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Can we stop with 2004 Red Sox comparisons every time a team goes down 0-3?

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2026 postseason run ended with a sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, falling three games to none after failing to overcome the deficit. While the 2004 Boston Red Sox remain the only team in MLB history to rally from a 0-3 hole in a best-of-seven series, comparisons to that legendary team have become a tired trope in modern baseball discourse.

Even when teams like the 2023 Yankees or 2022 Astros invoked the 2004 narrative—such as Aaron Boone flashing ESPN’s *Four Days in October* highlights to motivate his squad—they often fell short, reinforcing the idea that the Red Sox’s feat stands alone. Only the 2020 Houston Astros came close to matching the comeback, forcing a Game 7 before losing to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who led the 2016 World Series-winning team, avoided the overused references entirely during the 2026 NLCS, letting the Brewers’ sweep stand on its own rather than drawing unnecessary parallels to Boston’s historic October. The trend of invoking 2004 at every 0-3 moment risks diluting the significance of what remains baseball’s most improbable postseason turnaround.

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