Mets 1986 - A Year to Remember

[Music] [Music] [Music] and I did it mirrors made you walk whatever but all that counts is that we won the ballgame my buddy was telling me he was gonna throw one in there one of these time [Applause] [Music] as I get to third base I make sure I hit the bag I look back on so I get by I have one theory and hearing and that is - and not passing out offering and that's what I did [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] for the 1986 New York Mets spring training began with thoughts of a championship after two seasons of near misses the Mets and manager Davey Johnson were well aware of what they had to do to change their fortunes and looking at the weaknesses of the ballclub one of them with some of our starting pitching last year when I came down and that series really only had four starters for about the last six weeks because of injuries so we felt we needed to go pick up another pitcher so our first conscious effort was made to get a left-handed pitcher now we made a list up went to Boston we secured Bob Ojeda the other thing I thought we needed a right-handed hitting infielder to be able to match with wally bachman we made a list of those people made the rounds and came up with Tim Tuffle together with their returning stars the midst offseason acquisitions gave st. Petersburg an air of optimism but the spring wasn't without its setbacks just stay where you are there break the grass break again Mookie Wilson Zion jury would keep him out of action for the first month of the season but the Mets were still confident that they would be the team to beat in the National League [Music] on April 14th the mitts open the season at home after going to and two on the road teams with championship aspirations aren't supposed to get off to Rocky starts and when the Mets played sloppily and lost the opener some people began to question the team's chances as a lot of the guys were pretty upset that we were two and three to start and all of a sudden what's wrong with us we'll never make it and I'm going to finish second again and they responded to it and they just wanted to go out there and won a few games and luckily we went on a winning streak the winning streak began with a sweep of the Phillies at home as the Mets began to show the rest of the National League just what they were capable of doing [Music] [Applause] strike outs for goodness he wins the second game in the the Mets were on a roll and their winning ways continued on April 21st they trailed the Pirates by two runs in the eighth when Ray Knight came up with something to prove that is the most crucial bat micro of my career I've never been higher for it bad I've never wanted to do better or more and want it bad Davey had pinch-hit for me the first night here against the Cardinals when a right-handed pitcher came in I said well this is this way it's gonna be I'm gonna be on Fortuna oh you better accept it so I look back over my shoulder when I was in the on-deck circle and I halfway expected him to pinch-hit for me the run on the first day and he winked at me and told me I was hitting and it was the most critical about in my career I know that Davey wanted to see what I was gonna do in that situation and I looked he hit a home run I was swinging home run and it's the first time in my career that I've ever wanted to hit a home owner tried to hit a home run him did [Music] [Applause] I've had some great thrills but nothing had ever compared to that singularly high involved looking back Davey Johnson later called Knights at bat one of the most critical of the regular season not only did it help the Mets win a ballgame but it reinforced Knights confidence as well then a few days later in st. Louis the Mets prepared to battle their arch rivals the Cardinals and hopefully avenge last season's bitter pennant race in the series first game Howard Johnson batted with the Mets down two runs in the ninth and turned in a performance justice critical is nice do it to the Howard Johnson Mets need a long ball they might have it oh my goodness so much but they I just kind of showed that the Cardinals that we were gonna be tough to beat you know in the previous year they'd handle is pretty good early in the season and we were showing them this year that we're gonna handle them we end up winning the ballgame and sweeping them four straight in st. Louis that was just a tremendous thing that we accomplished that no other team has really done and kind of broke you know burst their bubble a little bit got us going on right foot not running and the curve ball throw two fours we had to establish with with them that we could play with them and beat them and be in the next three games fairly handily and their season went downhill after that I think they had so much emotion in that series that after we beat them four straight I just eliminated them from being any kind of contention that's not to say that sweeping the Cardinals was easy in fact if not for wally backman it might never have happened [Applause] a magnificent play by wally backman in the series final game the newly acquired Bob Ojeda turned in his first nationally complete game as the Mets beat the cards 5 to 3 from there they went on to finish the month with 13 wins and a 5 game lead over the Expos by now it was obvious that the Mets were loaded not only were Johnsons established regulars doing the job but other new additions like Kevin Mitchell were contributing to fastball hit the center field Mitchell back to the fence he jumps and makes the play field and