Remembering Mets History (1986) NLCS Game #5: Dwight Gooden vs Nolan Ryan & Gary Carter's Walk Off Hit

Tuesday October 14th, 1986- NLCS Game #5- Shea Stadium, New York:

from center field: It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon, as we pulled out work trucks into the yard, when my boss "Big Dom" asked me if I wanted to go to the big game today. I said- Sure, but I'm at work & have no ticket! But he pulled out three tickets & handed them over to me. Amazing- so Me, Paulie the Shop man & Artie the Hat, tore out to Shea Stadium in my Monte Carlo for Game #5. We arrived a bit late as most of the crowd did due to the earlier rainy weather & traffic. This turned out to be one of the best pitching matchups & one of the most exciting games I ever attended.

A crowd of 54,986 finally would eventually fill up Shea Stadium as the weather cleared. The NLCS was tied at two games each, this being the final game in New York as the series would shift back down to Houston. This was a big game. 

Two of the game's best pitchers went head-to-head as the Astros manager Hal Lanier sent future Hall of Famer; Nolan Ryan to the mound (12-8 / 197 Ks / 3.34 ERA) to face the Mets reigning NL Cy Young Winner, Dwight Gooden (17-6 / 200 Ks / 2.84 ERA).

In the top of the 1st inning, Houston's Denny Walling collected a two out single but was stranded as Glenn Davis flew out to Darryl Strawberry in right. 

In the top of the 2nd, Kevin Bass & Jose Cruz led off with base hits. But Gooden struck out Alan Ashby, then got Craig Reynolds to bounce to Wally Backman at second who turned the 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

In the top of the 5th inning, with the game still scoreless, Astro catcher, Alan Ashby led off with a double down right field. Craig Reynolds got a ball through the hole between third & short & there were quickly two men on.

Nolan Ryan attempted a sacrifice, but Gooden fielded the ball then got the force at second, as Ashby was not able to score on the play. 

Bill Doran then grounded out to second & Ashby was able to score this time, giving Houston a 1-0
lead. Doran stole second & Gooden walked Billy Hatcher putting two men on. But he got out of it by getting Denny Walling to fly out to Mookie Wilson in left field.

For Nolan Ryan, he started out retiring the first 13 Mets batters he faced. In the bottom of the 1st, he struck out Len Dykstra & Wally Backman, then got Keith Hernandez to fly out.

In the 2nd inning, Gary Carter grounded out then Nolan struck out Darryl Strawberry & Mookie Wilson. 

In the bottom of the 3rd, he struck out Ray Night & Dwight Gooden also having Rafel Santana ground out.

In the 4th inning, Ryan struck out Len Dykstra, got Backman to fly out & then struck out Keith Hernandez, totaling eight strike outs through the first four innings.

In the bottom of the 5th with one out, Darryl Strawberry hit a long fly ball down the right field line. The ball wasn't fair by much, but it cleared the foul pole, going for a HR tying up the game at one. 

It was Straw's second HR in the series. In Game #3, his 6th inning three run HR off Bob Knepper tied up the game as well.

 

Nolan Ryan retired the next two Mets to end the inning & six in a row into the 7th inning. With one out, Keith Hernandez singled to right field.  Next, the slumping Gary Carter popped up to short for the second out. Darryl Strawberry then drew a walk, the only walk issued by Ryan on the afternoon. 

But Mookie Wilson flew out to left ending the inning. 

Ryan would retire the next six batters through the 8th & 9th innings. On the day, he allowed one run on just two hits. Ryan struck out twelve Mets & walked one in an outstanding post season performance.

On the other side, after giving up the run in the 5th inning, Dwight Gooden would retire 12 of the
next 14 batters. In the top of the 6th, he gave up a base hit to Kevin Bass. Bass attempted to steal second but was thrown out by Gary Carter. 

In the 7th, Gooden retired the side in order in the 7th. 

In the top of the 8th, he gave up a leadoff single to Bill Doran.

Billy Hatcher bunted to Keith Hernandez moving the runner over. Denny Walling hit a liner to left field that Mookie Wilson snagged for the out, Doran got caught off second as Mookie threw to Rafael Santana doubling him up to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Gooden retired the side in order getting Glenn Davis to fly out, Kevin Bass to ground out to Backman & Jose Cruz to fly out to Mookie in left field.

Extra Innings: In the top of the 10th after getting the first two outs on ground balls, Terry Puhl reached on an infield hit & then stole second. Gooden then walked Bill Doran. With two on, two outs & the go-ahead runner in scoring position, Billy Hatcher flew to Darryl Strawberry in right field ending the inning.

Dwight Gooden put in his best pitching effort in the 1986 post season. In ten innings, he gave up one run on nine hits with four strike outs & two walks.

In the bottom of the 10th for Houston, Charlie Kerfeld a rather chubby fellow, with dark sunglasses & a cheek full of tobacco, came on to pitch. Kerfeld went 11-2 with a 2.59 ERA on the year, he had seven saves on the year & had finished off 29 games.

Kerfeld got Carter to ground out, then struck out Strawberry & Mookie Wilson. Kerfeld retired the first seven batters he faced into the 12th inning.

In the top of the 11th, the Mets, Jesse Orosco came on for the Mets. In 1986 he was 8-6 with 21 saves posting a 2.33 ERA. Orosco struck out Denny Walling, then got Glen Davis looking at a third strike. He then got Bass to hit a comebacker to the mound for the third out.

In the top of the 12th, Jose Cruz popped up to Ray Knight, then Alan Asby grounded to Knight for the second out. Dickie Thon then flew out to end an easy inning for Orosco.

In the bottom of the 12th, the pesky Wally Backman reached base with an infield hit. Backman was caught off guard at first base, Kerfeld had him picked off, but he threw the ball away. Backman scampered to second base as the Shea crowd erupted & chanted "Let's Go Mets- Let's Go Mets". 

Keith Hernandez was then intentionally walked to get to a slumping, Gary Carter. 

Carter was in a miserable slump, having gone 1-21 in the Series up to that point. But the future Hall of Famer Carter stepped in & took a Kerfeld pitch straight up the middle for a base hit. 

Center fielder Billy Hatcher was playing shallow, he threw the ball to home plate, but there was no way to get the speedy Wally Backman as he crossed the plate & scored the game winning walk off run. Shea Stadium went wild. 

Gary Carter was mobbed by his teammates, as he threw a fist in the air in triumph, as well as in relief, as he finally broke the slump. He acknowledged the cheering Shea crowd. It was one of his biggest Mets moments in his Hall of Fame career.

The win sent the Mets back to Houston with three games to two lead. They would need one more game to win for the NL pennant & get to the World Series.

 It was quite a game with quite an exciting ending, certainly a Mets classic!