A 14th Inning Hero
Hey! Houston Astros fans? ~ Need more angst on the heels of the previous story of bad memories from the 1980 NLCS? Well, let’s zip forward six years to the next ime our boys came close.
Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS, the New York Mets vs. the Houston Astros.
Wednesday, October 15, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, Texas
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | R | H | E | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Houston | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 | ||||
| WP: Jesse Orosco (3–0) LP: Aurelio López (0–1) Home runs: NYM: None HOU: Billy Hatcher (1) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Seems like yesterday. Disaster always does.
Now playing a first four wins in seven games in the 1986 National League Championship Series, the Houston Astros went into the top of the ninth in Game Six leading 3-0 with lefty Bob Knepper floating by on cruise control of the visitors. The Astros were three outs away from tying the series at 3-3, and forcing the Mets to face their arch nemesis Mike Scott in Game Seven at the same deadly venue for Big Apple hopes.
Then that old magic that is Houston’s spell, that old black magic that fate weaves so well, began to splatter the canvas of Houston’s eternal rainbow dreams.
First a tobacco-chewing lumpy cheeked rat named Lenny Dykstra laced a triple that seemed to cast a spell over center fielder Billy Hatcher’s ability to corral a catchable ball in the right-center gap.. It ended up as a triple to start the latest Houston descent into the darker regions of hope’s hell. Mookie Wilson then singled to make it 3-1, Astros. An out later, Keith Hernandez doubled, scoring Wilson. The Mets had quickly pulled to a mere 3-2 deficit.
Goodnight, Mr. Knepper. Go grab a Dr. Pepper. Why’d you have to be a schlepper too?
Dave Smith was in – to save our melting skin – but would he bring us back to life again?
Smith proceeded to walk Gary Carter and Darrell Strawberry to load the bases.
Ray Knight then hit a sac fly to right field that scored Hernandez. Danny Heep then struck out to end the inning, but not the game. Now shock-blasted by the sudden 3-3 tie, the game now headed for extra innings with ominous warning cues reverberating through the disappointment-seasoned Astros crowd.
A pumped and ready Roger McDowell came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th for the Mets. He was ready, alright. McDowell held the Astros to no runs and one hit for five innings through the 14th. Meanwhile, Dave Smith and Larry Anderson were also holding back New York from further scoring from the 10th through the 13th.
Things finally gave again in the top of the 14th. After Gary Carter walked and Darrell Strawberry singled, another little water bug named Wally Backman singled to right of reliever Aurelio Lopez. a run scored when right fielder Kevin Bass’ throw from right field sailed high at the plate. The Mets scored only once in the 14th, but it could have been fatally worse. Mookie Wilso struck out with two outs and the bases loaded.
Going to the bottom of the 14th, the Mets led the Astros, 4-3, They also led the NLCS, 3 games to 2. Three more outs and the Mets would be headed to the World Series as the NL champs.
The bottom of the 14th brought about one of those legendary minor moments of compensatory triumph in the history of our losing Houston franchise. With one out, Billy Hatcher launched a deep high drive down the left field line. – Would it stay fair? – Yes it has. – The ball just bounced off the foul pole screen. Minor madness in the moment. One of the watchers near home gives way to the pure joy of a double fist pump. It is Billy Hatcher. His homer in the bottom of the 14th has saved the Astros, tying the game at 4-4. When he crosses the plate, it almost feels as though we just won the game. Time to go home now and wait for Scott and the joy of tomorrow.
No, wait. We can’t leave. The game is only tied. The Astros still have to score more runs than the Mets in Game 6 to make Game 7 possible.
The Astros could not finish the job in the 14th. And nobody scored in the 15th. But, going into the top of the 16th, the Mets turned up the gas.
Top of the 16th, Lopez still pitching for Houston. After Strawberry doubles, Knight singles him across the plate for a 5-6 Mets lead. And Jeff Calhoun replaces Aurelio Lopez on the mound for the Astros.
Calhoun is running over with adrenaline and a lack of control. On his way to walking Backman, Calhoun throws two wild pitches that plate Knight and stretch the Mets advantage to 6-4. Then he gives up a single to Dykstra that scores fellow rug-rat Backman with the 7th and final Mets run of the day.
Going to the bottom of the 16th, the Mets lead the Astros, 7-4. New York will need every one of those three runs before this inning and game are finally done.
With Jess Orosco now on the mound, Davy Lopes managed a one-out pinch walk and went to 2nd base on a single by Billy Doran. Hatcher then singled in Lopes to make it 7-5, Denny Walling then reached on a fielder’s choice second out and Glenn Davis followed with a single to center field that plated Doran. The Mets’ lead had shrunk to 7-6, but the Astros had two outs, the tying and winning runs at on 2nd and 1st with Kevin Bass at the plate.
For a mighty long minute or two, with Kevin Bass batting, hope for deliverance struggles under our skins with our history of local disappointment. For a moment there, we could see Kevin Bass either taking Orosco deep or pleating a caroming triple into the gap that scored two to win the game for Houston by 8-7.
Didn’t happen.
Kevin Bass struck out swinging at a ball in the dirt and the latest collapsing chapter in Houston’s failure in big games had been written anew.
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Tags: NLCS 1986
The Pecan Park Eagle 
May 19, 2014 at 3:59 pm |
In game five, Craig Reynolds was called out at first in the second inning by umpire Fred Brocklander, erasing the run scored by Kevin Bass. Replays showed that Reynolds was obviously safe. I think Keith Hernandez slapped his glove before the ball arrived, tricking the umpire into thinking he had caught it before Reynolds’ foot hit the bag.
May 19, 2014 at 4:04 pm |
I was at all of the home games for the 1980 playoff against the Phils, and the 1986 playoff against the Mets. The wounds will never fully heal. But at least we can be proud of how those Astro teams fought. The most painful series was losing to the Padres in four game in 1998. I was depressed after the 1980 and 1986 playoffs. After 1998, I was just angry.
May 20, 2014 at 2:12 am |
In keeping with the Bad Memories meme, the photo of Kevin Bass striking out would probably have been more fitting. I don’t really think of the 1980 or 1986 NLCS losses as bad memories. Rather, they were titanic struggles fought down to the wire. The Astros came up just a hair short each time.
May 20, 2014 at 3:57 am |
I was thinking something like this: http://astrosdaily.com/history/1986NLCS/1986g6i.jpg
May 24, 2014 at 11:46 am |
I’m reading these in reverse order…just finished the one on 1998 loss to SD. I think I’m going to put a bullet in my head.
March 15, 2019 at 4:01 am |
Things finally went well in 2017. It only seemed like a lifetime before finally winning a World Series.