World Collection champion and beloved SNY analyst Keith Hernandez may have his No. 17 retired by the Mets on Saturday, changing into simply the fourth participant, plus managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges, within the historical past of the franchise to be bestowed that honor. That is the final of a 10-part every day countdown of Hernandez’s best moments and accomplishments following his 1983 arrival in Flushing.
No. 1: Eighty-sixing the Sox
A lot of Keith Hernandez’s significance to the 1986 Mets was as a result of he’d been there earlier than, however even No. 17 was considering “it's important to be kidding me” whereas within the on-deck circle within the sixth inning of Sport 7 of the World Collection in opposition to the Crimson Sox.
4 years after driving within the tying runs for the Cardinals within the sixth inning of their championship clincher in opposition to the Brewers, Hernandez delivered one other key two-run single off Boston’s Bruce Hurst earlier than the Mets tied the rating within the sixth inning of their 8-5 win in Sport 7 of the 1986 Fall Traditional.
“What was so ironic about it was I’d had the identical state of affairs in ’82 in opposition to Milwaukee off of Bob McClure, one other left-hander,” Hernandez instructed The Submit final week. “I needed to get a base hit, and I tied it up, and George Hendrick adopted with a single to place us forward.
“My hit in opposition to Hurst received us inside one, and [Gary] Carter drove within the subsequent run [with a groundout]. But it surely was practically the equivalent state of affairs.”
After superstitiously watching the Mets’ miraculous Tenth-inning rebellion two nights earlier in Sport 6 from supervisor Davey Johnson’s workplace, the All-Star first baseman got here by in Sport 7, which had been postponed a day by rain.
Boston had grabbed a 3-0 lead within the second inning on homers by Dwight Evans and Wealthy Gedman off Mets starter Ron Darling. Sid Fernandez got here in and slammed the door with 4 strikeouts over 2 ¹/₃ scoreless aid innings, however Hurst maintained his shutout bid into the sixth.
One-out singles by pinch-hitter Lee Mazzilli and Mookie Wilson and a stroll to Tim Teufel loaded the bases for Hernandez, who lined an 0-1 pitch to middle to make the rating 3-2. Carter’s groundout, homers by World Collection MVP Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry and an RBI single by nearer Jesse Orosco offered a lot of the successful margin.
“McClure had pitched round Gene Tenace and walked him on a 3-2 curveball to get to me in ’82. And Hurst pitched fastidiously to Teufel and walked him on a curveball,” recalled Hernandez, who added a sacrifice fly within the seventh. “I used to be within the on-deck circle considering it's important to be kidding me. It’s my second World Collection, additionally Sport 7, the identical situation.
“Hurst led me off with a curveball, however I knew he’d come again in with a fastball. I felt like all I wanted was a single to get us again within the recreation. I simply was trying to hit a line drive, however I knew he was going to return again in on me. When he did, he didn’t get it in sufficient, and the remaining is historical past.”
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