October 15th, 1986
National League Championship Series,
Game 6
New York Mets at Houston Astros
Astrodome, Houston
While
we already documented the 1986 American League Championship Series, the NLCS
that year was just as exciting and memorable. The Houston Astros were
attempting to get to the World Series for the first time in franchise history,
having lost the best-of-five 1980 NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies in five
games. They were led by pitchers Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott. In fact, Scott had
thrown a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants to clinch the N.L. West
title. On offense, the Astros had Kevin Bass, Billy Hatcher and Glenn Davis
leading the charge.
The
New York Mets had built their team through the draft and some smart free agent
signings and trades. The offense was led by former Montreal Expos’ catcher Gary
Carter, and also included Keith Hernandez, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry and
Lenny Dykstra. The pitching staff was led by 21-year old Dwight Gooden, Sid
Fernandez and Ron Darling.
Scott
was magnificent in Game 1, shutting out the Mets on five hits while striking
out 14 in a 1-0 Houston win. The Mets were so frustrated by Scott’s pitching
that they even suggested that he was doctoring the ball.
But
New York rebounded to win the second game, 5-1, then won a dramatic Game 3 on a
ninth-inning walk off home run from Dykstra to win 6-5. Then it was Scott’s
turn again. In Game 4, he allowed only one run on three hits while striking out
five in nine innings of work. The Astros won the game 3-1 and the series was
tied.
The
Mets won a dramatic Game 5, 2-1, in 12 innings to take a three games to two
lead as the NLCS shifted back to Houston. The Mets looked at Game 6 as a
must-win as Scott was scheduled to pitch the seventh game. But in the sixth
game, they had Bob Knepper on the hill while the Mets would start Bob Ojeda.
For
the first eight innings, it looked like there would be a Game 7 as the Astros
took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Phil Garner and
RBI singles by Glenn Davis and Jose Cruz, while it was Knepper’s turn to
frustrate the Mets’ hitters. Knepper retired New York in order in the first,
second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, while allowing only two singles and a
walk through eight innings.
Knowing
that Scott was waiting for the following day, the Astros took their 3-0 lead
into the top of the ninth. The first batter of the inning was Dykstra, and he
tripled to start the rally. Mookie Wilson was the next batter and he singled in
Dysktra to make the score 3-1. One out later, Wilson scored on an RBI double by
Keith Hernandez. After two walks loaded the bases, the Mets amazingly tied the
score on an sacrifice fly by Ray Knight.
After
the Astros went scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, the game was off to extra
innings. The tension continued through the Astrodome as neither team scored in
the tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth or the thirteenth. The Mets finally broke
the tie in the top of the fourteenth on an RBI single by Wally Backman that
scored Darryl Strawberry.
But
with one out in the bottom of the inning, the Astros tied the score on a solo
home run by Billy Hatcher. The fifteenth was uneventful.
In
the top of the sixteenth, the Mets seemed to put the game—and the series—away
with a three-run outburst. Knight singled in Strawberry, then scored himself on
a wild pitch. Dykstra then singled in Backman and the Mets had a 7-4 lead.
But
the Astros were not going to go quietly. In their half of the sixteenth, Davey
Lopes walked with one out. A single by Phil Doran was followed by a single from
Hatcher that scored Lopes. One out later, Davis singled in Doran to close the gap
to 7-6.
With
the tying run at second, Mets’ closer Jesse Orosco (who was labouring at this
point, pitching in his third inning of the game) struck out Kevin Bass to end
the longest game in NLCS history. The Mets had captured the pennant and were
off to face the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.
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