Remembering Mets History (1985) Darryl Strawberry Hits a Walk Off HR Off John Franco

Saturday April 13th, 1985: Davey Johnson's 1985 Mets were one of the best teams in the league. They could never to be counted out of any contest. The season had begun with a home opener dramatic walk off HR from the team's new All Star-Gary Carter.

The Mets had won their first three games of the year as they entered today's game. 

On this Saturday matinee at Shea, 26,212 came out to see Davey Johnson's Mets host Pete Rose's Cincinnati Reds. 

Trivia: The Reds Manger Pete Rose was in the line up playing at first base for this game. Rose was the last MLB player/manager. This was his 22nd playing season & second year as manager. Rose would retire from playing the next season.

Both teams would have fine seasons that yea, but they both finished in second place in their respective divisions. The Reds went 89-72 second to the Los Angeles Dodgers & the Mets finished up 98-64 three games behind the eventual NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Ed Lynch would get the start for the Mets. Manager Davey Johnson had just put Lynch in the Mets starting rotation with the decision to send Sid Fernandez back down to AAA Tidewater. Tom Browning started for the Reds.

Both teams failed to score in the first inning.

In the top of the 2nd inning, the Reds Nick Esasky doubled down the left field line. Long time Reds veteran, Dave Concepcion followed with a double down the right field line scoring Esasky with the first run.

Reds Trivia: Dave Concepcion, a seven time All Star, played 19 years with Reds winning two Championships. He & Pete Rose were the last two members of the Red Big Red Machine of the 1970's. George Foster another member of that team was now playing with Mets,

Thru the first five innings, Reds pitcher Tom Browning held the Mets scoreless with just three hits.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Red's centerfielder Eric Davis misplayed a Kelvin Chapman flyball, losing it in the sun. Chapman alertly advanced all the way to third base. 

Keith Hernandez then drove him in with a sac fly to Cesar Cedeno in left field tie the game. 

For Tom Browning, he would go seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strike outs on the day.

For the Mets Ed Lynch also went seven innings, allowing just the one run on four hits, he struck out two on the day & walked one as well. 

In the top of the 8th, Roger McDowell came on for the Mets & retired the side in order. 

In the bottom of the 8th, Native New Yorker (future Met) John Franco came on to pitch.

John Franco Trivia: Franco was just in his second season & not yet the teams closer. Ted Power would lead the Reds with 27 saves that year, as Franco saved 12. John became the Reds closer the next season & would lead the NL in saves in 1988. Franco came over to the Mets in 1990.

In the home 8th, Mookie Wilson led off with a base hit, then was sacrificed over to second by Kelvin Chapman. 

Franco then walked Keith Hernandez, but got Gary Carter to ground into an inning ending double play, Dave Concepcion to Ron Oester to Pete Rose. 

In the top of the 9th, Rose led off with a single, the 4103rd hit of his career. Rose was now just 89 hits shy of Ty Cobb's all-time hit record. 

Then Dave Parker followed with a base hit putting Gary Redus, the pinch runner in scoring position. But Mets reliever Roger McDowell got Cesar Cedeno to ground into a double play then retired Nick Esasky on a grounder for the third out.

In the bottom of the 9th, Darryl Strawberry led off the inning facing John Franco. Straw was 1-3 on the day having singled back in the 4th inning.

Strawberry blasted the first of his 29 HRs of that season, for a walk off game winner giving the Mets the 2-1 win as they started the year out at 4-0.

Quotes- Darryl Strawberry: "I'm thinking he's going to keep to down, but it came right over the plate".

In 1988 Darryl would hit another walk off HR off Franco.