Remembering Mets Opening Days (1989) Mets Beat Rival Cardinals to Start the Season

Monday April 3rd, 1989: The 1989 Mets were coming off a season where they won 100 games for the third time in team history. It was the second time in three years they did so.

The 1988 Mets won the NL East but took an upsetting seven game NLCS loss to the eventual Word Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the off season, the Mets traded away Lenny Dykstra as his troubles were starting to show with those in the organization. He was sent to Philadelphia for second baseman Juan Samuel who they put in center field. It didn't work out.

Later in the year they would add the 1988 Cy Young winner to Frank Viola to the rotation. He would go 5-5 then win twenty games the next year.  

Trivia: As 1989 was about to begin, Gary Cohen joined the Mets broadcast team for the first time. The Mets also drew a record 2.9 million fans to Shea Stadium that season.

On a chilly Monday afternoon 38,539 Mets fans came out to Shea Stadium, to see Dwight Gooden face off against Whitey Herzog's rival St. Louis Cardinals. 

In the top of the 1st inning, Dwight Gooden walked leadoff man Vince Coleman. Coleman who led the NL in steals six straight seasons (1985-1990) stole second & eventually third base. 

Gooden had a rough inning, walking three batters, then with the bases loaded got Tom Brunansky to hit into a double play.

In the top of the 1st, Greg Jefferies doubled & scored on Darryl Strawberry's double to rightfield. Joe Magrane threw a wild pitch, advancing Strawberry. Kevin McReynolds then singled bringing in Strawberry to make it 2-0 Mets.

In the top of the 3rd, after Gooden got the first two outs, Willie McGee & Terry Pendleton both singled. Then Pedro Guerrero belted a three run HR to right centerfield putting the Cards ahead 3-2.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Mets scored four runs & sent eight men to the plate. With one out Darryl Strawberry singled then stole second. Kevin McReynolds drew a walk, then he & Strawberry both advanced on a double steal put runners on second & third. 

Joe Magrane then walked Gary Carter to load the bases. The Mets got consecutive RBI hits from Howard Johnson & Kevin Elster. Dwight Gooden added a sac fly giving the Mets a 6-3 lead.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Greg Jefferies was hit by a pitch & reached first base. Darryl Strawberry then belted a two run double down the left field line, making it 7-3. It was Starw's third hit & second double of the game with his second run driven in.

Joe Magrane was done for the day, allowing seven runs on nine hits. He walked two & didn't strike out anyone. John Costello came on for two scoreless innings, as Frank Dipino, Ken Dayley & Todd Worrell finished it off.

In the top of the 8th, Willie McGee reached on an error, Terry Pendleton walked & Pedro Guerrero singled making it 7-4. Gooden exited the game, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, four walks & striking out eight.

Veteran Don Aase finished up the final two innings, allowing no runs on one hit.

In the bottom of the 8th, Howard Johnson greeted reliever Todd Worrell with his fourth career HR off the reliever, it was Hojo's first HR of the season to make it 8-4 Mets. Hojo would hit 36 HRs on the season.

The Mets won the game 8-4 with Gooden getting the victory & Joe Magrane the loss. It was the Mets 18th opening day win since 1970.

The 1989 Mets would finish second (87-75) six games behind the division winning Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals would finish third, a game behind the Mets.