deep Mitchell back and he makes the catch Mitchell with a tough play right left third short that kid is something everyone while Mitchell gave the Mets added flexibility to other players gave the team its identity Lenny Dykstra and his fellow partner and grime wally backman led the team in dirty uniforms playing the game with a fierce determination that became contagious I think all good teams grind it out and I think it's a tribute to the character of a ballclub but to the heart of the ballclub certainly guys like Dykstra and Bachmann kind of typify that kind of all-out effort and whatever it takes to win they lead off the top of the order and they're both scruffy dirty hard-nosed petros type players and i think that's that's the time there was nothing the Mets dynamic duo wouldn't do for the good of the team and while their work ethic might have been Puritan their style was wild [Music] on the night of May 27th things got pretty wild for the rest of the Mets - especially ray Knight whose brawl with Dodger pitcher Tom needn't yer branded the Mets with a reputation they would live with for the rest of the season around the league opposing players and fans were infuriated with the Mets infatuation with playing hard and winning - qualities which catcher Gary Carter exhibited throughout the first half of the season as the Mets lead in the East continued to grow Carter set a pace which would ultimately result in his second straight 100 RBI season of course it was no surprise that star players like Carter were contributing but what made the Mets so tough early on was that everyone was contributing on the night of June 10th Tim Tuffle came off the bench to beat the Phillies in extra innings the situation was one out bases-loaded tie ballgame so that's a perfect situation for anybody who could lift the ball into the outfield that's all you need to do is get it far enough for a sacrifice fly they - or delivery - toughest Mogar that's the ball game into deep left field that ball is gone - a couple missing a grand slam home run women eat before tired dugout his help or Tilly tough old a grand slam home run as a pinch-hitter met winds were coming from everywhere and everyone but undoubtedly the most consistent part of the team in 86 was its pitching the Mets had four amazin starters two of whom threw the ball as hard as anyone in the league and to others who specialized in a pitch that was hard to hit [Applause] the surprise of the group was Ojeda who's 18 wins topped what came to be known as the best staff in the league it was very consistent to the whole season I mean he never really had too bad games in a row I can't hardly remember a bad game from maybe he had two all year but he has been as dominating a pitcher as a Dwight Gooden or Ron darling or Sid Fernandez [Applause] [Music] Dwight Gooden my mind has had a you know outstanding year some people have been disappointed in Dwight's you know performances but I certainly haven't I felt like he's giving us a very solid performance this year and Dwight has downplayed the strikeouts but as long as I know that he's trying to get the hitter out I haven't been disappointed him at all said was I think our toughest pitcher he won 12 games I think by all-star break and and really worked worked real hard to get to where he was to won the 12 games [Applause] here comes a kid Ranas is pitched outstanding baseball all year and zra has continually gone down I think from start to start in the second half as long as we win the game and we've won a great deal of his ballgames he feels real good I think the fact that the club wins the games that he starts and I think that's an outstanding stat that he has [Applause] [Music] [Applause] then there was the bullpen with its one-two punch of right-hander Roger McDowell and lefty Jesse Orosco we feel very fortunate we have two strong people like a Jesse Orosco and a Roger McDowell and a pin to go to in the clutch Jesse's thrown the ball very well much better I think than what people anticipated that he would throw it for us and Rogers had a you know he's had a great deal of success as far as coming in with the tie game and picking up a lot of victories they've really worked together as you know a great tandem there if one isn't hot the other one is and I think that's been the key to our success all year another key to the met success was McDowell's personality which was well let's say different the ultimate practical joker I've played with in my 12 years Rogers got a different mask a second half of the year he comes to the park around five different masks rubber spiders that sort of thing he's loose but he also dresses like he's from he went to Dartmouth a Harvard and he's always ass meticulous dresser and he's out in the mound shilling bubble Galen blowing bubbles is kind of like he's got two separate personalities if McDowell did have two separate personalities he sure wasn't alone not on the Mets hwadam a big role of matchbooks uncommon put on so I'm gonna shoot and light the match bug Iran of two minutes later guys shoot catches on fire hello this is Roger McDowell this is my assistant Howard Johnson Knight on this episode we'll introduce you to the wonderful world of parkland we also want to say one thing this is not for you kids out there to try this is done by experienced professionals [Music] we don't talk a lot while we're preparing serious business it's kind of like surgery [Music] surprises the company yes or the perpetrator yes the perpetrator II and we have gum in our mouths it's already being prepared