On October 27, 1986, the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox to win their second world championship. They were coming off a dramatic win in Game Six, as recapped here.

Most Mets fans are well aware of how things went down on those two October nights in Queens. I am among the lucky, in that I was able to attend both of those games. I’d like to share the emotional rollercoaster of emotions that took place during those 48 hours.

Game Six

I had a good feeling going into Game Six, as the Mets had rebounded to win two of three on the road to keep the series going, and were headed home where they had an advantage all year, posting a 55-26 record at Shea.

Here are a few things that stand out about game six. First, the skydiver (Michael Sergio) who literally dropped in during the first inning. The reaction in the Mets dugout (after Sergio was apprehended) wasn’t one of disgust (as one might expect). Rather, Ron Darling and Mel Stottlemyre (among others) were seemingly amused. As a nervous fan, I was not amused, and couldn’t wait to get the game going again.

Bob Ojeda yielded single runs in the first and second innings, and those confident feelings quickly dissipated. The Mets were held silent by Roger Clemens through four innings, and the anxiety began to skyrocket. The Mets finally tied the game in the fifth, setting up the bizarre events to come.

When Ray Knight committed an error that led to an unearned Red Sox run in the seventh, things became very uncomfortable. It was getting late, and the possibility that the dream season would end in unfulfilling fashion was becoming very real. But the Mets always found a way, that’s what I kept telling myself. The bottom of the eighth came, and the Mets were down to six outs.

Lee Mazzilli (who was a very valuable piece during the postseason and a great pickup by Frank Cashen) began the inning with a single. Later in the inning, the Red Sox walked Keith Hernandez to load the bases, bringing up Gary Carter with one out. “The Kid”, a proud player, clearly wanted to make the Sox pay. I was panicked that he’d expand the zone, and either strike out or worse, hit into a double play.

Carter worked Calvin Schiraldi to a 3-0 count. Davey Johnson, showing trust in his veteran catcher, gave Carter the green light. Carter hit a rocket directly to Jim Rice in left field. I only wish the exit velocity was available on that one. If Carter had gotten under that ball just a little, it would have been a grand slam. The Mets had to settle for a sacrifice fly and tie game. The play at the plate was not really close, but I remember being a bit spooked that Mazzilli did not slide, as Rice’s throw home made it on the fly (through a little late and slightly up the third base line).

The tension grew as the game went to the bottom of the ninth. The Mets got the first two runners on, and it just felt like a walk-off was coming. They could score off Schiraldi here, right? They didn’t. We all know that a blown situation like this can turn the momentum. This one did (for a brief time).

Rick Aguilera, who had pitched a clean ninth, faced Dave Henderson to start the tenth. When Henderson homered, I was sure it was the end. Remember, Henderson had hit a key home run in game five of the ALCS when the Red Sox were on the brink of elimination.

Well, 1986 was going to be their Cinderella story. The same guy works the same magic in both post-season series. That was it. The Mets were done. The wrecking ball Mets were outmaneuvered by a fairy tale team from Boston. The additional run Boston scored in the tenth appeared to be window dressing.

The first two outs in the ninth seemed to confirm the theory above. When Carter singled, I was almost annoyed. Just end it. Please, let my mourning begin. However, the Mets had, as they say, a puncher’s chance.

Kevin Mitchell and Knight singled, and I still thought, even with a run in and the tying run on third with two outs, it was a big tease. Mookie Wilson was coming up, and he was a strikeout waiting to happen (72 in 381 official ABs during the season).

Bob Stanley was on the mound at this point. When he uncorked the wild pitch that allowed Mitchell to score, I remember yelling “slide” from my Loge seat as Mitchell streaked down the line. That play seemed to take five minutes. I had a vision of him being thrown out at the plate to end the game, the season, and the dream. But he crossed the plate easily. The emotion was one of relief. The Mets would live to fight another inning.

When the ball “got by Buckner”, I think I had nothing left. Sure, I was excited. Sure, I hugged people I knew and many I did not. But for me, the wild pitch was the pinnacle moment. To this day, I get greater chills at that point of game replays than at any other.

Being a Mets fan, even as the frenetic hugging was happening, I had one thought: “They still have to win tomorrow. They’re the Mets. Nothing is certain.”

Game Seven

On Sunday, October 26th, we made the drive down to Shea, only to be turned around because the game was postponed due to rain. This is unfair! I can’t take another day of waiting…

We left at 3 pm to make the hour drive for an 8 pm game on Monday, October 27th.  It had to be better waiting there than at home. At least there would be more people around to engage in nervous chatter.

