The 2016 New York Mets made an exciting run at a wildcard spot in the final six weeks of the season. On September 22, 2016, they had their most thrilling win of that run, when Asdrubal Cabrera won the game with a walk-off home run against the Phillies and celebrated with an epic bat flip.
Setting the scene, the Mets were 80-72 and in second place in the National League’s eastern division going into the game, nine games behind the division-leading Washington Nationals. However, the Mets were streaking toward a wildcard entry into the postseason and were in a three-way battle with the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals for two spots.
The Mets had just been swept three games at Citi Field by the last-place Atlanta Braves, including a game-ending, walk-off home run-robbing catch by Ender Inciarte off the bat of Yoenis Cespedes. Needless to say, the Mets were in desperate need of a win.
Seth Lugo made the start for New York against Philadelphia’s Adam Morgan. The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Curtis Granderson clubbed a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, scoring T.J. Rivera, who had singled. Roman Quinn drove in Cesar Hernandez in the top of the fourth inning to shave the Mets’ lead to 2-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, with Lugo still on the mound, Ryan Howard and Cameron Rupp homered, providing the Phillies with a 3-2 lead. Cespedes promptly tied the game with a single in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Ty Kelly, who had walked.
Things looked good for the orange and blue in the bottom of the seventh when Cespedes struck again, driving in Jose Reyes with a double and putting the Mets in the lead at 4-3. That lead did not last long, however, as Addison Reed surrendered a three-run home run to Met-killer Maikel Franco in the top of the eighth. The Phillies led 6-4 going into the Mets’ half of the eighth, but the fun was just beginning.
The score held at 6-4 when New York came to bat for its final turn in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brandon Nimmo singled to lead off, but Jay Bruce struck out. Reyes stepped to the plate against Jeanmar Gomez and drilled a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for a game-tying, two-run home run. The Mets had new life as the game moved to extra innings.
Neither team scored in the tenth inning, and when the game moved to the eleventh, Jeurys Familia began his second inning of work. A.J. Ellis drove in a run with a single, then Maikel Franco walked with the bases loaded off Jim Henderson. The guys from Broad Street had an 8-6 lead as the Mets prepared to bat in the bottom of the frame.
Nimmo grounded out. Michael Conforto walked and Reyes singled. Cabrera strode to the plate as the winning run, and win the game he did. Cabrera hit a 1-0 pitch from Edubay Ramos over the right field fence, flipped his bat, and raised his arms in joy, and the Mets had a much-needed and exhilarating victory. You can see the home run and bat flip, that became the pose for a bobblehead in 2017, in the video below.
What a game, what a win! On a personal note, I was at the airport in Minneapolis waiting on a flight to New York when the game started, and on my couch when it ended, four hours and 23 minutes later. The emotional swings in this important game were significant. The Phillies did not care for Cabrera’s exuberance and expressed their displeasure by throwing behind him in 2017.
The 2016 season ended abruptly in the wildcard game when the Giants beat the Mets at Citi Field. However, the Mets, coming off a 2015 World Series appearance, gave us a nice ride over the last 40 games of the season.
