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 It was a game the Los Angeles Dodgers had to win.
It was a game that was tied in the ninth inning when a batter who had hit only three home runs during the season hit a two-run home run off a pitcher who had allowed only three hits going to what everyone in New York thought would be the final inning of the fourth game of the 1988 playoffs.
It was a game that was pivotal in the Dodgers quest to become the 1988 World Champions.
New York Mets manager Davey Johnson spoke to the media after the game.
"It was a strange game. Doc was breezing. Then another leadoff walk. But the last person you'd expect to hit a home run there was Scioscia. I figured it was Doc's game."
Doc Gooden won 18 games while losing only nine with a 3.19 ERA during the season. He could still dominate, especially weaker hitting teams like the Dodgers, a team that batted .248 and averaged only 3.88 runs a game.
John Shelby led off the ninth inning with a walk, bringing Mike Scioscia to the plate representing the potential tying run. The left-handed hitting catcher quickly fell behind in the count, no balls and two strikes.
Gooden looked in to Gary Carter to get the signal, nodded assent, checked Shelby at first and delivered. The fans at Shea Stadium let out a collective gasp as Gooden's pitch cleared the bullpen fence in right field.
Jeff Hamilton became Gooden's ninth strikeout victim, but Alfredo Griffin singled. That was it for the Doc.
The Dodgers did what they hadn't done to the Mets during the season when they lost 10 of 11 games to New York's favorite team. In the playoffs, the Dodgers played tough, inspired baseball and refused to give up.
The game remained tied until Kirk Gibson hit a two-out 12th inning home run off Roger McDowell to give the Dodgers the lead, but the Mets didn't go down easily.
Mackey Sasser, who had trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher, had no trouble hitting the ball Tim Leary threw to him as he singled to right. Ron Darling ran for the slow-footed catcher.
Lee Mazzilli batted for Roger McDowell, whose real troubles wouldn't begin until 2011, when as the Atlanta Braves pitching coach, he made unwise comments to some fans. Mazzilli singled to center, moving Darling to second.
After Greg Jeffries was retired on a fly ball to left field, Tommy Lasorda brought in left-hander and former 1986 Mets World Series hero Jesse Orosco to face Keith Hernandez.
Orosco walked Keith Hernandez to load the bases. The potential winning run was at second base.
Orosco, as great announcers Mel Allen and Vin Scully often said when a pitcher was in trouble, reached back for a little extra.
The batter was Darryl Strawberry, who had hit a home run in the fourth inning. Orosco struck him out. One out to go, but Orosco had to face another batter who had hit a home run in the fourth inning.
Orosco went to the stretch, delivered and all Kevin McReynolds could do was lift a harmless fly ball to center field, which John Shelby squeezed for the final out.
The teams split the next two games, and the Dodgers won the pennant when Orel Hershiser shut out the Mets in the seventh game. Hershiser had a fantastic season, going 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.052 WHIP.
The Dodgers were tremendous underdogs to the Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire led Oakland A's, but the Dodgers, inspired by the gutsy, gritty Kirk Gibson, beat them in five games to become World Champions for the first time since 1981.
References:
Retrosheet
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