The game started in a light mist. Right away, the Red Sox made it clear they did not have a hangover from game six. They scored three runs off Ron Darling, and led 3-0 in the third inning. Darling had a rough fourth inning, and was replaced by Sid Fernandez, who made it out of the inning unscathed.

Fernandez did provide a spark for the crowd, striking out four batters over the fifth and sixth inning. That’s fine, but the Mets were down to 12 outs and had just one hit off Bruce Hurst (who had kept them in check in games one and five) going into the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Lee Mazzilli stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter to try to get the Mets going.

Mazzilli singled, and after a Wilson single and a walk by Tim Teufel, Hernandez got in the box with the bases loaded in a role made for him. The Mets needed a quality at-bat, down 3-0. In my same Loge seat, I was worried about an inning-ending double play, but Hernandez singed in two runs and Shea was rocking. Even though they were still down a run, even the most pessimistic fans (I was among them) started to “feel it”.

The Mets tied the game, and in the seventh, took a three-run lead. All was good, or so it seemed. The Red Sox got to Roger McDowell for two runs in the top of the eighth, and they had the tying run at second with no outs. I was done. I left my seat, and transversed the Loge level, stopping at concession stands to watch every pitch. When Orosco got Don Baylor to ground out to end the inning, I returned to my seat, to the raucous laughter of my group at how the moment had gotten too big for me.

The Mets added two runs in the bottom of the eighth, with one coming on a Darryl Strawberry home run and the other on a hit by Orosco. Now, they needed three more outs. I left my seat again, and sat on the filthy cement stairs. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone…

In the ninth, someone threw a smoke bomb on the field. Great, let’s break Jesse’s concentration, after all there’s nothing on the line here.

When Marty Barrett stepped to the plate with two outs, the fairy tale worm had turned from the night before. Barrett had tormented the Mets all series, and it was poetic justice that he made the last out.

The celebration was on. Collectively, Mets fans were talking dynasty. What would be good? Three championships in ten years, five, what’s the number? This is going to be great!

We know the Mets have not won a championship since that night, 35 years ago. If and when they do, cherish it, folks. It’s an Amazin’ feeling, but you never know how long it will be until it comes around again.

The post OTD 1986: “The Dream Has Come True” appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

10. Marathon in Oakland

Game 2 of the 1973 World Series against the A’s was (for 23 years) the longest played by time. It remains one of the craziest as well. This game lasted four hours and 13 minutes and featured a fair share of miscues on both sides. Even the umpires were prone to mistakes, none more famous than a missed call when Bud Harrelson tried to score on a fly ball to left field.

Fortunately for the Mets, they salvaged a split with a 10-7, 12-inning victory. The blinding sun did no favors to fielders trying to make otherwise routine plays. Not even Willie Mays, in his final appearance, was immune. The A’s Mike Andrews contributed two errors in the late stages, which led to him being forcibly dismissed by owner Charles O. Finley.

9. Subway Series Victory

After coming agonizingly close to beating the Yankees in the first two games in The Bronx, the Mets could claim a win once the series got back to Shea Stadium. The Yankees, as usual, didn’t make it easy.

The Mets rallied to tie it in the sixth on a Todd Zeile RBI double. Then, in the eighth, Zeile singled and Benny Agbayani drove him home with a go-ahead double. Bubba Trammell added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. John Franco earned the win and Armando Benítez closed the door, snapping the Yankees’ incredible 14-game World Series winning streak.

8. Carter’s Two Homers

The Mets evened the ’86 World Series with the Red Sox behind two home runs from their future Hall of Fame catcher, Gary Carter, who was making his first World Series appearance after 13 big-league seasons. The first blast came in the top of the fourth against Sox starter Al Nipper, and the second was a mammoth shot over the Green Monster on a curveball from reliever Steve Crawford.

Carter’s three RBIs and multi-homer game were the driving force behind the Mets’ 6-2 victory at Fenway Park.

“All I got on my mind is getting that World Series ring,” he said in the postgame interview. Carter was ensured he’d get that ring a few days later.

7. Wright Has the Power

He had spent 12 seasons waiting to make the Fall Classic. He had spent many months just hoping to be healthy. In his first World Series at-bat in New York (and the first World Series game at Citi Field) with a runner on base, David Wright sent a towering drive over the left-center field fence and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Wright’s classic swing put the Mets on top, 2-1. New York went on to capture their lone win of the series, 9-3, with Wright tacking on two more RBIs in the sixth with a single to center.

