It’s one of the enduring memories of David Wright. Hitting a drive to deep center field, leaping several times as it drifted toward the warning track, and celebrating after it went beyond the reach of Johnny Damon.
As the ball landed near the wall, it brought in Paul Lo Duca and ensured a thrilling victory in one of the best games in the history of the Subway Series—a series that carried extra significance for the Mets as they enjoyed one of their best regular seasons in recent memory with the emergence of their new face of the franchise.
In the bottom of the ninth with two outs came a match-up of two of the biggest baseball figures in the city—Wright facing future Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera.
David got the better of the legendary Yankees closer, a feat accomplished by few.
But at first, the match-up didn’t appear even on paper: 31-year-old Geremi González, a right-hander who two weeks ago was at Class-AAA Norfolk after five unremarkable seasons with three teams, up against left-hander Randy Johnson—another pitcher bound for Cooperstown.
As might have been expected, González found early trouble against a potent batting order. All nine Yankees batted in the first. Five recorded hits. Four of them scored.
But Carlos Beltrán nearly got all of it back on his own. After José Reyes walked and Lo Duca singled to open the bottom of the inning, Beltran parked one over the left-field fence. Johnson, who uncharacteristically had an ERA close to 5.00, prolonged his struggle.
Robinson Canó added to the Yankee lead in the third with a sacrifice fly, but the Mets scratched their way back to even on the strength of another homer—this one a two-run shot by Xavier Nady.
The score remained tied, 6-6, heading into the ninth. The Mets’ closer, Billy Wagner, did his job—striking out the side—which now left it to the Yankees distinguished ninth-inning performer.
Tasked with facing the top of the Mets’ order, Rivera retired Reyes. But Lo Doca doubled. Beltrán struck out swinging and with first base open, the Yanks had a decision: face Delgado or go after Wright.
The power hitting lefty was intentionally walked in favor of the 23-year-old third baseman.
On a 2-2 pitch, Rivera threw his patented cutter down in the strike zone. The Mets’ future captain delivered the signature moment in his young and bright career.
“To come through in the Subway Series, versus a team like the Yankees, it’s special,” Wright said. “You can say as much as you want that it’s just another game, but there was a lot more energy tonight.”