quickly move quickly sometimes you we have to go underneath the big bench st. Louis is particularly good for that because the bench is up high and it's like crawling in the rice field yes the paddies that's amazing how's he doing how does he do it mirrors mirrors now you got it very good - [Music] let me show my way okay I take the gum right out of my mouth yeah I know it's gross it's a little gross and a little wet and sticky but if it you know it's your own gum it's no big deal they could give us a raise for this [Music] as a team the Mets were so hot that by the end of June Cardinal manager Whitey Herzog had already conceded them the division title and although it was just the beginning of the summer a magic number watch was already posted [Applause] [Music] when the July 4th Statue of Liberty celebration lit up New York the Mets kept in tune with the festivities [Music] on the night of July 3rd the met staged a remarkable comeback against the Houston Astros trailing by two runs in the bottom of the 10th Darryl Strawberry came up with one runner on [Applause] but the Mets didn't stop there as Ray Knight rebounded from an awful or strikeout Knight to win the game with one swing [Applause] [Music] [Applause] yep one seven in a row [Applause] unfortunately there was a downside to being so dominant other teams and fans seem to think that the Mets were arrogant and they're enthusiastic curtain calls offensive every good team that has a lot of success it's always in a pennant race there they are cocky a lot of things have been talked about that we're arrogant there were hot dogs and a lot of things but the fans demand the curtain calls and the players respond in kind to it the curtain calls and the standing ovations and things like that that's an emotional thing from the hometown fans of New York that's the only place I've played and I would you know I would love to finish my career here playing and winning in New York also had its advantages off the field suddenly the Mets were all over the place appearing in national commercials and even making the rounds on MTV with their top of the charts music video but despite their national celebrity the Mets really belong to New York [Music] [Applause] [Music] please [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] while the Mets love playing for the hometown fans at Shea one place they didn't care for was Houston especially in the second week of July when the Mets went into the dome and left town with three straight losses the Mets had entered the all-star break with a 13 game lead the largest since divisional play began in 1969 but after the break the Mets experienced frustration for the first time all season the situation then took a turn for the worse when four Mets were involved in an unfortunate incident with off-duty police at a popular Houston night spot the Mets couldn't get out of Houston soon enough and their fortunes improved in a bizarre game in Cincinnati thanks to a two-out gift in the top of the ninth [Applause] [Music] from then on the evening took an even stranger twist especially when Ray Knight engaged in his second altercation of the year and really caused some problems yeah kind of protested the ballgame because I didn't think of a fair for a guy to come off their bench and get in a fight with one of my regular players had already made a number of moves to get it back in the ballgame so I was I now only had seven everyday players so I had to put a picture in the outfield and so I used my two short men both of them are good athletes and also wanted to do it too because I had seen Whitey Herzog do it earlier in the year with a left-hander and Worrell and I thought it would be interesting to try interesting to try and interesting to watch as both McDowell and Orosco proved that they could do more than just pitch meanwhile there were other Mets playing out of position too like the 80th third baseman in Mets history Gary Carter who played a part in a packet of Keith Hernandez play which helped save the game that particular play it was a picture that was just called up it's probably nervous to death I just more or less took it for granted why didn't take it for granted I knew that he was gonna bunt there was no doubt in my mind that he was gonna do anything to bunt he did and I went right there on top of a play he didn't get done a third base line enough to get hit by me they have to hit it hard on a third base line and I take that away and it's an easy two after Keith's easy - Howard Johnson's three-run homer in the top of the 14th inning put the Mets ahead to stay and when McDowell came in from right field to get the game's final out the Mets had a three team 6-3 win the comeback in Cincinnati was the type of wind which typify the Mets year and it helped to reduce their magic number even further by the end of July [Applause] [Music] by August 6th the Mets lead had grown to 18 games but they still didn't stand still left fielder George Foster who had contributed early was released and former mint Lee Mazzilli returned home and promptly got into the swing of things [Music] [Applause] Mozilla's returned to new york was just as heartwarming as the return of Mookie Wilson to everyday play especially after he had temporarily lost his job to Lenny Dykstra the good thing about the whole situation was that demesne did find a new dimension and myself being a little more versatile than he probably thought I was overall my play I think I've been very satisfied with it I've learned a lot I've learned a little bit about what I am capable