6. Dykstra Provides a Spark

Being down 2-0 in the series following a pair of losses at home, the Mets were in desperate need of a quick start in Boston. How’s a leadoff homer in the top of the first? Lenny Dykstra went deep against Red Sox starter Oil Can Boyd on the third pitch of the game.

Dykstra’s homer kicked off a four-run inning and helped swing the momentum in New York’s favor. Bob Ojeda took it from there, delivering a wonderful start against his former team as the Mets cruised to a 7-1 victory.

5. Seaver, Swoboda Save the Day

The Mets’ ace didn’t pitch like one in the 1969 World Series opener with the Orioles. He did on this afternoon, however, with New York holding a 2-1 series edge.

Tom Seaver went all 10 innings and allowed just a run on six hits. But he had some help. With the Mets up 1-0 in the ninth and runners on the corners, Brooks Robinson drove a sinking liner to right field. Ron Swoboda was not a great defender, but he was here. In fact, he made a catch that’s still unbelievable. His diving, backhanded grab before the ball touched the ground prevented the O’s from taking the lead.

The Mets won in the bottom of the 10th on a controversial error made on a J.C. Martin bunt, giving New York the chance to close it out at home.

4. Agee Takes Over

Is it possible for one player to win a game by himself? The Mets’ center fielder put that question to the test in the first World Series game at Shea Stadium.

Tommie Agee was known best for his glove, and he showcased that with two incredible catches. In the fourth inning with men on first and third, Agee made a backhanded running catch at the 396-foot mark on a ball off the bat of Elrod Hendricks. Then in the seventh, with the bases loaded and Nolan Ryan pitching, Agee dove by the warning track in right-center and hauled in a liner by Paul Blair.

Those two defensive gems overshadowed his leadoff home run against Jim Palmer. Agee saved five runs and created one for his own team in a 5-0 Mets victory.

3. “The Dream Has Come True”

The Mets were supposed to be World Series champions from the beginning of the 1986 season. They fulfilled that promise. The way in which they did it showed that for all their dominance, they had character and resolve when it mattered most.

For all the dramatics that played out in Game 6, the winner-take-all Game 7 was anything but a sure thing for New York. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held it into the sixth. That’s when the Mets’ offense finally got to Bruce Hurst. It loaded the bases for Keith Hernandez, who delivered the biggest hit of his career when he drove in two with a single to center. New York went on to score eight runs over the final three innings — including MVP Ray Knight‘s seventh-inning homer off Calvin Schiraldi and Darryl Strawberry‘s cherry-on-top blast in the eighth.

Jesse Orosco prevented the Red Sox from evening it in the top half of the inning, holding the tying run at second. He got the final three outs in order and initiated a celebration that was some six months in the waiting.

2. The Miracle is Complete

In April 1969, humans were hundreds of thousands of miles away from setting foot on the moon just as the Mets seemed far away from a World Series title. By October 15, both distances had been covered and both feats had been achieved.

With the Orioles up 3-0 and poised to take the series back to Baltimore, Cleon Jones was hit by a pitch (the famous “shoe polish” tactic from manager Gil Hodges). Donn Clendenon belted his third homer of the series to pull New York to within a run.

Al Weis, emblematic of the unlikely nature of the Mets’ unexpected success, delivered in the seventh with a game-tying home run — the only round-tripper he hit at Shea all year — to finish off a fabulous .455 batting average over the five games. Two doubles and two Oriole errors in the eighth led to a 5-3 Mets lead.

It was an advantage the Mets’ superb big-game pitcher would protect. Jerry Koosman allowed just one hit over the final six innings while his hitters mounted their comeback. The final out came off the bat of Davey Johnson and landed in the glove of Cleon Jones in left field.

1. Game 6

It’s been talked about, shown, and debated a million times over (at least). In film, in books, and in spoken word, October 25, 1986, is among the greatest days in the history of the universe for Mets fans and (for a while) among the worst for Red Sox fans.

Wally Backman and Hernandez flew out to start the bottom of the 10th with New York down two runs. It brought Boston within one out of its first title since 1918 and the Mets to within one out of their season being a colossal disappointment.

The rest is a sequence of events that remains unbelievable. A Gary Carter single, a Kevin Mitchell single, a Ray Knight single, a wild pitch by Bob Stanley, all leading up to Mookie Wilson‘s grounder.

The post The Top 10 Mets World Series Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets’ London hangover did not last for too long as they took Game 2 of the series in a big way.

