All-Time Great League Championship Series #2; 1986 Mets, Astros…
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1986 was a great post-season with great LCS matchups in both leagues. Previously, this blog recalled the ALCS that year. But the NLCS matchup between the New York Mets who were a phenominal 108-54 and the Houston Astros who finished at 96-66 provided excitement at least equal to the ALCS although the series went only 6 games with the last 2 being nail-biting extra-inning games and although I hold that the 1980 Phillies, Astros NLCS was the greatest LCS series ever played to date.
In 1986, the Astros had pitchers Mike Scott who had an incredible start and finished with 18 wins, Nolan Ryan in the later years of his great career, Mike Knepper with 17 wins and closer Dave Smith who saved 33 games in 1986. They had 1st baseman Glenn Davis and rightfielder Kevin Bass who both had career offensive years, leftfielder Jose Cruz as well as 2nd baseman Bill Doran and outfielder Billy Hatcher who stole a combined total of 80 bases.
The Mets had Dwight “Doc” Gooden, the 1985 Cy Young Award winner, with 17 wins, Bob Ojeda with 18 wins, Sid Fernandez with 16 wins, Ron Darling with 15 wins, relievers Roger McDowell with 14 wins and Jesse Orosco. They had outfielder Darryl Strawberry, catcher Gary Carter, centerfielder Lenny “the Dude” Dykstra, 1st baseman Keith Hernandez, leftfielder George Foster then nearing the end of his career and 2nd baseman Wally Backman who had easily his greatest year for average (.320) in an otherwise average career.
In 3 of the first 4 games of the series, the scores were tight with only the 2nd game, won by the Mets by a 5-1 score being decisive. Astro starter Mike Scott won 2 of the first 4 games, completing them both, shutting out the Mets for the first 16 innings before they scored 1 run in the 8th inning of game 4, the only run scored off of Scott. But the 5th and 6th games of the series went 12 and 16 innings respectively with the Mets winning both games in dramatic, exciting fashion by scores of 2-1, 7-6 respectively.
The Astros Daily gives a great and comprehensive game-by-game description of the 1986 NLCS, including commentary, box scores, batting and pitching stats and great action photos.
Here is some post 6th game commentary from Astros Daily;
“What we got was the big hit and that’s what Houston could never get off our relievers,” said Dykstra.
Astros manager Hal Lanier couldn’t find fault with his relievers or baserunners, who again took the team out of potentially big innings. The biggest blunder came in the first when Ashby missed a bunt attempt and Bass, charging down the line on the squeeze play, was an easy out. Lanier lodged a minor complaint about the way home plate umpire Fred Brocklander called balls and strikes in the fatal ninth, when the Astros felt they had struck out Knight. Brocklander was the umpire who appeared to miss a close play at first in Game 5, costing the Astros a victory.
But in the end, all those points were moot.
“If we had to lose a ballgame, I’m glad it happened the way it did,” Lanier said. “And that was to see us go down swinging and battling the way we had the whole year.”
He got no arguments in the visitors clubhouse. The Mets won the series with a .189 team batting average.
“What can you say?” said Keith Hernandez.
And then, raising a bottle of champagne, he said it all: “I just don’t ever want to go through another playoff series like this.”
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