Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Rd 03: ‘86 Amazin’s eliminate ‘55 Boys of Summer in 6

GAME 1 - Shea Stadium
Dodgers 2, Mets 0
Don Newcombe vs Dwight Gooden
Expectations of a classic pitcher's duel were completely fulfilled.  Doc Gooden was real good.  "The Newk", Don Newcombe was fantastic.  Newk was the story today going the distance, while scattering 8 hits en route to a 2-0 shutout.  Newk would fan 7 Mets and never allow a Met runner to reach third.  Pee Wee Reese's 2 out homer in the 3rd gave Newk a 1-0 lead and Gil Hodges' RBI double in the 4th provided the final margin.
Dodgers lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - Shea Stadium
Mets 5, Dodgers 3
Johnny Podres vs Sid Fernandez
Things looked good for the visitors after posting a 3 spot in the 4th thanks to some key hits and an error by "the Straw Man" in right.  The resilient Mets struck back 2 innings later by taking advantage of a throwing error charged to Reese.  Podres, who build his reputation on clutch performances, melted down after Reese's error and Campy's passed ball.  Wally Backman had a key RBI single, as did 1986 WS MVP Ray Knight.  Super Utility man Kevin Mitchell's 2 run double erased the Dodgers 3-2 lead and put the Metsies up 4-3.  Len Dykstra's pinch hit double in the 8th added and insurance run to make it 5-3.  Brooklyn loaded the bases in the top of the 9th with 1 out, but all hope disappeared when Jesse Orosco got Reese to ground into a game ending DP.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - Ebbets Field
Mets 9, Dodgers 3
Ron Darling vs Carl Erskine
The series moved from Queens to Kings (Brooklyn), but the Dodger pitching forgot to take the Subway ride.  The Amazin's beat up "Oisk" to the tune of 8 runs in 5 innings.  Ron Darling went 7 and gave up 3, while striking out 7.  Roger McDowell finished up the final 2 innings with ease.  "The Kid", Gary Carter started off the scoring with a 3 run blast in the top of the 1st on a day where he would go 2 for 4 with 4 RBI's.  Dykstra was the ultimate tablesetter going 3 for 5 and scoring 3 runs. Darling was the only Met not to get a hit.  Nails and Straw each had homers.  Campy was 3 for 3 with a 2 run shot in a losing cause for Brooklyn.
Mets lead series 2-1

GAME 4 - Ebbets Field
Mets 12, Dodgers 8
Bobby Ojeda vs Billy Loes
The Amazins scored runs in each of the first 3 innings to jump out to a 4-0 lead off of a beleaguered Billy Loes.  A 3 run homer by Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson in the bottom of the 4th squared the game up at 4-4.  Loes settled down and tossed a scoreless 4th, 5th and 6th, but loaded the bases and walked in a run in the 7th to hand New York a 5-4 lead.  An RBI double and single by Tim Teufel and Mookie Wilson gave New York a 3 run lead.  A huge 5 run top of the 9th put the Amazin's up by 8.  Brooklyn rallied for 4 in the bottom of the inning, but that fell under the category of "too little too late".  Once again the "tablesetters" were the key to the Amazin's run.  Lenny "Nails" Dykstra was 4 for 6 with 2 runs scored in the lead off spot and Mookie Wilson was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI hitting out of the #2 hole.  The straw man had 4 RBI's on the day hitting 3rd.  Bobby O went 7 and gave up 3 (2 earned) for the victory and Roger McDowell finished up.  Loes gave up 7 runs in 7 innings.  Ed Roebuck was even worse giving up 5 in 2/3 of an inning.  A young Tommy Lasorda was called on to mop up and get the final out.
Mets lead series 3-1

