Remembering Mets History (1988): A Wild One at Shea Ends with Kevin McReynolds Extra Inning Walk Off

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Saturday June 4th, 1988: Davey Johnson's Mets (36-17) were riding high with a five & a half game lead in the NL East. 

There was lots of hope in recapturing a World Championship on which they had just won, two seasons before.

In this matinee at Shea, the Mets hosted Don Zimmer's Chicago Cubs (27-26). A big crowd of 48,052 came to see Ron Darling pitch against Chicago's Les Lancaster.





In the home 2nd, Darryl Strawberry doubled to left field, just missing a HR. Kevin McReynolds grounder in the hole couldn't be handled, he reached safely & Straw held on second. He advanced alertly on a fly ball to right & then scored on Barry Lyons sac fly to right.

In the 6th, Dave Magadan singled & then Strawberry tripled bringing home Magadan, Howard Johnson then hit a base hit to left scoring Straw for a 3-0 Mets lead.

Darling shut out the Cubs until the 8th, then he gave up three straight singles. Randy Meyers came on allowing a bases loaded walk. 

 A run also scored on a ground out & it was 3-2.  In the 9th Roger McDowell came on, he gave up four singles & Manny Trillo's two run base hit put Chicago ahead 4-3 going to the bottom of the 9th.

But these 80's Mets were so good, they got to veteran reliever Rich Gossage, HoJo led off with a single & was sacrificed over to second by Barry Lyons. Lee Mazzilli was brought in to pinch hit & singled. Gary Carter was then put in to pinch hit & he delivered as well, a base hit to left scored HoJo with the tying run.

The game went to extra innings, Terry Leach allowed a run in the top of the 11th but the Mets came right back in the bottom half. Barry Lyons reached on an error but was erased on Mookie Wilson grounder, getting forced at second.

Gary Carter remained in the game after his 9th inning game tying pinch hit & singled again here in the 11th. With runners on the corners & Len Dykstra at the plate, Cubs pitcher Mike Capel, threw a wild pitch allowing Mookie to score, tying it up once again.

Jeff Innis held down the Cubs through the 13th inning. In the bottom of the 13th, Kevin McReynolds led off the inning & blasted Mike Capels pitch into the Mets bullpen, for a walk off game winning HR. This had come just two days after Howard Johnson's walk off HR beating the Cubs 2-1 on Thursday evening.

It was Kevin McReynolds first walk off hit in 1988, he had had three in 1987 & would have eighth walk off hits in his Mets career. 

 McReynolds spent six years with the Mets (1987-1991) (1994) batting 272 with 122 HRs & 456 RBIs. For the 1988 NL East Champion Mets he batted .288 with 29 HRs & 99 RBIs.

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