doing you know the fight Borna - and some things that I would really have to work on that I founded I'm not opposed to it but that's what this year for me it's a year of learning and progress the Mets progress might have taken a turn for the worse when Gary Carter injured his thumb but thanks to had heard the Mets never broke stride Hearn started 11 games during Carter's time on the disabled list and the Mets won eight of them actually increasing their lead over their closest rivals one ironic aspect of Carter's injury was that it focused more attention on Keith Hernandez after slumping through much of the summer Hernandez knew he'd be called on to pick up the slack after Carter was hurt and through the form he did not only with his play on the field but with his guidance and leadership office as well Keith is a tremendous leader on the ballclub he's still a place hard he tries hard and he's always pumping up other players he's very much the glue on the infield you can call him an inspirational leader or whatever you wanna call him but he is a presence that has to be reckoned with and he's still a clutch hitter even when he's going bad you always feel that Keith is gonna get the job then when you need it done and I'm in the most trying circumstances he's gonna be the guy that comes through and been that kind of player for me really all year Roo's with a ground ball to fair Paulo [Applause] [Music] [Applause] of course Hernandez wasn't alone when it came to providing the Mets with leadership and character both Keith and Gary Carter were players the others could look up to they both have a lot of pride intense pride and that drives him a long way they both really enjoy playing the game at Gary's a little more effervescent than Keith is but they're both tremendous professionals and they're both probably gonna be Hall of Fame players and it's a joy to have them both on the club at the same time my hands were steady I walk my steps were quick and laugh [Music] Bell was right [Music] I was strong as I could be nothing I ever got to me [Music] I was fun to see [Music] one thing leadership can help provide as stability on the road and in 86 the Mets played well they're winning 53 games sometimes in especially memorable ways like a game in late August against the Padres [Applause] the second to throw he's out patron at third the Mets win it six to five what a double-play just your routine DoublePlay so as August jutsu a close the Mets had a 19 game lead over the Phils and their magic number was down to 14 [Applause] [Music] September then was a time to count the days to the inevitable or maybe to have some fun as the Mets did in an exhibition game with the Red Sox for Gary Carter the meeting provided an opportunity to test out the Green Monster just in case he would be making the trip north to Boston again later on in the year after their short break from the daily grind the Mets traveled to Philadelphia with the Eastern Division title finally within their grasp and knowing that it was just a matter of time Met fans were ready [Applause] [Music] crazy but disappointed at least that's the way met fans felt in Philadelphia as they saw their team lose all three games to the Phillies when just one win would have given the Mets the division title actually the Mets might have been doing their fans a favor because losing in Philadelphia meant that the clinching would have to come in New York with the champagne on ice the Mets put the ball in the capable hands of Dwight Gooden and the doc quickly let people know that September 17th would indeed be a night to remember [Music] while Gooden shut down the Cubs the Mets found some hidden offense from a new source rookie Dave Magadan filled in for a flu ridden Keith Hernandez and drove in two runs with three hits the Mets took a 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth and a Shea Stadium rocked with anticipation the time to celebrate finally arrived [Applause] [Music] I couldn't even see on the field I just don't want to screw up I've been waiting 13 years it's been a great year all the way this is the biggest three all right oh he did an outstanding job this is most excitement in my life I'm really enjoying it and you deserve some champagne I think I do too [Applause] [Music] although they were anxious to get on with the playoffs the Mets first needed to finish the regular season and that came on October 5th when they won their record 108 game it was a fitting way to complete the celebration of the team's 25th anniversary a year in which MIT fans were given the opportunity to remember the lovable team of 1962 and the amazin one of 1969 1986 was also a year that the Mets honored rusty stout and said a New York City sports attendance record of 2.7 6 million fans all of whom were ready to root the Mets on in the playoffs [Applause] on October 8th the Mets began their second season in Houston against the Astros to a man the team was confident yet cautious considering they were facing an Astro pitching staff that had been nearly unbeatable the last month of the season the Mets though had been waiting for this night for a long time and with the Astros and their fans equally as excited the series was set to begin Mike Scott was on the mound for the Astros the ace of Houston's staff quickly showed the Mets just why he led the league in strikeouts during the year Scott split-fingered fastball was almost unhittable and he took the sting out of the Mets vaunted attack by striking out 14 in a tense 1 to nothing win over Dwight Gooden down a game the Mets were