9/4 - GAME 3 - Shea Stadium
Reds 4 Mets 3 (10 inn)
Fred Norman vs Sid Fernandez
With their backs planted firmly against the wall appropriately nicknamed "elimination" Cincy came out swinging or more aptly looking. Sid "the squid" Fernandez gave up a lead off single to Concepcion then proceeded to walk 4 out of the next 6 batters to virtually hand the Reds a 2-0 lead. That lead would be erased by one swing of Ray Knight's bat in the bottom of the 4th as the 1986 World Series MVP hit a 2 run shot to make it 2-2. On the play Norman got some sort of whiplash type injury that resulted in him leaving the game. Cincy would trot out 5 relievers in hopes of forcing their way into a game 4. Fernandez, as usual, threw a game's worth of pitches in just 6 innings, so New York was forced to go to the pen a bit earlier than they wanted to. Joe Morgan's RBI ground out in the 7th gave the Reds a 3-2 lead, but the resilient Mets tied it up once again on an RBI triple by Knight who was a double short of a cycle. No further scoring occurred after 9 full innings of play, so this tension riddled game headed into "extras". Jesse Orosco would start his second inning of work for the Amazin's by getting Foster to pop out to Santana at short. Perez walked then moved to second on Geronimo's weak roller to Backman at second. Merv Rettenmund was called on to pinch hit and delivered an RBI single to center to put the Reds up 4-3. Tom Hall was given the job of closing out the Mets in the bottom of the 10th, but right off the bat he made the fans watching at home in the Queen City very nervous. Hometown Matinee Idol Lee Mazzilli led off the 10th with a pinch hit single. Tim Teufel followed that with a walk to put runners on 1st and second with nobody out and the top of the order coming to bat. Mookie flew out to center and Hall fanned Mex and Knight to end it. Cincy was able to squeek this one out and live to fight another day.
Mets lead series 2-1
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