Remembering Mets History (1984) Keith Hernandez Has Three Walk Off Hits

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1984 was a great & exciting year for the New York Mets. It was the Mets first winning season in eight years. An exciting year had the Mets fighting for first place until mid September. They would finish with 90 wins (90-72) in second place behind the Chicago Cubs.

That season Keith Hernandez would bat .311 (7th in the NL in batting) with 15 HRs 31 doubles (7th most in the NL) 83 runs scored & 94 RBIs (8th most in the NL). He would have three walk off wins for the Mets that year as well.

Wednesday, May 2nd 1984: Davey Johnson's Mets (14-8) would host Jim Frey's Chicago Cubs (12-10) in front of a small crowd of 11,059 fans at Shea. The Mets young starter, Tim Leary would give up three runs in the 3rd inning, as the Cubs went up 3-0. 

In the home 4th, Hubie Brooks doubled home the Mets first run. In the 5th, Cubs pitcher Chuck Rainey threw a wild pitch to George Foster with the bases loaded & Wally Backman scored making it 3-2. George Foster tied the game with a HR off Warren Brusstar in the 7th inning.

In the bottom of the 9th, one of the games best relievers, Lee Smith came on for the Cubs. Danny Heep led off the inning with a pinch hit triple. In a strange move, Wally Backman & pinch hitter Rusty Staub, were both intentionally walked to load the bases. Keith Hernandez came up & ended the game with a sacrifice fly ball to left field that scored Heep with the game winning run. Mets won it 4-3.

Trivia:  Hernandez would have nine sac flies in 1985 (5th most in the NL).

Tuesday, July 24th 1984: Davey Johnson's New York Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Cubs. A good crowd of 36,749 came to see the Mets host Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals (47-52).

The Mets took an early 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning, when Kelvin Chapman, Keith Hernandez & George Foster drove in back to back to back runs. The Cards went ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

In the 4th, Rafael Santana doubled & pitcher Bruce Berenyi singled him in. Mookie Wilson reached on an error. Chapman, Hernandez & Foster all drove in runs once again, giving the Mets a 7-4 lead.

 Berenyi would surrender six runs & get lifted in the 7th inning. Doug Sisk came in & walked three straight batters with Andy Van Slyke already on third base. The Cards got within a run 7-6.

In the 8th, Tito Landrum hit a two run HR off Tom Gorman giving the Cards an 8-7 lead. 

In the bottom of the 8th inning, with Jerry Martin on third base, Keith Hernandez came to bat against Dave Von Ohlen. Hernandez delivered with a base hit to tie the game 8-8.

The game went to extra innings, in the bottom of the 10th inning, the finale led to an exciting confrontation. The previous season at the trade dead line, the Mets traded pitcher Neil Allen for Keith Hernandez. Allen came on in the 10th & got the first two Mets out.

Mookie Wilson singled & stole second. Pinch hitter Wally Backman then drew a walk. Once again, Keith Hernandez delivered & was the hero. He singled scoring Mookie with the walk off game winning run. The Mets extended their first place lead.

Wednesday, August 29th 1984: The Mets were now in second place, as 26,290 fans came to Shea as the Mets hosted the fourth place Los Angles Dodgers (63-70).

Ron Darling left the game in the 7th inning with a tight 2-1 lead. He had walked Mike Scioscia in the 1st inning with the bases loaded for the only Dodger run. In the 4th inning, Mets catcher, Mike Fitzgerald doubled to bring in Ray Knight to tie the game.

In the 7th, Mookie Wilson doubled with one out. Pinch hitter, Rusty Staub then doubled bringing in Mookie with the tying run. 


But in the 8th, Candy Maldanado put L.A. ahead with a HR off Jesse Orosco.

In the bottom of the 9th, Danny Heep led off with a pinch hit base hit, off former Mets pitcher, Pat Zachry. Keith Hernandez then doubled to bring in the winning run, collecting his third walk off hit of the 1984 season.

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