keenly aware of just how disastrous a loss would be in Game two especially pitcher Bob Ojeda we were heading against the well we weren't against it yet oh he does play kept the Astros from scoring first and the way nolan ryan was bitching that was important first three innings he shut us down again and he was looking tough and then the guys you know just Mook chip in the in the armor and the guys you know came through he comes on in Gary Carter gets his first into this area it's tremendous silence there there now now we're okay we broke the ice and then went out we got three the next to the drive-in to the Mets bats had exploded for five runs in two innings and with Ojeda keeping the Astros off-balance all night long game two belonged to the Mets five to one and the series was even at one apiece [Music] by winning a game of the dog the Mets had accomplished what they had set out to do and as they made their way back to New York they were extremely confident that the series would end at shade but the excitement in euphoria of the Mets first postseason home game in 13 years wore off quickly as Ron darling was roughed up early led by Bill Doran two run homer in the second inning the Astros jumped out to a four to nothing lead but the Mets fought back scoring once in the sixth and leaving two on for Darryl Strawberry then he was telling me on the bench that I was gonna have to hit a home run to get us back to this ballgame he was struggling a little bit than anything he wanted to get ahead and count he was going to get ahead in account he was gonna throw me breaking balls after that so I was looking for fastball [Applause] with one sudden swing the Mets had drawn even but just as suddenly they again fell behind in the next inning the score remained 5-4 Astros until the bottom of the ninth when wally backman led off with a drag bunt the Astros contended that Backman ran out of the base path but the umpires disagreed and after Houston manager Hal Lanier lost his argument Backman went to second on a wild pitch knowing full well that the Mets needed a hit to tie general manager Frank cash-in and the rest of the Shea Stadium crowd waited uneasily as Lenny Dykstra stepped to the plate to face the Astros Dave Smith with one out and the tying run at second they call heels fathers waiting now the pitch at a high fly ball it is fairly nice way back [Music] [Applause] this ball game is over letting dates from being mobbed by his female I was very happy I'd my rally hat on Maidan I jumped up I gave a high-five to my brother it was great unfortunately for the Mets the happiness of the previous afternoon was wiped out quickly by Mike Scott in Game four as he did in the first game Scott continued his mastery over the Mets who by now seemed more concerned about the possibility that Scott threw a scuff ball than they did about hitting the pitch anyway you looked at it Scott was simply too tough and the series was tied at two games each after the Astros three to one win the Astros win in Game four had guaranteed them a trip back home to Houston and after rain postponed Game five for a day the Mets took the field knowing that a win was an absolute necessity on the mound for the Mets was their ace white Gooden who pitched brilliantly for 10 innings giving up just one run but Goodin's effort was matched by the ageless Nolan Ryan who pitched brilliantly himself [Music] [Applause] [Applause] from that point on the tension at Shea was nearly unbearable as the two teams staged an epic battle no one could break through no one could deliver the one clutch hint that would turn the series in their favor in the 11th the Mets took Gooden out and brought in Jesse Orosco and as he did in his game 3 win Orosco shut down the Astros with little trouble this time in the 11th and 12 finally in the bottom of the 12th the Mets broke through but it took a mistake by reliever charlie kerfell to get them going with wally backman on first kerfeld threw away a pickoff attempt and Backman scrambled to second the next batter was to be Keith Hernandez but there was little chance he would get to hit especially with Gary Carter mired in a horrendous postseason slump the intentional walk and saying this is the ideal situation to break him out kid is definitely money player I wanted him Keith or Gary to be up there in a situation with somebody that's on in scoring position the most important thing is is to keep your head up and try and maintain the confidence and in 1 for 21 I mean I'm not getting an old 50 hitter [Applause] [Music] so the Mets went back to Houston for Game six and brought a few fans with them meanwhile back in New York it seemed like the whole city was watching the game although no one rooting for the Mets could have been very encouraged after the Astros exploded for three runs in the bottom of the first once again the Mets were having trouble scoring runs and this time Bob Knepper was the reason why right from the start Knepper frustrated the Mets and as each inning passed and the Astros held on to their lead the Mets were left to wonder whether or not they might ever get another hit by the time the ninth-inning rolled around there was little reason to believe that the Mets would solve the mystery of Knepper that's of had only two hits game seven would be tomorrow night the pitchers would be Ron darling and Mike Scott but suddenly with the rally caps back in New York working their magic the Mets erupted [Music] Thanks round ii racing for third he's in standing with a triple infield back the Astros have a three-run lead