Remembering Mets Opening Days (1988) Mets Hit Record Six Opening Day HRs in Montreal
After failing to make the playoffs in 1987, there was pressure & lots of optimism for 1988. The Mets pretty much brought the same team on board this season.
By now veterans Keith Hernandez & Gary Carter were in their mid-thirties, injuries were starting to take their toll. Howard Johnson had become one the league's top sluggers & Kevin Elster was taking over as the main short stop. The previous season David Cone & Randy Meyers had blossomed into the pitching staff. This was a good team.
This season, the Expo fans also had lots of optimism for its team. In 1987 the Expos were a good team, finishing .500 & in 1988 they would win 85 games. The team featured Tim Raines, Hubie Brooks & Andres Galarraga who would lead the NL in hits (184).
In the top of the 1st inning Lenny Dykstra drew a walk to start the season. But Dennis Martinez picked him off first base. Tim Teufel singled but Keith Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Mammoth Strawberry HR: In the top of the 2nd, Darryl Strawberry hit the Mets first HR of the season.
In the top of the 4th inning, Howard Johnson led off with a base hit. Then, Mets short stop Kevin Elster hit a two run HR making it a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the 6th, former Expo Gary Carter singled up the middle to start the inning. After Hojo & Elster were retired, pinch hitter Dave Magadan drew a two out walk.
Dennis Martinez finished the inning, but his afternoon was over. In six innings he allowed seven runs (six earned) nine hits & three HRs. He walked four & struck out seven. Martinez would win 15 games on the season; in his long 23-year career he would win 14 or more games ten times with Montreal & Baltimore.
Strawberrys Mammoth HR Hits a Speaker on the Roof: Strawberry's second HR of the game
was another mammoth shot, this one hit a speaker hanging from the concrete ring high atop the stadium, an estimated 525-foot. Straw followed up giving his teammates his celebratory low-five.
In the top of the 9th inning, McReynolds would hit his second HR of the game, this time coming off Jeff Parret.
The Mets season was to open in Montreal where 55,413 fans came to Stade Olympique, to see their hometown Expos take on the New York Mets. Many Mets fans made the six-hour ride north to the beautiful French-Canadian city
Trivia: This was also the first time the Expos had ever started a season at home in their 19-year existence.
The Opening Day starters were the Mets Dwight Gooden taking on Montreal's, Dennis Martinez.
Trivia: In his time with the Mets Gooden would make eight Opening Day starts for New York, being the winning pitcher in six of them.
In the bottom of the 1st, after Gooden got Tim Raines to ground out, Mitch Webster blasted a shot to deep right field, he rounded the bases landing on third with a triple. Hubie Brooks then singled bringing in the Expos first run.
Trivia: It was the third straight year Strawberry started out the season with a HR in his first game. Strawberry's solo shot was the first of his league leading 38 HRs on the season.
In the top of the 3rd, Lenny Dykstra reached on an infield error. He stole second & after Keith Hernandez walked, advanced to third on a balk. After Strawberry was intentionally walked Kevin McReynolds drove in his first run of the day with an RBI single, making it 2-1 Mets.
But Montreal came back, in the bottom of the 4th Luis Riveria singled & Tim Raines brought him in with a two out double. In the 5th inning, Tim Wallach & Andres Galarraga collected hits, then Tom Foley's grounder scored Wallach making it a 4-3 game. Jeff Reed added an RBI single tying it up.
Gooden had allowed four runs on ten hits with just one strike out in his season debut. David Cone came on in relief.
Lenny Dykstra then connected with a three run HR, the Mets third HR of the game, putting New York up 7-4.
Trivia: By 1988 the small, framed Dykstra had been bulking up to hit more HRs. He claimed in the off season he had done push-ups while watching TV at home.
In the top of the 7th inning, the Mets power surge continued as they greeted new Expo pitcher Randy St. Claire with back-to-back HRs from Darryl Strawberry (his second of the day) & Kevin McReynolds.
was another mammoth shot, this one hit a speaker hanging from the concrete ring high atop the stadium, an estimated 525-foot. Straw followed up giving his teammates his celebratory low-five.
In the top of the 9th inning, McReynolds would hit his second HR of the game, this time coming off Jeff Parret.
MLB Opening Day HR Record: It was the Mets sixth HR of the game, breaking an MLB record for most HRs on an Opening Day.
Multi- HR Games: 
Both McReynolds & Strawberry hit two HRs each that day. Strawberry would have three multi-HR games on the season & McReynolds two.
Both McReynolds & Strawberry hit two HRs each that day. Strawberry would have three multi-HR games on the season & McReynolds two.
In the bottom of the 9th Randy Meyers came on & got his first save of the year. The Mets bullpen was so talented that season, that the left-handed Myers would save 26 games & the right-handed Roger McDowell would collect 16 saves.
The 1988 Mets would win the NL East again that season but lose a heart breaking seven game NLCS to the surprising eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.