October 25th, 1986
World Series, Game 6
Boston Red Sox at New York Mets
Shea Stadium, New York
There’s
not too much that can be written about this game that hasn’t already been done.
This game is, perhaps, the most exciting game in World Series history. So, I
won’t try to over-analyze the game, or any given play or strategy, but rather give
just a recap of the action. For those of us old enough to remember this game,
it was indeed an instant classic that has been fun to relive for thirty years.
The
Red Sox were in the World Series for the first time since 1975 and were trying
to end their 68-year drought. Offensively they were led by American League
batting champion Wade Boggs, outfielders Jim Rice and Dwight Evans, and first
baseman Bill Buckner. The pitching staff was led by Cy Young Award winner Roger
Clemens, Bruce Hurst and Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd. (How come nobody has any cool
nicknames like “Oil Can” anymore?)
The
last World Series appearance for the New York Mets had been 1973, a loss to the
Oakland Athletics. Their last (and only) victory in the Fall Classic had been
1969 when they upset the heavily-favoured Baltimore Orioles. Former Montreal
Expos’ catcher Gary Carter led the way for the Mets, with help from outfielders
Lenny Dykstra and Darryl Strawberry and first baseman Keith Hernandez. The
pitching staff was led by Dwight Gooden, Sid Fernandez and Ron Darling.
The
Red Sox had won the first two games at Shea (1-0 and 9-3) but the Mets
rebounded to take Games 3 and 4 at Fenway (7-1 and 6-2) before Boston became
the first team to win a game at home (4-2) and took the three games to two
Series lead back to Queens, needing only one win to clinch the World Series.
The
starting pitchers for Game 6 would be Clemens for Boston, and Bob Ojeda for New
York. And the Red Sox got to Ojeda early as they took a 1-0 lead in the top of
the first when Evans doubled to left-centre field with two out, scoring Boggs.
They would add to the lead in the second when second baseman Marty Barrett
singled with two out scoring shortstop Spike Owen. Clemens now had a 2-0 lead
to work with.
The
Mets finally got to The Rocket in the bottom of the fifth. Strawberry led off
with a walk and then stole second. Third baseman Ray Knight then singled up the
middle into centre field, scoring Strawberry and making the score 2-1 for
Boston. Mookie Wilson then singled and when Evans bobbled the ball in right,
Knight moved to third. Clemens got a double play ball off the bat of Danny
Heep, but Knight scored and the game was tied at two.
Boston
re-took the lead in the top of the seventh on an RBI ground out by Evans that
scored Barrett. The Red Sox almost scored another run that inning when the next
batter, catcher Rich Gedman, singled to left. Rice rounded third and tried to
score but Mookie Wilson threw a strike to the plate and when Carter tagged Rice
out, the score remained 3-2.
A
sacrifice fly by Carter in the bottom of the eighth scored Lee Mazilli and tied
the games at three. After a scoreless ninth, the game went into the tenth: the
most dramatic inning in World Series’ history.
With
Mets’ reliever Rich Aguilera on the hill, Dave Henderson deposited the second
pitch of the inning down the left field line and just inside the foul pole. The
Red Sox dugout went nuts as they had taken the 4-3 lead and were now three outs
away from a World Series Championship. The crowd at Shea sat in stunned
silence. It was at this moment that NBC broadcaster Vin Scully would make the
first of three memorable comments in this game that would be forever echoed as
this game was retold. As Henderson touched home plate, Scully said, “It’s so
quiet in New York, you can almost hear them cheering in Boston.”
It
got even quieter a few batters later when a two-out single by Barrett drove
home Boggs and the Sox had a 5-3 heading to the bottom of the ninth with
closer, Calvin Schiraldi on the mound.
After
Mets’ second baseman flew out to Rice in left and Keith Hernandez flew out to
Henderson in centre, the Red Sox were one out away. But catcher Gary Carter
singled to centre to keep the New York hopes alive. Pinch hitter Keith Mitchell
then singled into centre, moving Carter up to second. The next batter was
Knight and with the Mets down to their last strike, he swung at the 0-2 pitch
and made it three singles in a row on a line drive to right centre. On the
play, Carter scored to make it 5-4 and Mitchell moved to third.
With
the tying run only 90 feet away, Boston manager Bob McNamara removed Schiraldi
from the game and replaced him with Bob Stanley. The batter would be Mookie
Wilson and this would prove to be the at bat of the Series. After Stanley got
two strikes on Mookie, the Mets’ left fielder would battle to stay alive,
fouling of several pitches.
On
the seventh pitch of the at bat, Stanley threw too low and too inside. As
Mookie jumped out of the way, the ball got past Gedman and went all the way to
the backstop. Mitchell easily scored to tie the game and Knight moved into
second.
With
the count now 3-2, Mookie fouled off a couple more pitches. Then, he hit a
ground ball to first base. Scully’s call of the play (and second memorable
quote) followed: “Little roller up along first, beHIND THE BAG, IT GETS THROUGH
BUCKNER. HERE COMES KNIGHT AND THE METS WIN IT.”
After
a few moments to let the riotous, but celebratory noise of Shea Stadium calm
down just a bit, Scully delivered memorable quote number three: “If one picture
is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words.”
The
Red Sox couldn’t recover and the Mets took Game 7 by an 8-5 score.
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