<P> On September 16 the Yankees held a ​ 3 ⁄ game lead over the Red Sox, but the Sox won 11 of their next 13 games and by the final day of the season, the Yankees' magic number to win the division was one--with a win over Cleveland or a Boston loss to the Toronto Blue Jays clinching the division . However, New York lost 9--2 and Boston won 5--0, forcing a one - game playoff to be held at Fenway Park on Monday, October 2 . </P> <P> The most remembered moment from the game was Bucky Dent's 7th inning three - run home run in off Mike Torrez just over the Green Monster, giving the Yankees their first lead . The dejected Boston manager, Don Zimmer, gave Mr. Dent a new middle name which lives on in Boston sports lore to this day, uttering three words as the ball sailed over the left - field wall: "Bucky F * * king Dent!" Reggie Jackson provided a solo home run in the 8th that proved to be the difference in the Yankees' 5--4 win, which ended with Yastrzemski popping out to Graig Nettles in foul territory with Rick Burleson representing the tying run at third . Although Dent became a Red Sox demon, the Red Sox would get retribution in 1990 when the Yankees fired Dent as their manager during a series at Fenway Park . </P> <P> Carl Yastrzemski retired after the 1983 season, during which the Red Sox finished sixth in the seven - team AL East, posting their worst record since 1966 . </P> <P> However, in 1986, it appeared that the team's fortunes were about to change . The offense had remained strong with Jim Rice, Dwight Evans, Don Baylor and Wade Boggs . Roger Clemens led the pitching staff, going 24--4 with a 2.48 ERA, and had a 20 - strikeout game to win both the American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards . Clemens became the first starting pitcher to win both awards since Vida Blue in 1971 . Despite spending a month and a half on the disabled list in the middle of the season, left - hander Bruce Hurst went 13 - 8, striking out 167 and pitching four shutout games . Boston sportswriters that season compared Clemens and Hurst to Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax from the 1960s Los Angeles Dodgers . </P>

Who did the red sox play when they won the world series