and a soft line drive the second treatment thanks to him to score his three to one the tank will be coming to bat the pitch and a fly ball well hit the right sir Billy Hatcher on the run on the rod way back can't get it face it over his head Wilson around 3rd boog he will score 3-2 to have a tying run on second a pitching change will be made the is coming on in relief the pitch fly ball well hit the right center field the game will be tied up Hernandez will score high ball game [Applause] as game six moved into extra innings Roger McDowell pitched five scoreless innings to keep the game tied until the Mets finally went ahead in the 14th that's looking for the biggest hit of the year right here and a line drive base hit going into right field strawberry will try to score here's the throw coming to the plate he scores the Mets have taken the lead the pennant was just three outs away but the Astros Billy Hatcher wouldn't cooperate 4 to 3 New York bottom half of the 14th inning now they'll pitch on the way at a high fly [Applause] baldie I've said to myself what's a home run there's nothing I can do about it the game's not over away on the law so I was still in it I still had two more guys to get out that anything Orosco got those two guys and then in the 16th with no out and Darryl Strawberry on 2nd Ray Knight came to the plate I asked mrs. Gillman to bunt him over or you all made for driving man or what he said I want you to hit the ball the right pill and drive him in so I've never thought of anything but hitting it hitting it to right field line drive base hit to right field strawberry may have trouble scoring the throw is coming in won't get in the runners head night the second base the Mets are in front five before the Mets scored twice more in the top of the 16th to leave seven to four but the Astros rallied once again scoring two runs off a tired Jesse Orosco to cut the Mets lead 2-1 then with two out and the tying and winning runs on base Orosco had to face the dangerous Kevin bass I said it myself a Friday I walked him I still have a left-handed batter up next that could be to my advantage I wasn't going to give in or anything I said it myself I have a chance I'll try to get him but I'm gonna throw breaking balls this is heart-stopping baseball pulsating baseball nobody has sat down in the last four or five innings incredible now the stretch the pitch on the way swing and a Miss swing and a Miss struck him out struck him out Mets win it symmetric wouldn't there in the World Series all they are mobbing Jesse Orosco [Applause] [Music] so it was on to the World Series which kicked off with a star-studded gala party the night before the first game the next day began the more serious business of crowning a world champion Shea Stadium of course was peppered with celebrities along with everyone else anticipated a classic matchup between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox the two teams that most experts considered the best in baseball [Music] like the Mets the Sox two had just completed a dramatic and exhausting playoff series but when the game got underway it was the Mets who seemed the worse for wear part of the reason was Bruce Hurst who very neatly tied the Mets up in knots all night long fortunately for the Mets they were getting good pitching to Ron darling rebounded from his shaky playoff performance of a week earlier and kept the score even by shutting out the Sox through six innings but in the seventh with Jim Rice on second the Sox got a break Gedman steps in with one down the pitch ground ball to second plate to Carter not in time throw to second not in time Red Sox win that lone run was the difference as the Sox won the series opener the next night the stars were really out at Shea 1st Billy Joel sang the national anthem and then Dwight Gooden faced off against Roger Clemens in a classic duel between two of the hardest throwers in baseball but the anticipated matchup between Gooden smoked and Clemens fire turned out to be a false alarm as the Sox pounded out 18 hits in a 9 3 drubbing of the Mets to go up two games to none only once before had a team come back to win a series after losing the first two games at home as the series shifted to Boston the Mets had their backs to the wall in more ways one but the 86 Mets were a team of character and one could almost sense that things were about to change as Lenny Dykstra led off the game the pitch ground ball hit down a third the play will be before they were through the Mets would go on to score four runs in the first believe that Bobby Ojeda protected by pitching masterfully against his former teammates when the game was over the reborn Mets had a 7 to 1 win but were still down a game with two more to go in Boston the Mets lopsided win had lifted much of the pressure off a team that had been struggling and the smiles were out again the next night when Boston pitcher al nipper began to unravel against Gary Carter in a scoreless game on the top of the case Gallery Carter don't hover with room darling shutting down the socks again lenny dykstra help the Mets put the game out of reach in the seventh or eighth log on hit in the air to right field fairly deep Evans going back way back near the wall jumping [Music] honey no extra delivery Connor hits it high and deep Sega Carter's second homer capped off the Met series tying six to win shifted the pressure back to the Red Sox who had to win Game five at home against Dwight Gooden but good knee was pitching on only three days rest and for the second time in the series his