Remembering Mets History (1986) Mets Roll With Their Sixth Six Game Win Streak of the Season To Go Forty Games Over .500
At the current time Gary Carter tore ligaments in his left thumb & was placed on the 15 day disabled list leaving Ed Hearn & John Gibbons to fill in the catchers role. Darryl Strawberry was also in a slump which was also keeping the Mets from scoring
After dropping the first game of a Sunday afternoon twin bill, camera crews filmed the fans at Shea Stadium for the up coming Lets Go Mets Go video. In the nightcap, the Mets Randy Nieman got the victory in his only start of the season. This sparked another Mets win streak.
Dodgers for a three game series. They arrived in LAX at 3:30 am & had to play a game later that evening on ABC's Monday Night Baseball.
The Dodgers were struggling at the time, with 14 players on the DL they fell four games under .500 in third place ten games behind the Astros. The opener featured a marquee pitching matchup of two twelve game winners as Bobby Ojeda (12-4) went up against Orel Hershiser (12-8).
In the top of the 1st inning, the Mets scored first when Wally Backman singled, advanced & scored on Darryl Strawberry's base hit. It broke Straw's 0-24 slump during a stretch where he was 4-53 seeing his average fall from .290 to .257.
In the home 3rd, Keith Hernandez led off the inning with his 11th HR of the year for a 2-0 Mets lead.
In the 5th, Wally Backman doubled for his s second hit of the night, Keith Hernandez singled scoring Wally with his second RBI of the game.
Darryl Strawberry then hit a two run HR over the left field wall 385' marker making it 5-0. It was Darryl's first HR since July 28th Straw hit his 17 HR of the year, as he had a multi-three RBI game giving him 65 RBIs on the season.
Quotes- Darryl Strawberry: "I don't know if its time for me to take over but I do want to help. I know he's counting on me. I'll be alright from here on."
L.A. came back with a four run 5th inning, knocking out Bobby O but the bullpen of Doug Sisk & Jesse Orosco got to the 9th inning.
In the bottom of the 9th Roger McDowell came on with one on & no one out. He got veteran Dodger Bill Russell to ground into a double play then struck out Bill Madlock to end the game. The Mets won it 5-4 for their second straight win as Bob Ojeda reached a new career high with 13 wins.
In the 1st inning, Keith Hernandez doubled then Kevin Mitchell who was batting clean up in place of the injured Gary Carter, followed with a two run HR down the left field line. It was 'World's" 11th HR of the season.
In the top of the 2nd, Ed Hearn walked then Rafael Santana & Ron Darling both collected singled to load the bases. With two outs Mookie Wilson then hit a two run single giving the Mets a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 2nd, a walk & three singles gave the Dodgers their first two runs.
In the top of the 6th, Ron Darling had his second multi-hit game of the year as he doubled to left field. off Valenzuela. Lenny Dykstra drove a base hit to right field giving the Mets back the lead 5-4. In the 9th, Darryl Strawberry added an RBI single to top of the 6-4 win.
Ron Darling became the fourth Mets pitcher to reach twelve wins on the season.
Straw Trivia: Darryl had himself his second straight multi-hit game collecting three hits while driving in a run for the second of four straight games.
Although Fernandez struck out seven, he struggled as did the other Mets starters in this series, giving up five runs.
But in the top of the 2nd with the bases loaded & two outs, Fernandez came up & drove in the first two runs of the game with a base hit to centerfield. It was his third & fourth RBIs of the year.
In the top of the 5th, with one out Sid Fernandez reached on an error at first base. Mookie Wilson & Tim Teufel followed with singles loading the bases for Keith Hernandez. Keith delivered a two run single giving the Mets a 6-0 lead. It was his second multi- RBI game in three games.
The Dodgers made it close scoring five runs, highlighted by a three run HR from Mike Marshall. Rick Anderson gave the Mets two scoreless innings & Jesse Orosco collected his 17th save as New York swept the series in L.A.
Dwight Gooden (12-4) went for Mets against veteran Vida Blue (9-7). In the top of the 4th, with the Giants up 1-0, Darryl Strawberry tied the game with his 18th HR of the season. Ray Knight & Rafael Santana reach on base hits, then Mookie Wilson hit a two run single but was thrown out at second to end the inning. The Mets were ahead 3-1.
In the 6th, Santana was hit by a pitch & was sacrificed over by Doc Gooden. The Mets tacked on a run on Jose Uribe's error at short. In the 6th, Bob Brenly led off with a double & advanced. Dwight Gooden's wild pitch allowed Brenly to score the Giants second run.
In the top of the 5th, John Gibbons led off with a base hit. Lenny Dykstra walked & Wally Backman reached on an infield single, with a bunt to the third base side of the pitcher to load the bases.
Kelly Downs then threw a wild pitch scoring Santana. Keith Hernandez singled to left bringing in Dykstra & Backman for a 3-1 Mets lead.
Bobby Ojeda went on to his team leading 14th win, holding a 2.81 ERA & Roger McDowell saved his 16th game, as he was holding a 2.31 ERA.
McDowell Trivia: For Roger it was back-to-back saves & his fourth in this Mets six game win streak. In a busy month of August so far after 13 games, McDowell had gone 4-2 with six saves posting a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 innings.
Quotes- Keith Hernandez: "I read articles that the Mets have peaked, but we were just going through our little period that every team goes through. We'll turn it on & we'll peak again when we have to".