World Sequence champion and beloved SNY analyst Keith Hernandez can 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 ninth of a 10-part every day countdown of Hernandez’s biggest moments and accomplishments following his 1983 arrival in Flushing.
No. 2: The comeback children
The fabled World Sequence comebacks wouldn’t have occurred for the Mets in 1986 with out an earlier restoration in opposition to the Astros in Recreation 6 of the NLCS.
Houston lefty Bob Knepper carried a 3-0 lead and a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning with an opportunity to pressure Recreation 7, during which Astros ace Mike Scott — who deeply was within the Mets’ heads with two wins and a 0.50 ERA earlier within the collection amid accusations he was scuffing the ball — was set to pitch for a visit to the Fall Traditional.
Keith Hernandez completed 1-for-7 in what would change into a series-clinching, 7-6 Mets victory in 16 innings, however the one hit was a key double that chased Knepper and reduce the deficit to 3-2 within the ninth.
Hernandez usually has credited an in-game telephone name he positioned from the visiting clubhouse to his brother, Gary, in California after the seventh inning for recommendation on going through Knepper.
“I used to be 0-for-3, and Knepper was powerful. Elias [Sports Bureau] despatched me my numbers as soon as and I hit like .325 off of him lifetime, however he was no enjoyable. He was work,” Hernandez informed The Put up final week. “I at all times simply choked up a bit extra in opposition to him.”
Gary Hernandez had informed his youthful brother that he might inform the veteran lefty was tiring, and Keith recollects the recommendation through the pep discuss “to get on prime of 1 and drive it to the alley.”
Lenny Dykstra tripled to steer off the inning and scored on Mookie Wilson’s single for the primary run to deliver up Hernandez, who ripped a 2-1 pitch to right-center to tug the Mets inside one earlier than Ray Knight tied the rating with a sacrifice fly off nearer Dave Smith.
The perimeters traded runs within the 14th, together with a game-tying homer by Houston outfielder Billy Hatcher, however the Mets plated three within the prime of the sixteenth for a 7-4 benefit. The Astros acquired two again within the backside half in opposition to Jesse Orosco, in his third inning of labor. However the lefty struck out Kevin Bass for the ultimate out to arrange an infamously wild celebration on the airplane experience again to New York forward of the matchup with Boston within the World Sequence.
“That was the best recreation I ever performed in,” Hernandez stated of the marathon comeback in Houston. “I used to be so emotionally spent after that recreation. Then we had the loopy four-hour flight house, however that recreation, for 16 innings, was so exhausting, very traumatic. It felt like going right into a jungle ready to be ambushed. However our workforce was so clutch with our backs in opposition to the wall.”
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