Harrison Bader opened the game with a bang, sending a ball to the left field seats and giving the Mets an early 2-0 lead over the Marlins. While the Marlins evened things back up, a three-run second inning answer gave the Mets the lead for good. The Amazin’s piled on from there, resulting in a 10-4 win to get things back on track. Click here for a full game report.

The Mets sent left-hander Danny Young to Triple-A Syracuse after the game, per Tim Healey. This opens up a roster spot for Edwin Díaz.

The Mets look to take Game 3 of the series on Thursday at 7:10 ET as Luis Severino (4-2, 3.25 ERA) will go for the Mets and Roddery Muñoz (1-2, 5.95 ERA) will be on the mound for Miami.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

Young won Baseball Prospectus Pitch of the Day on Tuesday with his sweeper, which covered over 23″ of horizontal break and had an IVB of -4.9″.

Carlos Mendoza said that Díaz will be the Mets closer upon his return on Thursday, per Tim Healey of Newsday.

Christian Scott had a short but sweet start for Triple-A Syracuse: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The Mets are continuing to manage his workload. Click here for a full breakdown of his start.

Brett Baty tallied two hits in Triple-A Syracuse Tuesday.

McDonald’s mascot Grimace threw out the first pitch at Citi Field last night.

Grimace threw out the first pitch tonight at Citi Field 🟣 pic.twitter.com/9i9vEWpDxz

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 12, 2024

Drew Gilbert was named the Mets prospect with the best power-speed combo by MLB.com.

Latest MLB News

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired INF/OF Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, where they sent RHP Braydon Fisher to Toronto.

The Chicago Cubs signed Jorge López to a minor league deal, per Andy Martínez of Marquee Sports Network. López was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 30th.

The Chicago White Sox DFA’d left-handed relief pitcher Tim Hill.

Latest on MMO

Christian Scott looks to make his return to the big leagues.

The Mets defensive woes continue to be a thorn in their side.

Brett Baty continues to hit in Triple-A.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: R.A. Dickey throws a one-hitter in a 9-1 Mets victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Dickey also set a franchise record during the start, going 32 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. 

1988: Lee Mazzilli gives the Mets a win over the Cardinals with a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning. David Cone went 10 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and throwing 130 pitches. 

1986: Darryl Strawberry walks off the Pirates with an RBI single, avenging Jesse Orosco, who gave up two runs in the top of the ninth.

Birthdays: James McCann (34)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Option Danny Young to Make Room for Edwin Díaz appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Daryl Strawberry.

The Dodgers may be long gone from New York City, but the remnants of the franchise remain. Not only does the primary color, but also the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field as a tribute to Ebbet’s Field as well as the continuous memorials around the borough of Brooklyn. Two of the biggest markets in the country have been welcome attractions for many players.

Here are a few.

Duke Snider – Dodgers (1947-62), Mets (1963)

Known as the “Duke of Flatbush” while a member of the ever-popular Brooklyn team of the 1950s, Snider was one of few who probably didn’t mind the move west. Born in Los Angeles, he made his Hall of Fame career with Dodgers and was a part of the first two World Championships.

Injuries and the passage of time relegated Snider to part-time status by 1962. He came to the Mets and back to New York City for ’63, where he achieved his milestone 2,000th hit and 400th home run. Snider appeared in 129 games, slashing .243/.345/.401, with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. He was the team’s lone representative at that year’s All-Star Game.

Bobby Valentine – Dodgers (1969-72), Mets (1977-78)

Bobby V’s ties to the Dodgers go well beyond his playing days, which began in their farm system. A prized two-sport athlete, Valentine was managed in Triple-A by Tommy Lasorda—a relationship that lasted well into his days piloting the Mets. Bobby saw his career derailed by injuries, both in the minors and later with the California Angels, but he spent time in Queens as a player before returning as a coach in the 1980s and then as skipper beginning in 1996.

Almost 20 years prior, Valentine wed Mary Branca—the daughter of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher famous for giving up the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to Bobby Thomson.

Jesse Orosco.

Jesse Orosco – Mets (1979-87), Dodgers (1988, 2001-02)

No player took the mound more often than Jesse. And for all the uniforms he wore, he sported Mets’ colors the most. It’s also where he enjoyed his greatest successes, being at the center of the celebrations for the 1986 LCS and World Series triumphs. But by 1987, he’d worn out his welcome in New York.

Orosco was part of a trade that eventually landed him in Los Angeles. In his first year, with his new team facing his old team for the pennant, Jesse made appearances in the postseason at Shea Stadium. Once he practically toured the majors at the turn of the century, he came back to the Dodgers at age 44—and yet was three teams and two years away from retirement.

