Thursday, May 12, 2016

Common Demoninator: Gary Carter

"Kept the Expos alive in game five the 1981 NLCS, kept the Mets alive in game six of the 1986 World Series."

Gary Carter was on the Montreal Expos in '81, when they made it to the postseason for the first (and only) time in franchise history. In the Division Series vs. Philadelphia, it was Montreal coming out on top in five games. Carter hit .421, two home runs and six RBIs. The Los Angeles Dodgers were next.

Leading two games to one, with games four (and possibly five) at home at The Big O, the Expos looked home free. The hometown fans left disappointed as the Dodgers evened the series at two with a big 7-1 win in the fourth contest. It was down to a winner-take-all game five.

Los Angeles broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth with a single tally off Steve Rogers via a home run by Rick Monday. Fernando Valenzuela quickly got the first two Montreal batters out to start the bottom of the frame. Things look grim for the Expos.

Gary Carter was the batter. He fell behind 1-2, but then worked Fernando to a full count. The seventh pitch of the plate appearance was ball four. Montreal was still alive. Carter then left the game for a pinch runner, but the Expos still had their backs to the wall. Somehow, they needed to get the ball by the outfielders.

Valenzuela next worked on Larry Parrish, the Montreal Expos third sacker. But he fell behind 3-1. Getting it back to a full count, the runner (Jerry Manuel) would be off on the next pitch. Fernando missed it. Two on, two down.

Anything by the outfielders and Montreal was headed to the World Series! The batter was now Jerry White. Bob Welch took over on the mound. He was trying to save the Dodgers season. On Welch's first pitch of the at bat, White grounded out to second, ending a thrilling National League Championship Series.

Carter was on the Mets five years later. They beat Houston in another thrilling NLCS. The Astros refused to die in game six, by the way. Coming back to tie it in the bottom of the 14th. Two innings later, New York looked home free as they scored three more runs. The Astros got two runs back in the bottom of the frame before the final out was made.

The Mets trailed the Red Sox in the World Series that year, as Boston was looking for their first title since 1918. Up three games to two, the action in game six was at Shea Stadium.

The game went into extra innings, but Boston suddenly pounced on New York. Dave Henderson hit a tie-breaking home run in the top of the tenth. Another run by the Sox made it 5-3. In the bottom of the frame, Calvin Schiraldi made quick work of Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez. The Mets needed to get someone on.

Carter popped one back behind the screen. 0-1. On the next pitch, Gary singled to left. Kevin Mitchell was sent up as a pinch hitter and singled to centre on a Schiraldi curveball. Ray Knight took a strike. Then he hit a bouncer foul on the third base side. One strike away. But no. Knight got jammed on an inside offering, but blooped a single to centre to score Carter. 5-4. Bob Stanley came in.

Mookie Wilson was up. Soon, he too was looking at two strikes. But them, Stanley threw a wild pitch. Wilson fouled off some more pitches, then hit a roller down first. Incredibly, it went through the legs of first basemen Bill Buckner. Around third and home came Knight! New York had a 6-5 win thanks to Carter's never-say-die moment! His second of his career. The Mets went on to win the 1986 Fall Classic with an 8-5 win over the Red Sox in game seven.

But all Mets fans will tell you, that never happens without Carter's single in game six. I'm sure the Red Sox's fans haven't forgotten it, either!


References


Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 416. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 12 May 2016.

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