The following teams qualified for the postseason: The East division champion held home field advantage for the third consecutive year in the ALCS.
Roger Clemens pitched seven solid innings as the Red Sox blew out the Angels again in Game 7 to secure the pennant.
This was also the last postseason appearance for the Angels until 2002, where they would finally break through and win the World Series over the San Francisco Giants in seven games.
This was the last time the Red Sox won the AL pennant until 2004, where they defeated their archrival in the New York Yankees in seven games after trailing 3–0 in the series.
Game 3 was an offensive duel which was won by the Mets, 6–5, as Lenny Dykstra hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Game 5 was an ugly and low-scoring 12-inning affair that was won by the Mets, 2–1, taking a 3–2 series lead headed back to Houston.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourteenth, when Wally Backman hit a go-ahead RBI single off Aurelio López to give the Mets a one-run lead.
In the bottom of the inning, the Mets were two outs away from securing the pennant, but Houston's Billy Hatcher hit a solo home run to tie the game.
In the bottom of the sixteenth, the Astros rallied once again when with one out, Davey Lopes drew a pinch-hit walk, followed by Bill Doran's single.
Davis followed with a single to centerfield that landed in front of a charging Dykstra, that brought home Doran to cut it to 7–6, moving Walling into scoring position.
The Mets returned to the NLCS in 1988, but were upset by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Game 6 was the most notable contest of the series, as the Mets rallied from a two run-deficit in the bottom of the tenth inning, despite having two outs and no one on base.
The Red Sox were twice one strike away from securing the championship, but failed to close out the inning as the Mets won off an error by Boston first baseman Bill Buckner to force a Game 7.
The Mets would return to the postseason in 1988 in hopes of winning another title, but were upset by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the NLCS.