Darryl Strawberry – Mets (1983-90), Dodgers (1991-92)

He has the distinct honor of being on each of these three features, having been the only one to play for all four teams that occupied New York City. Strawberry’s run as a Met ended when he tried free agency and the hometown Dodgers offered enough money.

He returned to Shea on May 7, 1991—filled with plenty of cheers, boos, and “Darr-yl” chants. When he homered off Frank Viola to left-center, the mixed feelings continued. Darryl nearly carried the ’91 Dodgers into the playoffs but followed that up with a disappointing effort in ’92 and was soon gone.

No matter where Strawberry ended up for the remainder of his career, L.A., San Francisco, or the Bronx, he was always attached to the Mets.

Orel Hershiser – Dodgers (1983-94, 2000), Mets (1999)

After what Hershiser did to the Mets in the 1988 NLCS, the least he owed the franchise was some success in New York. It was at the tail end of his career, far from the inhuman dominance he displayed during the title-winning season of ’88, but his veteran presence played a key role in the Mets’ first postseason appearance since that playoff loss to Los Angeles 11 years prior.

Hershiser’s most notable effort in a Mets uniform came in Game 5 of the NLCS against Atlanta. Just about everyone pitched in this 15-inning epic, but Orel stood out by preventing the Braves from taking the lead in the fourth and fifth innings.

Mike Piazza. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Piazza – Dodgers (1992-98), Mets (1998-05)

Most take five hours to get from L.A. to New York. For Piazza, it took a whole week. His brief interlude in Florida aside, the greatest hitting catcher made his mark with these two clubs. His best statistical years might have been with the Dodgers, but Piazza will always be remembered as a Met.

If his Hall of Fame status and his retired number at Citi Field aren’t enough proof, it’s the postseason appearances, the World Series trip, and a number of unforgettable moments that made him a Big Apple baseball legend. Piazza’s Mets stats weren’t bad, either: a 136 OPS+ and 220 homers in six-and-a-half seasons.

Hideo Nomo – Dodgers (1995-98, 2002-04), Mets (1998)

He was a little bit of Ohtani—half of him, at least. Nomo was arguably the first player from Japan to really reach stardom in the major leagues. The starter for the 1995 All-Star game, Nomo never enjoyed the same success despite throwing two no-hitters (in 1996 and 2001).

His Dodger days were done when the team was ready to ship off players in the midst of ownership change. Nomo, after starting poorly, was on the list. His “tornado” delivery landed in New York, although he continued to struggle. Nomo made 17 appearances with an 87 ERA+ and a WHIP of 1.439.

Shawn Green – Dodgers (2000-04), Mets (2006-07)

On the Dodgers before the Mets and on the Blue Jays before both, Green’s third career stop would be his last. He was not nearly the same player who knocked out 40-plus homers three times. But when the Mets acquired him in August of ’06, he filled the role-player part very well.

Green played in just 34 games that year, yet he had a big part in one of that season’s most unforgettable moments in the opener of the Division Series against Los Angeles. Who’s the guy on the receiving end of this spectacular play? Just look below before he tags you out twice.

Paul Lo Duca – Dodgers (1998-04), Mets (2006-07)

After enjoying success with one former Dodger catcher, the Mets figured they’d get another. Much like Mike Piazza, Lo Duca opened his major-league career in L.A. He played sparingly until 2001, when emerged as a leader behind the plate as well as 25 homers and 95 RBIs at the plate. Much like Piazza, Lo Duca briefly went to the Marlins. Unlike Piazza, it was for more than a week (the whole 2005 season, in fact).

With the Mets, Lo Duca was one of many who provided a veteran presence. He was also a very steady bat between José Reyes and Carlos Beltrán. Of the star names that made up the 2006 division-winning club, Lo Duca might have been the most unsung (even if he was an All-Star himself).

The post Examining Former Dodgers And Mets Crossovers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It seemed like the baseball gods intended for the Mets to win it all and the Red Sox curse to continue. But the postscript to Game 6’s epic theater was anything but a formality.

Sunday rain let Boston manager John McNamara give Bruce Hurst the starting nod. Hurst proceeded to reinforce his credentials for series MVP — an award all but in possession before the Mets’ epic comeback two nights ago.

Ron Darling was unable to match the Sox’s red-hot hurler, allowing three early runs, so they called on their own lefty savior. Sid Fernandez never got a start in the ’86 World Series, but he had the most important pitching performance of the seven games. The Hawaiian lefty delivered 2.1 hitless innings and most importantly halted Red Sox momentum. Fernandez, in turn, energized the Shea Stadium crowd.

