Talk about a flying start. Mets bats slugged what was an Opening Day record six home runs against the Expos, the most prodigious coming from Darryl Strawberry — challenging the confines of Olympic Stadium.
Strawberry went deep twice. So did fellow outfielder Kevin McReynolds. Kevin Elster and Lenny Dykstra supplied the rest of the power in a 10-6 win. Dwight Gooden didn’t pitch his best, but he didn’t need to. Doc lasted five innings to claim the first of 18 victories.
New York’s talented, and still young, right fielder started his best major league season in style. Strawberry led off the top of the second against Dennis Martinez for his third Opening Day home run in five years. This one was a pedestrian 400-foot hit compared to what would come later.
In the seventh inning with the Mets now ahead by three, Darryl sent Randy St. Claire‘s pitch out of the yard — almost literally. The mammoth blast hit the top of the stadium and might have cleared customs if not for the roof.
”It was the longest home run I ever saw,” said Mets manager Davey Johnson, who played alongside Hank Aaron and Sadaharu Oh.
“I didn’t see where the ball hit,” Strawberry said. “So, I stopped running. I thought it was a ground-rule double. But the guys in the dugout couldn’t believe where it went.”
Before anybody could catch their breath, McReynolds went out to left field for his second of the afternoon. The last of the Mets’ six homers finished the scoring — mercifully so for Montreal pitchers.
Strawberry and McReynolds carried the offense the same way they would do for the duration of the season. The pair combined to go 8-for-9 at the plate. Strawberry complimented his moonshots with two singles and a walk while McReynolds added two singles including an RBI hit to break a 1-1 tie in the top of the third.
The barrage was a welcome sight for Gooden. Over five innings he allowed 11 hits, the most he had surrendered in 125 big-league starts. Montreal went on top in the bottom of the first with an RBI hit from former Met Hubie Brooks. After New York countered to take the lead on the strength of Strawberry and McReynolds, Elster added to the advantage with a fourth-inning home run.
The Expos rallied to tie Gooden in the fifth, but it would be of little consequence as New York’s lineup remained red hot.
Dykstra came up with two on and two out in the sixth and delivered a tie-breaking three-run homer. The Mets were up 7-4 and ahead for good.
New York would go on to win 12 of 18 against Montreal in ’88 en route to 100 victories in all and their second NL East title in three seasons.
