GAME 1 - Yankee Stadium
1998 Yankees 3, 1986 Mets 2
Ron Darling vs Andy Pettitte
The great Mariano Rivera was called upon to get a 4 out save and narrowly escaped with success. After getting "Nails", Lenny Dykstra to ground out to end the 8th with bases loaded things looked good, but the 2 run lead became a 1 run lead when Darryl Strawberry led off the top of the 9th with the long ball. Wally Backman followed that with a single, but Mazzilli hit a bullet to Knoblauch that turned into a routine 4-6-3 DP. An uncharacteristic error by Jeter at short left the Mets on life support, but Mo threw Mookie a cutter that was lifted weakly to left for the final out. The Yanks jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the heels of a 2 run blast by Scott Brosius in the bottom of the 2nd and a Tim Raines RBI double in the 4th.
Yankees lead series 1-0
GAME 2 - Yankee Stadium
Yankees 5, Mets 0
Dwight Gooden vs David Wells
A rocky start for Doc, the Mets 3rd year phenom settled into a nice groove until the Bombers added 2 more insurance runs in the 8th. Those runs would turn out to be unnecessary since David Wells was in the process of shutting the Amazin's out for 8 spectacular innings. “Boomer” Wells would allow just 4 hits over that span, then leave the game in the hands of the pen. Derek Jeter's lead off homer set the tone for a game that was totally dominated by the boys in pinstripes. Tino Martinez and Shane Spencer's solo blasts in the 8th put it out of reach as the Bronx Bombers held serve in their ballpark.
Yankees lead series 2-0
GAME 3 - Shea Stadium
Mets 12, Yankees 3
David Cone vs Sid Fernandez
With their backs up against the wall to stave off elimination the Amazin's put the ball in the hands of El Sid, who did not disappoint by going 7 2/3 innings and giving up just 2 runs. By the time Sid left the game the Met offense had come to life and posted 12 big runs. "Nails", Lenny Dykstra had a 4 for 5 day with 2 runs scored, but the big bat for the Mets was freshman utility man Kevin Mitchell, who was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI's. Mitchell hit a solo shot in the 5th after Keith Hernandez' bases clearing 3 RBI double. Former Met David Cone was the victim of this offensive explosion and never made it out of the 6th inning after giving up 9 runs (8 earned).
Yankees lead series 2-1
GAME 4 - Shea Stadium
Mets 4, Yankees 2
Hideki Irabu vs Bobby Ojeda
The "Straw Man’s" 2 out solo shot in the 1st got the Amazin's on the board first. A 3 run 5th inning chased the "Big fat Toad" from the hill. The Mets played small ball that inning and combined walks, stolen bases and an uncharacteristic error by Paul O'Neill into a huge inning. Ojeda kept baffling the Bombers until Jorge Posada hit a solo shot with 2 out in the 7th. Shane Spencer led off the 8th with a blast of his own to cut the deficit in half. The crowd at Shea began to feel concerned, but Ojeda righted his ship and got stronger as he approached the finish line. "Bobby O" would strike out 5 on the day, including Posada for the final out as the Mets held serve at Big Shea.
Series tied 2-2
GAME 5 - Yankee Stadium
Mets 3, Yankees 2
Ron Darling vs Andy Pettitte
Mystique and aura were out in full force in this decisive game 7. It started early for the Bombers when Paul O'Neill made a brilliant play gunning Mookie Wilson down at second, as the Met left fielder tried to stretch his lead off single into a double. If Wilson had stayed on 1st the Mets would have had bases loaded and surely scored. Don't mess with those pinstripe ghosts, because they make the surreal happen. The Bombers made a statement of their own in the bottom of the frame when Jeter led off with a double to right, moved to third on a Knoblauch double and scored on Bernie Williams' sac fly. Pettitte would escape trouble time and time again over the next 4 innings. The Amazin's would have at least 2 runners on board in each of those 4 innings, but Andy found a way to wiggle out of trouble and call on the ghosts for help. Those ghosts must have gone to the concession stand for an overpriced beer in the top of the 6th as the Amazin's finally broke through. Native New Yorker Stanley Jefferson led off the inning with a pinch hit single, but the next two batters (Santana / Wilson) made easy outs. "Nails" two out single put runners on the corners and "Kid" Carter took one in the back to load the bases. The most clutch batter in the Met lineup stepped up and lined a 2 out opposite field hit to score two runs and give the Amazin's a 1 run lead. Nobody comes up bigger than Keith Hernandez in big situations. Ray Knight hit a bounding two hopper that Jeter booted and just like that a 1-0 Yankee lead was now a 3-1 Met lead. Jeter, who is normally surehanded, also booted a grounder by
Knight in the 5th. Pettitte was able to escape without any further damage, but the Amazins' now handed a lead to "High Risk" Doug Sisk, who replaced Yalie Ron Darling (6 IP 1 ER). The ghosts returned to their seats and with 2 outs in the 7th Bernie go on board via a fluke error by shortstop Rafael Santana. Two batters later Tino lined a single off the right field wall to score Bernie to make it a 1 run game. Sisk would last unitl two outs in the 9th when he walked Bernie and up stepped O'Neill. With both Orosco and McDowell in the pen manager Keller went with a hunch and took the righty over the lefty, even though O'Neill is a lefty. That hunch worked out like a charm as "Paulie" hit a bullet to Mex at first deep in the hole. McDowell was on his horse and easily accepted the underhand toss from Hernandez to end the game and the series.
Mets win series 3-2
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