games to win their sixth championship in franchise history.
The series was notable for injured Dodger Kirk Gibson's dramatic pinch-hit walk-off home run off Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley in Game 1. Orel Hershiser pitched a three-hit complete-game shutout in Game 2 as the Dodgers blew out the Athletics, 6–0, to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Oakland. The Athletics would take Game 3 off a walk-off home run from Mark McGwire to avoid a sweep, but that would be their only win of the series. Dodgers' relief pitcher Jay Howell held off a late comeback by the Athletics in Game 4 to preserve a one-run Dodgers victory and take a commanding 3–1 series lead. In Game 5, the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead in the first inning and maintained it, thanks to stellar pitching from Hershiser, who pitched another complete game in a 5–2 Dodger victory. Hershiser got the final out by striking out Tony Phillips, as the Dodgers clinched the title in Oakland.
The Athletics would return to the World Series the very next year, and sweep the San Francisco Giants in another all-California matchup. This would be the last postseason appearance by the Dodgers until 1995. It would also be the last World Series appearance for the Dodgers until 2017, where they lost to the Houston Astros in seven games. The Dodgers’ next title would come in 2020, where they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

## Broadcasting

ABC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. NBC then aired the World Series.