GAME 5 - Ebbets Field
Dodgers 7, Mets 4 (13 innings)
Dwight Gooden vs Don Newcombe
In a rematch of game #1 starters both Gooden and Newcombe did not factor into the decision.  The Amazin's had Newk on the ropes early by scoring 2 in the top of the first and 1 in the third via a Straw homer.  Dwight Gooden was keeping 'dem Bums off stride until Campy doubled home Snider in the 4th to make it 3-1.  Gooden would stay in control until the they 7th when he exited the game on the long side for a pinch hitter (HoJo).  Doc was done after throwing 122 pitches over 6 innings.  He gave up just 1 run and was poised to notch the series clinching victory, until reliever Jesse "Uh-Oh" Orosco had a turbulent 8th.  Facing the fact that they had 6 outs left in their season, the Boys of Summer got to work in the bottom of the 8th.  Snider led off with a single and went to third on Campy's single thanks to Mookie mishandling the ball in left.  Hodges walked to load the bases and pinch hitter Frank Kellert delivered the tying runs with a clean single to right center.  Jackie Robinson was sent up to pinch hit for New with 1 out and runners on the corners.  Jackie lifted a ball to shallow center.  Hodges, who tagged at third, was sent home.   Nails made a perfect peg to Carter to get Gil by 3 strides and end the inning.  Brooklyn gambled trying to get the go ahead run in and failed.  The game would eventually head to extra innings.  The Amazin's threatened to score in every inning from the 9th on and finally broke through in the top of the 13th.  Don Bessent started the inning for the Dodgers after pitching a successful 12th.  Pinch hitter Kevin Mitchell worked out a walk and Nails singled to put runners on the corners for Mookie with nobody out.  The Dodgers were now completely desperate with elimination hanging over their heads.  Bessent was removed and a young 19 year old Bonus Baby named Sanford Koufax was brought in with one goal:  "strike out Wilson and not allow a run".  Koufax is like one of those untamed young stallions.  He's wild and fast, but he presented Brooklyn with their best option to get out of this impossible situation.  Wilson, who doesn't strike out much, provided a formidable opponent for Koufax.  Fighting off 3 possible strike 3 scenarios with foul balls, Wilson was able to stay alive until he grounded weakly to third.  In most situations Koufax could have considered the result a success, but this was no ordinary situation.  That slow roller easily allowed Mitchell to score the go ahead run from third to make it 4-3 Mets.  Koufax would get his strikeout against the next batter (Strawberry), then finish off the rest of the Mets.  Things looked bleak for the Boys of Summer as the game headed into the bottom of 13th with them down by 1.  Lefty Randy Niemann was brought in from the pen to close out the game.  Brooklyn countered with right pinch hitter Dixie Howell, who sliced a double down the right field line.  With a potpourri of righties scheduled up next Niemann was done after 1 batter and submariner Terry Leach got the call.  Don Hoak was send up with the intention of bunting Howell over to third.  Hoak pushed his bunt to Mex who had just one play, which was to first.  Jackie Robinson was given an unintentional intentional walk to setup the double play possibility.  Reese couldn't adjust to Leach's funky delivery and popped up to short for out number two.  Brooklyn's chances came down to one final at bat.  Could Junior Gilliam get a hit and tie the game or would it be over.  #19 came to the plate swinging and hit a humped back liner to center on the second pitch to score Howell and tie the game at 4 apiece.  Up stepped the outsider, a man called Skoonj, which is short for Scunguilli (Italian for Squid).  Carl Furillo was a core member of the Boys of Summer's famed lineup, but not an inside member of the team.  While most Dodgers lived in Bay Ridge and commuted to games together, Skoonj chose to live in Queens and keep to himself.  Year in and year out he would quietly hit over .300, have 18-25 homers and showcase the best arm of any rightfielder in the league.  This at bat was his time to go from relative anonymity to fame.  With the count 3-1 Leach put one in there and Skoonj left no doubt by turning on the ball and launching it into the crowded left field pavilion for a walk off 3 run blast.  The Dodgers went from near dead to instant life.  There was bedlam on Bedford Avenue.
Mets lead series 3-2

GAME 6 - Shea Stadium
Mets 3, Dodgers 2
Roger Craig vs Sid Fernandez
The series once again shifted crosstown.  Brooklyn was feeling new life after their miraculous comeback in game 5.  The Amazin's knew that they needed this one to win back the momentum and avoid a frightening game 7 situation.  With no score heading into the bottom of the 3rd "Nails" hit a solo shot just over the 338 marker down the right field line to give the Amazin's a 1-0 lead.  "El Sid" Fernandez was keeping the Dodger righty lineup at bay until "Skoonj" doubled with 1 out in the top of the 6th.  Duke Snider, who struck out in his first two plate appearances, lined a double into the right center gap to tie the game up at 1-1.  After Campy popped up for the second out of the inning Gil Hodges, who has historic ties to both organizations, lined a single to left to give the Dodgers and Roger Craig a 2-1 lead.  Craig, who doesn't have overpowering stuff, is a battler.  One thing he could not overcome was a very patient Amazin' lineup that would not swing at garbage.  With runners on 1st and second and one out in the 6th HoJo delivered a flare to right that dropped in to score Straw and tie the game at 2-2.  "The Kid", Gary Carter would hit one over Snider's head to the 410 mark in dead center for an unlikely triple with one out in the 7th.  Straw was given an intentional pass to create a possible DP opportunity.  Brooklyn decided to draw their infield in fearing the light hitting Wally Backman just might try to squeeze home the run.  Backman did just that and Carter  scored easily when Hoak's hard charge from third came up empty as Backman layed down a beauty.  El Sid, who normally runs out of gas by the 6th or 7th still had enough left in the tank to start the 9th.  After easily retiring Hodges and Robinson, El Sid was 1 out from closing out the series and pitching a rare complete game.  Dixie Howell, who's pinch hit double ignited the Dodgers game 5 rally, was called on again to deliver a clean single.  Frank Kellert lined one to right to put runners on the corners with 2 out and the Mets now clinging to a 3-2 lead.  El Sid exited the game to a rousing ovation from the Shea faithful. On came sinkerball specialist Roger McDowell who was forced to field a bullet comebacker off the bat of Reese.  McDowell caught the ball to preserve life and limb.  Reese didn't even take 2 strides out of the box before McDowell fired over to Mex at first to record the final out of the series.
Mets win series 4-2

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