Hurst had limited the Mets to one hit before New York came to life in the sixth with singles from Lee Mazzilli and Mookie Wilson and a Tim Teufel walk. Keith Hernandez came up to the plate. He didn’t have to reach far into his memory to recall an eerily similar situation.

“I remember that well,” Hernandez said postgame, remarking on a two-run bases-loaded single in the sixth of the deciding game in the ’82 Fall Classic as his Cardinals prevailed over the Brewers. Just like he did four years earlier, Hernandez delivered. A hit to left-center sent home Mazzilli and Wilson and sent Shea into a frenzy.

“I had swung the bat great all series,” he said. “I told [my brother] this morning ‘If I get up with men on base tonight, I’m going to be the man.’”

On the next pitch, Gary Carter lofted a fly ball to right field. It landed in front of a diving Dwight Evans — allowing pinch-runner Wally Backman to score the run that tied it at three. The Mets’ charge steamed forward in the seventh. Ray Knight had his MVP moment leading off with a homer to left-center against Calvin Schiraldi.

New York scored twice more — so did Boston. But Darryl Strawberry’s home run to start in the bottom of the eighth, followed by another run and then Jesse Orosco’s three up, three down ninth ensured Saturday’s dramatics were more a catalyst than a footnote.

In winning 8–5, the Mets did what they were supposed to do from the outset. But the method by which they did it showed that for all their dominance, they had character and resolve when it mattered most.

The post OTD 1986: Mets Win Second World Series Title appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Game 6 of the 1986 World Series resonates strongly with Mets fans. Even with its dramatic ending and what it meant for its fortunes, that may not even be the best postseason game the franchise ever played. It may not even be the best Game 6 of that remarkable October of ’86 if you ask some.

The contest that put the Mets into the Fall Classic that year speaks more to the team’s resilience than the dominance they showed during the regular season. If they didn’t persevere and ultimately prevail, they may not have gone as far as the World Series—much less win it.

For all the confidence and swagger the ’86 Mets retained, not to mention a three-games-to-two lead in the NLCS, Houston Astros ace Mike Scott humbled them to a point of near resignation. The pitcher who dominated New York in Games 1 and 4 and was scheduled to go in the seventh—should it get that far. It was the kind of fear this team had not faced all year.

Game 6 was a must-win in just about every sense without being a must-win in the literal sense.

The specter of facing Scott grew larger as Bob Knepper, the Astros starter this afternoon, briskly set down New York bats over eight innings. The three runs Houston’s offense put up in the first was the total output it had going into the top of the ninth.

Knepper’s attempt to close the Mets out quickly went awry. Lenny Dykstra led off by muscling a triple beyond the reach of center fielder Billy Hatcher. Mookie Wilson singled barely over second baseman Bill Doran’s mitt. Keith Hernandez then delivered a one-out double to force Knepper’s exit.

Reliever Dave Smith allowed two walks before Ray Knight’s game-tying sacrifice fly. The tension level was raised as New Yorkers delayed commutes home to not miss the outcome.

After Roger McDowell remarkably pitched five shutout innings in relief, Wally Backman singled and drove in Darryl Strawberry in the top of the fourteenth. Any World Series plans New York conjured up were spoiled by Hatcher. He towered Orosco’s offering deep down the left-field line and into the screen, substituting as a foul pole.

New York, though, retained as much resilience as its opponent—not letting that back-breaking moment serve as the momentum to carry Houston into tomorrow.

Knight’s opposite-field hit in the top of the sixteenth scored Strawberry. Two insurance runs came across, which turned out to be invaluable security as the Astros once more tried desperately to stave off defeat.

They answered with two runs and put two on with two outs and Kevin Bass coming up. Orosco’s heater receded to batting practice effectiveness. Hernandez approached the left-hander, now on fumes, at the mound. As the story goes, he said something to the effect of “throw another fastball, and I’ll knock you out.”

Orosco ran the count full before getting Bass to swing and miss on a 3-2 breaking ball.

The Mets finally extinguished the Astros’ competitive fire and exhausted their last-gasp try while simultaneously exhausting themselves—but not enough to prevent alcohol, drug, and food fight-fueled rager on the plane ride home.

Little did they know how much more October drama was still to come.

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There were two themes to Mets’ regular season of 1986. Total dominance was one. The National League East was all but secured by early summer. They held a vice-grip-like 13-game lead, and had the skipper of the defending NL champs, the Cards’ Whitey Herzog, waving the white flag in surrender. They didn’t just beat the opposition, they beat them down. Which gets us to the other theme.