best stuff deserted him the Sox scored a run each in the second and third innings and then broke the game open in the fifth first Jim Rice tripled and soon after he was driven in by Don Baylor as Boston knocked Gooden out of the game and went on to win four to two behind Bruce Hurst to take the three games to two lead in the series the Mets though had done what they had to do by winning twice in Boston and now were confident about the prospects of playing the last two games before their vocal home crowd even though one fan tried a unique way of rallying the Mets the Sox still jumped out to an early 2 to nothing lead and had their ace Roger Clemens on the mound who had the Mets on the ropes until the fifth inning the pitch and a ground ball hit toward the middle base hit to center field [Applause] a few batters later the Mex had tied the score but it didn't stay that way for too long one one count they delivered the rice swung on a ground ball to third Knight will hold the runner throws the height of first Hernandez can't get it out of his glove and moving up the third bases Barrett an error on Ray Knight but the mitts rallied once more in the eighth with runners on second and third and one out the Sox walk Keith Hernandez intentionally Hernandez giving Crider the best as he walks down to first base and come and get it baby fans on their feet here at Shea bases-loaded one down Red Sox lead 3 to 2 swung on hit in the air to left field it will be caught runner tag here comes misery here comes the throw to the plate not in time the game is tied at 3 frame so it was on to extra innings with attention was unreal all the way this game is going by far and away the most intense game in the World Series now the windup the pitch the hitter said well hit deep to left field way back way back going gone a home the Red Sox are in front for Capri boston scored once more to take a two-run lead into the bottom of the 10th with a sock champagne about to be popped a silent shake crowd watched in disbelief now the pitcher on the way ahead of the year right sits there and hasn't for the other hand the Red Sox are two outs away from the championship and a flyball to Center Henderson going back under it now he has it two men down everybody's sitting very quietly of that New York Mets dugout hoping against hope that something will start to happen [Music] Blayne drive it will be a base hit to left field a line drive base hit into center field now the tying runs are on base [Music] a soft line drive it will be a basement in the center field final score Mitchell a patient by Ray Knight the pitch [Applause] [Music] and a ground ball quickly it is a fair ball [Applause] incredibly almost implausibly the Mets were still alive and their entire season had now come down to a single game after shutting down the Red Sox twice Ron darling was called on to pitch but the Sox got to him early the pitch on the way the Sox scored once more in the second and then put the ball on the capable left hand of Bruce Hurst would already beaten the Mets twice in the series and was on his way towards doing it again [Applause] but before the Sox could put the game away Davey Johnson went to his bullpen and replaced darling with Sid Fernandez whose four strikeout effort in just two and one third innings got the Mets and the Shea Stadium crowd going finally in the 6th the Mets got a rally going with one out Lee Mazzilli pinch-hit a single and Mookie Wilson followed with one of his own then after a walk to Tim Tuffle Keith Hernandez came up with the bases loaded and the Mets in desperate need of a hit and a line drive base hit going in the gap in left-center facility was for mounting third is BuChE BuChE will score free to toe free to go one batter later the Mets tied the game and when Red Sox manager John McNamara decided to change pitchers in the bottom of the 7th his choice was his number one reliever and as a haunting chant filled the stadium Calvin Schiraldi faced ray Knight now the wind up in the delivery swag on hit in the air fairly deep [Applause] lamech scored twice more in the inning to go up by three runs but with Roger McDowell now pitching in relief of Fernandez the Sox came right back delivery swung on hit in the air that's going to be a base head into right-center field Jesse Orosco came in to pitch the Mets out of the jam and in the bottom of the 8th Darryl Strawberry put the series away the mix had exploded for eight runners in just three innings and the crowd let the Red Sox know what that was all about [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the time had come the Mets when I'll just one out away from winning a memorable World Series just two days before the Red Sox had been in the very same position but the Mets weren't about to let the same thing happen to them [Applause] the World Series and they're jamming and routing all over Jesse Orosco the dream has come true the Mets have won the World Series coming from behind to win the seventh ballgame and so it was over the Mets were world champions they had turned their silver anniversary into a series of golden moments as it had all season the Mets character came through in the end and took them to the top in a year to remember [Music] remember you whenever gotten on the ring [Music] you to me were the bed [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Will Christison

Views: 66,319

Rating: 4.8905907 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: Ffn7-scsO9I

Length: 59min 32sec (3572 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 12 2020