The 1969 Mets clinched the National League Eastern Division on September 24th in a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. They had two more steps to take on their way to a championship. On October 6th, 1969, they took the first of those steps.

In the first year of divisional play, the Mets had to face the Braves, who had won the NL Western Division, in a best-of-five series for National League championship.

The Mets had pitched their way to a division crown, and figured to rely on the same formula going into the post season. The NLCS did not play out that way. The pitching-rich Mets hit their way to a pennant.

The Mets used a five-run eighth inning in game one to defeat Phil Niekro and the Braves. Tom Seaver threw seven innings for the win, posting an un-Seaver-like line of 7 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. J.C. Martin and Bud Harrelson led New York with two RBIs each, with five of the Mets’ nine runs coming as unearned runs.

In game two, Tommie Agee, Ken Boswell, and Cleon Jones hit home runs to bail out starter Jerry Koosman, whose line was 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Ron Taylor recorded the 11-6 win in relief, as the Mets took two in Atlanta and headed back to Shea Stadium with three chances to send the Braves home for the winter.

Gary Gentry made the start for the Mets in game three, and pitched just two innings, allowing two earned on five hits. Nolan Ryan was the pitching hero on this day, coming in for Gentry to start the third inning. Ryan, who was credited with the win, had a line of 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.

On offense, the Mets were led by Agee, Boswell, and Wayne Garrett, all of whom homered in the 7-4 victory. Boswell would end the day with three RBIs, while Agee and Garrett finished with two RBIs apiece.

The Mets, who the year before had lost 89 games, were on their way to the World Series. There was no MVP awarded for the NLCS until 1977, however, the MMO team will bestow a retrospective 1969 NLCS MVP award to Tommie Agee. For the series, Agee slashed .357/.438/.857 with a team-leading OPS of 1.295 and two home runs.

The Mets had one more hill to climb on their way to a title, but they were going to face the mighty Baltimore Orioles. The Mets’ pitching had faltered in the NLCS, there was no way they could beat the Orioles, right?