“We enjoy a fight,” manager Davey Johnson said. “If that’s what it takes, we’ll fight every time.”

The Mets didn’t fight all the time, but it seemed like it. They engaged in multiple on-field skirmishes (and a notable one off-the-field in Houston). But none was wilder than the one on a July evening in Cincinnati. And, as it turned out, no regular-season was crazier, either. Here’s a rundown of the zaniness:

• Reds right fielder Dave Parker was a great hitter and sported a cannon for an arm. But without his costly miscue with two outs in the ninth, there would have been little drama to speak of. His dropped fly ball off the bat of Keith Hernandez spoiled the save chances of future Met John Franco.
• Reds player/manager Pete Rose sends up a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the tenth: himself. Rose tallies one of the final hits of his career. Eric Davis comes into pinch-run for Pete and is in for quite the adventure on the basepaths.
• Shortly after comes the main event, which goes on for about 16 minutes (longer than many title bouts actually). Davis found out the hard way that messing with a former Golden Gloves boxer like Ray Knight was a bad strategy. Those engaging with Kevin Mitchell were in for a rude awakening, too.

• The ejections of Knight, Mitchell, and (earlier) Darryl Strawberry because of a disputed strike call in the sixth left Davey Johnson with too few position players. Gary Carter moved from catcher to third base, Ed Hearn went in behind the plate, and relief pitchers Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco were shuttled between the mound and right field, depending on who was batting.
• Hernandez showed his defensive brilliance and on-field intelligence in the 12th. With runners on first and second, in a clear bunting situation, he charges toward the plate as an inexperienced pitcher attempts to lay down a sacrifice.

• The tie is finally broken thanks to Howard Johnson in the top of the 14th with a three-run homer to right field.
• McDowell is summoned from the outfield to get the save, which he does—putting a punctuation mark on this bizarre evening.

The Mets won eight of their 12 matches, but this felt like five wins in one.

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He left New York after the 1987 season having tallied 107 saves and posting a 2.73 ERA to continue a remarkable baseball journey. Setting a major league record for appearances, he would pitch for eight more teams over the next 16 years. Ironically, his last MLB appearance came with the Twins in 2003.

Koosman would once again reach the 20-win plateau in his debut season with Minnesota before wrapping up his 19 years with the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies — collecting 222 wins in all. But his career is always defined by his accomplishments as a Met, underscored by the team retiring his No. 36 in August.

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How ironic, right?

The Mets and Reds had a strange game on Monday night in Cincinnati, just days short of the anniversary of one of most unusual games in New York Mets’ franchise history, July 22, 1986.

Let’s set the stage as we take a look back at the game played in Riverfront Stadium 36 years ago today. The Mets were having an epic season, entering the contest with a 60-28 record, in first place, eleven and one-half games ahead of the second-place Montreal Expos. The game started innocently enough, when Bob Ojeda took the mound for New York, opposed by Scott Terry of player/manager Pete Rose‘s Reds.

As was the case for many games in the 1986 season, the Mets seemed to be sleep-walking through the early innings. Dave Parker belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to put the Reds up 2-0. The Mets got one back on a Lenny Dykstra triple in the top of the fifth inning. A Buddy Bell home run in the bottom of the fifth made it 3-1 Reds, and it stayed that way until the ninth inning. Then, things got weird.

Ron Robinson came on to pitch the ninth for the Reds. Howard Johnson reached first base on a passed ball on strike three. However, Mookie Wilson grounded into a double play, and it seemed that the Mets were headed for a loss. Dykstra walked and Tim Teufel followed with a double. The Mets had runners on second and third, two outs, with Keith Hernandez digging in against future Met, John Franco, who relieved Robinson.

Hernandez hit a routine fly ball to right field, to the normally sure-handed Parker. The three-time gold glove outfielder dropped the ball, allowing the tying runs to score. That was just the tip of the iceberg of strangeness that would play out until the game was decided in the 14th inning.

Jesse Orosco entered the game to pitch the bottom of the tenth inning with the score still tied at three. Rose put himself up as a pinch hitter with one out in the tenth inning and singled, the last pinch hit of his career. He promptly took himself out of the game, sending in Eric Davis as a pinch runner. This turned out to be the equivalent of a boxer entering the ring.

Davis stole second and third base. Upon his steal of third, he bumped into third baseman Ray Knight. The two exchanged words, prompting umpire Eric Gregg to restrain Davis to prevent an altercation. Gregg’s action did not deter a fight, rather it encouraged one. With Davis held back, Knight, the former Golden Gloves boxer, threw a punch that landed on Davis. The benches cleared, and the melee was underway.

