Remembering Mets History (1986) Ron Darling Goes 5-0 in May
Ron Darling started out the season with his one of his worst outings of the year. In the Mets second game of the season, Ron allowed six runs in Philadelphia, the second highest amount of runs he gave up one the year while giving up two HRs in the games as well. Ron would allow two HRs in a game three times on the season. He earned no decision in the game as the potent Mets line up put up seven runs & won the game 9-7.
On April 18th, he earned his first win beating the Phillies at Shea. He then took two more no decisions, which included giving up five more runs in Atlanta. He ended April 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA.
In May Ronnie turned things around, winning five straight games 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA.
May 4th: In Cincinnati, the Mets gave him a three run lead in the 1st inning, led by a two run HR from Darryl Strawberry & RBI single from Ray Knight. Straw added another HR in the 3rd inning to make it 4-0.
Darling earned his second win of the year, pitching 6.2 innings allowing two runs on four hits, striking out five while walking a season high six batters. The Mets scored three more runs to complete the 7-2 victory for their third straight win.
May 10th: in Darling's next start he faced Tom Browning & the Reds at Shea Stadium. Darling had his best start to date, allowing one run thru eight innings striking out four & walking three. Gary Carter & George Foster led the offense with HRs as Keith Hernandez & Mookie Wilson also drove in runs. The win was the Mets seventh straight, as well as their 18th in the last 19 games. Darling went to 3-0 lowering his ERA to 4.41.
Darling kept the Astros scoreless thru the first five innings, before giving up a walk, a double then a two run single to Craig Reynolds. In the top of the 8th Gary Carter added a HR making a 5-2 Mets lead. Darling pitched into the 9th inning, getting relieved after giving up a lead off single to Phil Garner. Jesse Orosco closed out the game, as Darling earned his fourth win, his third straight, lowering his ERA to 4.01. Darlings victory was sandwiched between two losses on the front & back end.
May 21st: on the West Coast the Mets had lost two of three to the Dodgers then took the first game in San Francisco. Darling had the luxury of a 4-0 lead when he took the mound, thanks to two run doubles from Darryl Strawberry & Howard Johnson.
In the top of the 3rd, Wally Backman hit the Mets third two run double of the game, Mookie Wilson also drove in a run giving Darling a 7-1 lead. Although he gave up a HR to Dan Gladden, he did not allow another hit. He walked tow batters & pitched seven innings allowing two runs on three hits striking out & walking four. Darling went to 5-0 on the season lowering his ERA to 3.81.
May 27th: back at Shea Stadium Darling had his best outing up to that point. He pitched his first complete game of the year, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out a season best 12 batters.
It was the only game that season he put up double figures in strike outs. He got to 6-0 on the season & had lowered his ERA to 3.38, a goof three & half runs from the previous month.
In pitching the complete game, the one run was second lowest amount of runs he gave up that year besides his two shut outs.
In May Ron Darling went 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA, striking out 28 while walking 17 in 38.2 innings.
Darling would go 15-6 on the season, pitching two shut outs & four complete games. He finished with 2.81 ERA, his career best while pitching a full season. In the post season he was 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA, striking out 17 while walking 12 in 22.2 innings.