Remembering Mets History(1988): The Kid's Walk Off HR Gets the NL East Champs Closer to Magic Number

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Monday September 12th 1988: Davey Johnson's Mets were playing out the season, counting down magic numbers as they were atop the NL East with an eleven game lead over Jim Leyland's Pittsburgh Pirates (75-67).

Tonight the two teams went at it in front of 39,576 at Shea Stadium. Ron Darling who would go 17-9 on the season went up against Doug Drabek who would go 15-7, in a good pitching matchup.

Starting Lineups



In the 1st, Barry Bonds & Jose Lind singled to lead off the game & then Andy Van Slyke hit a sac fly scoring Bonds. In the 3rd, doubles by Ron Darling & Gregg Jefferies tied up the game.

In the 4th, Pittsburgh's Benny DeStefano tripled & scored on catcher, Mike LaValliere's base hit. In the home 6th, Mookie Wilson & Greg Jefferies both singled. Jefferies stole second, Dave Magadan then singled tying the game back up.

Darling pitched into the 9th inning, striking out six, walking five allowing the two runs of seven hits. Randy Meyers came on for the final out of the 9th.

In the home 9th, reliever Jeff Robinson got Howard Johnson to pop out. Then the Kid Gary Carter ended the game in heroic fashion with a walk off game winning HR, it was Carter's 11th HR of the year.

Carter would have five game winning hits for the Mets in his career.

The Mets won the NL Eastern Division but lost the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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