In an article by Shane Tourtellotte in The Hardball Times, Knight said, “He looked me right in the eyes, and I felt threatened”. He added, “I had a real short fuse back then, and I unloaded on him.”

For his role in the brawl, Knight was ejected from the game, as was the Mets’ Kevin Mitchell. Darryl Strawberry had been ejected earlier in the game. The Mets once again proved they were tough guys, but the problem was they were now short on available players in a tie game. Complicating the matter was that in 1986, teams were using 24-man rosters as part of ongoing labor strife in MLB.

When the dust settled, the Mets had to figure out how to navigate the rest of the game. Manager Davey Johnson used the opportunity to get creative. As the game resumed with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, Johnson put catcher Ed Hearn in the game, and moved starting receiver Gary Carter to third base. Johnson did not have a position player to put in right field, so he put Orosco there and brought Roger McDowell in to pitch.

McDowell got the third out of the tenth inning, and the Mets did not score in their half of the eleventh inning. McDowell pitched the bottom of the eleventh, until lefty-hitting Will Venable came up with two outs and a runner on second base. Johnson brought his right fielder, Orosco, in to pitch to Venable. Orosco was given eight warmup pitches as is customary, prompting Rose to challenge if this was legal, because Orosco was already in the game. The cameras panned to Rose reading the rule book in the dugout. Rose played the rest of the game under protest.

In the bottom of the twelfth inning, with Orosco pitching and McDowell in the outfield, Johnson moved McDowell away from the hitter’s pull side as left-handers and right-handers came up. With two outs and a runner on second, a ball was hit to McDowell in left-center field, but Dykstra raced to rescue, grabbing the ball in front of McDowell. Since the bottom of the tenth inning when Orosco had gone to the outfield, no Mets pitcher had to field a batted ball.

In the bottom of the thirteenth, that changed. It was Orosco in right field, who had to make a play on a ball hit by Tony Perez. From Tourtellotte’s article, Orosco said, “I squeezed it so hard, the stuffing could have come out.” Orosco made the play, and the game proceeded to the 14th inning, when the Mets put up three runs and held on for a 6-3 win.

Maybe there’s something about the Mets playing in Cincinnati in July. A 15-11 win in 2021, a game with a brawl and pitchers playing the outfield in 1986.

Maybe the schedule maker will put the Mets in Cincinnati in July of 2022. Who knows what may happen next.

The post OTD 1986: Mets And Reds Play A Bizarre Game In Cincinnati appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“Losing,” Ray Knight said following his walk-off home run against Houston, “is a word we don’t think of.” It was rarely needed in 1986. And whenever these Mets were on the precipice of defeat, it was a mistake to count them out. 

Such was the case on July 3 at Shea Stadium, even when Phil Garner muscled a home run off Jesse Orosco to give the Astros a two-run tenth-inning lead and put New York’s six-game winning streak in jeopardy. 

Down 5-3. Bottom of the tenth. Sound familiar? Oh yeah, and the Mets rallied here too — defeating their future NLCS opponent just like they did to the Red Sox as well that October. 

Darryl Strawberry provided the critical hit. After a leadoff walk by Lenny Dykstra, New York’s uber-talented outfielder lifted a Frank DiPino pitch over the 410-foot mark in straightaway center. 

It wasn’t the least bit surprising to see Darryl go deep. He delivered 27 homers during the season and earlier hammered a Jim Deshaies offering to deep right field in the fifth to tie it at three. It wasn’t a shock to see him hit two in a game, a feat had accomplished 10 times since 1983. It was surprising at the time, however, that both came against a left-hander — considering he hadn’t hit one off a southpaw up to that night. 

Two outs later, the batter was Knight — trying to shake an 0-fer of his own. The veteran third baseman’s stat line was unsightly: four times up, four strikeouts. But Knight gladly traded in his symbolic “golden sombrero” for heroes’ laurels with just one swing. 

His first fair ball of the evening was a no-doubter when it left the bat. Knight gave it a somewhat dismissive wave as his ninth home run of the year headed into the empty bleachers, vacated because of the post-game fireworks to come.

”Things looked bleak,” Knight said to The New York Times. “Then Darryl hits a home run and I hit a home run. It felt good, especially after not making much contact over the course of the night.”

New York had notched its seventh straight — its 53rd win in 74 games. Meanwhile, the Astros got an early taste of the Mets’ postseason magic.

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