Remembering Mets History (2006) Mets Have Three Walk Off Wins in Five Games

The powerful 2006 Mets had ended the first month of the season 16-8 in first place, with a six-game lead over the second place Phillies & Braves.

Willie Randolph's team had two walk off wins in April. They began May collecting three more walk off wins in the first five days of the month & would have nine wins in their final at bat in the month.

Monday May 1st, 2006: On this night the Mets (16-8) hosted Frank Robinson's Washington Nationals (8-17) in front of 28,310 fans at Shea Stadium.

Mets hurler, Victor Zambrano pitched one of his better games in a New York uniform, allowing just one run, an RBI single to catcher, Brian Schneider. In six innings of work, he scattered five hits, walked two & struck out four. 

In the bottom of the 6th Carlos Delgado led off the inning with a solo HR, the only run Ramon Ortiz would give up in his seven innings of work for Washington.

After Zambrano was done, the Mets bullpen then held the Nat's hitless for the next three innings as Pedro Feliciano, Duaner Sanchez & Billy Wagner each put in an inning of work.

With one out in the bottom of the 9th, pinch hitter, Julio Franco drew a walk & Endy Chavez came in to pinch run for him. Jose Reyes then singled putting Chavez in scoring position. 

Paul LoDuca hit a bouncer to first baseman Nick Johnson who attempted turning a double play but his throw to second was wild, Chavez came home scoring the winning run on the error.

Wednesday May 3rd, 2006: Two nights later, Jim Tracy's Pittsburgh Pirates (8-21) came to town. The pitching matchup was Pedro Martinez (5-0) against Ian Snell (1-2) in front of 33,668 at Shea. 

Pedro Martinez had a great April winning all five of his starts to go 5-0 with a 2.94 ERA with 33 strike outs in 33.3 innings of work. He would go 7-4 until the end of June when he was shut down with injury for a month & then again for the post season.

In the 1st, the Pirates Freddy Sanchez, the 2006 NL batting Champion, hit a solo HR for a 1-0
Pirate lead. In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets answered as Kazuo Matsui started with a ground rule double. Then Carlos Delgado doubled to left, just missing a HR but tying the game at one.

Pedro Martinez held down the Pirates to a run on three hits as he struck out nine. 

The game stayed tied until the bottom of the 6th, Cliff Floyd led off with a base hit & was sacrificed over by Ramon Castro. Endy Chavez then doubled to left scoring Floyd. Jose Reyes then hit his fourth triple of the year, bringing in Chavez making it a 3-1 Mets lead. Reyes would go on to lead the NL in triples (17) & stolen bases (64) for the second straight year.

In Mets held the 3-1 lead into the 9th inning, but closer Billy Wagner couldn't close the game out. He issued two walks then RBI singles from Jose Fernandez & Ronny Paulino tying up the game. It was Wagner's third blown save of the year.

Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez held down Pirates in the 10th inning. In the next two innings, side arm submarine thrower, Chad Bradford held the Pirates to a base hit & ended up the winning pitcher, collecting his first win of the year.

Two future Mets, Salomon Torres & Roberto Hernandez had held the Mets down in the 9th & 10th innings. In the 11th, Mike Gonzalez took over & retired the Mets in order. 

In the bottom of the 12th, Carlos Delgado led off & blasted a walk off HR, giving the Mets the game winner. It was the first of five walk off game winning hits Delgado would have in his Mets career (2006-2008).

Friday May 5th, 2016: The Mets were on a roll, entering tonight's game (20-9) winners of seven of their last nine. Tonight, they hosted Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves (12-17) in front of 47,720 at Shea Stadium. The starters were Steve Trachsel (2-2) going against Kyle Davies (2-2).

In the top of the 1st, Marcus Giles led off with a double & advanced on Edgar Renteria's ground out. Then longtime Mets nemesis Chipper Jones grounded to the right-side scoring Giles. 

In the bottom of the 1st, Carlos Beltran tied it up with a solo HR, his sixth HR of the season.

In the top of the 2nd, Brian Jordan singled & was brought home on catcher, Brian McCann's double giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Jose Reyes led off with a base hit. Then Braves pitcher Kyle Davies walked three Mets, including David Wright with the bases loaded, tying up the game at 2-2.

In the top of the 6th Brian Jordan doubled & Brian McCann drove him home with his second RBI of the night. He then stole second & scored on Matt Diaz's base hit. It was now a 4-2 Braves lead. Trachsel was done after five innings allowing four runs on nine hits. 

In the 7th, Chad Bradford came on to pitch, but the Braves got him for two runs on three hits

with RBI singles from Andru Jones & Jeff Francoeur making it 6-2 Atlanta.

In the 7th, Jose Reyes led off with a base hit then Paul LoDuca hit a ground rule double putting two on with no one out.  Braves manager Bobby Cox took out Kyle Davies & brought in Macay McBride.

Carlos Beltran grounded to short where Edgar Renteria booted the ball, Reyes scored making it 6-3. Carlos Delgado then singled bringing in LoDuca making it 6-4.

Ken Ray came on to pitch & retired David Wright on a fly ball. Then Cliff Floyd singled bringing in Beltran putting the Mets within a run. 

The runners advanced on a passed ball charged to Brian McCann. Xavier Nady was put on to load the bases. Kaz Matsui then added an RBI single to center scoring Delgado to tie the game. This exciting game was another classic Mets / Braves contest for the Shea Stadium Faithful.

Aaron Heilman held the Braves down for two innings. Billy Wagner came on in the 10th & retired the side in order. But in the 11th Wagner couldn't hold the lead once again as pinch hitter Wilson Betemit led off the inning with a HR.

But in the bottom of the 11th, Cliff Floyd answered, as he led off with a solo HR off Chris Reitsma tying the wild game back up again at seven.

Duaner Sanchez put in two scoreless innings & Jorge Julio held the Braves down in the top of the 14th.

In the bottom of the 14th, with one out Carlos Beltran drew a walk off reliever Jorge Sosa. After Carlos Degado flew out for the second out, Beltran then reached second on another passed ball charged to Brian McCann. 

David Wright then hit a ground rule double, scoring Beltran with the walk off game winning run.

The Mets would win nine of eleven games in that stretch, holding a five-game lead over the Phillies. 

The 2006 Mets would win the NL East, going 97-65, but lose the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals.