1986 NLCS

From BR Bullpen

NL Championship Series (4-2) New York Mets over Houston Astros

BR 1986 NLCS Summary

One of the best Postseason series in history was played between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets. The Astros' best pitcher, Mike Scott, pitched two games against the Mets, completed them both, struck out 19 and allowed only 8 hits and one earned run in the two games. After the Mets lost Game 4 to Scott, they came back with a 12th inning win in Game 5 on a run-scoring single by Gary Carter. Game 6 was possibly the most exciting game of the season. Tied at 3 in the 14th inning, the Mets scored on a one-out single by Wally Backman, but the score was tied again on a home run by Billy Hatcher. Going into the 16th inning, tied at 4, the Mets exploded for three runs in the top of the inning, and the Astros threatened in the bottom of the inning. Jesse Orosco, pitching his third inning of relief after two innings to win the game the night before, gave up run-scoring singles to Billy Hatcher and Bill Doran before stiking out Kevin Bass to win the game. The Mets won the series 4-2, and most importantly did not have to face Mike Scott in a Game 7. Scott, who eventually won the Cy Young Award, won the Most Valuable Player award for the NLCS even though his team lost the series.

1 Results

[edit] Results

[edit] Game 1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Astros	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
WP: Mike Scott , LP: Dwight Gooden , SV: N/A
Home Runs: Glenn Davis

Attendance: 44,131

In Game 1, Astros ace (and eventual 1986 NL Cy Young winner) Mike Scott would face his New York counterpart: Dwight Gooden. The resulting pitchers' duel featured a 14 strikeout, 1 walk, 5 hit shutout effort from Scott. Gooden gave a similar performance, but Glenn Davis led off the second inning with a monster home run to the Astrodome's deep center field. That would be the game's only Astros run. Jesse Orosco relieved Gooden in the eighth inning, but the Mets were unable to escape from Scott's split-fingered fastball.

[edit] Game 2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mets	0	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	5	10	0
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	10	2
WP: Bob Ojeda , LP: Nolan Ryan , SV: N/A
Home Runs: none

Attendance: 44,391

Game 2 featured Bob Ojeda, who was having a career year (18-5, 2.57 ERA) and former Met Nolan Ryan. The Mets would not get a hit until the fourth inning, when Wally Backman and Lenny Dykstra scored on a Gary Carter double and a Darryl Strawberry sac fly. The game would be broken open in the 5th, as Keith Hernandez tripled home two more runs off of Ryan. Houston would score in the 7th on a Phil Garner single, but the Astros were unable to come back. Ojeda would complete the game and take the series to Shea Stadium.

[edit] Game 3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Astros	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	5	8	1
Mets	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	2	6	10	1
WP: Jesse Orosco , LP: Dave Smith , SV: N/A
Home Runs:

Attendance: 55,052

Astros starter Bob Knepper pitched five innings of four-hit baseball but encountered difficulties in the sixth inning. The Mets tied the game on a Craig Reynolds error and Darryl Strawberry three-run homer. The Astros would answer back in the 7th, and reliever Dave Smith would enter the game to close out the Mets in the 9th. Wally Backman bunted his way onto base, avoiding the tag by Glenn Davis by sliding outside of the first-base line. Astros manager Hal Lanier argued the call, but umpire Dutch Rennert ruled that Backman could leave the baseline because he had already passed Davis. Lenny Dykstra came up to bat, slugging a walk-off home run and giving the Mets the series lead.

[edit] Game 4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Astros	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	4	1
Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	0
WP: Mike Scott , LP: Sid Fernandez , SV: N/A
Home Runs: Alan Ashby, Dickie Thon

Attendance: 55,038

After their heartbreaking loss in Game 3, the Astros needed to take back the momentum. Mike Scott once again took the mound, and while it was not the shutout performance he gave in Game 1, he may have pitched even better. Giving up only three baserunners and allowing only one run in nine innings, Scott pitched spectacularly. To quote Wally Backman, "God couldn't have pitched better than Scott did tonight." The Mets contended that Scott was illegally scuffing balls, and they collected a basket of balls Scott had thrown, all of which they claimed bore an "Oreo-sized" irregular area. Keith Hernandez, however, believed that Scott's results were legal and merely a result of his split-fingered fastball. The umpires agreed, and Scott's 19 strikeouts in Games 1 and 2 set a Championship Series record. The Mets' only run would come off of a sac fly in the 8th inning, while the Astros would score on home runs from catcher Alan Ashby and shortstop Dickie Thon.

[edit] Game 5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	R	H	E
Astros	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	1
Mets	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	4	0
WP: Jesse Orosco , LP: Charlie Kerfeld , SV: N/A
Home Runs: Darryl Strawberry

Attendance: 55,038

The series' final game in Shea Stadium would be yet another pitchers' duel. Nolan Ryan and Dwight Gooden would start the game, and each would only surrender a single run in the game's first nine innings. Gooden lasted ten innings (the longest game of his career), striking out four, walking two, and allowing nine hits. Ryan, however, put in the superior performance, going nine innings, walking two, giving up two hits, and striking out a stunning twelve batters. Both teams would score in the fifth - the Astros on a Bill Doran fielder's choice and the Mets on a Strawberry home run. Charlie Kerfeld came in for Ryan in the tenth, striking out four as the game went on. But in the Mets' twelfth inning, Wally Backman would single. Kerfeld attempted to pick the Mets second baseman off first base, but his throw was wild and Backman took second. With Backman in scoring position, Keith Hernandez was intentionally walked and Gary Carter came to the plate. Carter was, until that point, 1-21 in the NLCS. But the former Montreal Expos catcher slapped Kerfeld's pitch up the middle, and the speedy Backman scored the winning run. In something of a preview of his 1987 season, Ryan was deprived of a win despite his fantastic performance. The Astros were now facing elimination, but the series would return to the House of Pain in Houston.