The Mets have a flair for the dramatic when it comes to the postseason.
There is no feeling like when the Mets are in the playoffs. There is electricity felt not only in the stadium but around the city when the Mets are playing in October. While they only have two World Series victories in their 62 year history, there has been no shortage of dramatic moments that sent fans around New York into a frenzy.
10. Edgardo Alfonzo, NLDS Game 1, Mets vs. Diamondbacks– October 5, 1999: The Mets did not take an easy road to the playoffs in 1999 but, after their one game playoff against the Reds, they were in. Their first opponent was the Diamondbacks, who threw Randy Johnson in Game 1. It was a tough way to start their first playoff game in 11 years but in the end it proved no problem for that team. Edgardo Alfonzo put the Mets on the board first with a home run off Johnson but it was his grand slam in the ninth that put the game away. Alfonzo was the first and only Met to hit a grand slam in the playoffs until Francisco Lindor’s dramatic shot against the Phillies.
9. David Wright, World Series Game 3, Mets vs. Royals- October 30, 2015: The 2015 World Series did not go the way the Mets and their fans had hoped but there was one magical moment in Game 3, the only game they won. Fans did not know it at the time, but 2015 was the beginning of the end of David Wright’s career after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. Arguably the greatest homegrown Met in history, Wright had never been to the World Series and, when they went on their magical run after the All-Star break, it was largely done without their captain. It felt wrong that he wasn’t there during all those magical moments, but after working hard to return to the field he was there to experience the ride to the World Series. It was fitting that he became the first Met to hit a World Series home run in Citi Field history since he was the first Met to ever hit a home run in its inaugural season in 2009. While the Mets won the game but lost the series, Wright forever left his mark on Citi Field.
8. Daniel Murphy, NLDS Game 5, Mets vs. Dodgers– October 15, 2015: The Mets had an uphill battle to climb in the NLDS facing two Cy Young award winners in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. The series turned ugly when Chase Utley took out Ruben Tejada in Game 2, injuring Tejada and getting the Dodgers the win. After a split at Citi where Kershaw was untouchable in Game 4, the series went back to Los Angeles with Greinke on the mound. Jacob deGrom was erratic for the Mets but somehow kept his team in it. With the game tied at two apiece, Daniel Murphy took Greinke deep in the sixth to give the Mets the lead they would never relinquish. The home run ended up being the difference in the series clincher against a formidable opponent.
7. Benny Agbayani, NLDS Game 3, Mets vs. Giants-October 7, 2000: Somehow this series tends to get overlooked in Mets history. Perhaps it is because of their World Series opponent that year but the 2000 NLDS deserves more recognition. The Barry Bonds-led Giants were a stacked team and splitting the series in (then) Pacific Bell Park was a victory. Game 2 took until the tenth for the Mets to win, and when the series came back to Shea the game was still tied in the thirteenth in Game 3. It took five hours and twenty-two minutes, but Benny Agbayani finally sent the Shea crowd home happy with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the thirteenth.
6. Todd Pratt, NLDS Game 4, Mets vs. Diamondbacks- October 9, 1999: The Mets had an opportunity to clinch a spot in the NLCS with a Game 4 win at home. The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the eighth to take the lead, but the Mets tied it right back in the bottom of the inning. After nobody scored in the ninth, the game went into extra innings and backup catcher Todd Pratt walked to the plate. He sent one to the centerfield wall and the crowd had to hold its collective breath when Steve Finley leapt to make the catch. Finley, a Gold Glover and known for making highlight real catches, jumped and seemed confused when the ball was not in his glove. The series was over; the game was won by their backup catcher who only got the start because their future Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza was down with a thumb injury. Baseball at its best.
5. Lenny Dykstra, NLCS Game 3, Mets vs. Astros– October 11, 1986: The 1986 Mets were the best team in the league all year but the Astros were no slouches. After splitting the first two games, the Mets were down early when Ron Darling gave up four runs to Houston early in the game. The Mets battled back but were losing again in the ninth by a run. Wally Backman got on to start the inning and the Mets were still alive. Lenny Dykstra was the hero that day when he drove a home run over the right field wall to give the Mets the victory and a 2-1 series lead. That series would hold much more drama as it played out but that Game 3 victory at home off Dykstra’s bat was one of the most memorable moments at Shea, until the ‘86 World Series of course.
4. Francisco Lindor, NLDS Game 4, Mets vs. Phillies– October 9, 2024: In all of their history, the Mets and Phillies had never met in the playoffs before. Anticipation was high when the two rivals squared off in the NLDS last week. The first two games in the series did not disappoint. In Game 1, the Mets survived Zack Wheeler and hammered the Philadelphia bullpen. In Game 2, it was the Mets bullpen that faltered. Mark Vientos’s Game 2 game-tying home run would have been an all-timer if they managed to win that game but, alas, they were walked off by Nick Castellanos. The Mets took Game 3 behind home runs by Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker which meant they would have a chance to clinch in Game 4 at Citi Field. The Mets have never clinched a series at Citi Field and they hadn’t clinched a series at home in 24 years. So with all of that history behind them, and given the opponent, the home crowd was ready to explode. It looked like they would get the opportunity early but the Mets kept blowing chance after chance after chance until they were finally down 1-0. Instead of an excited energy, there was a nervousness in the crowd when Francisco Lindor came up to bat in the sixth with one-out and the bases loaded. But who else other than Lindor, the team’s (and potential league) MVP, delivered one more dramatic moment when he sent a ball flying over the wall in the centerfield gap. A 1-0 Philadelphia lead became a 4-1 Mets lead with one swing. He joined Edgardo Alfonzo as the only Mets to hit a grand slam during the playoffs and this one was a series clincher. Lindor clinched a playoff spot against the Braves with a two-run home run in the ninth inning in game 1 of the doubleheader on the last day of the season, and yet somehow he topped himself against the Phillies. It was a special moment for the Citi Field crowd who finally got to party at home.
3. Al Weis, World Series Game 5, Mets vs. Orioles– October 16, 1969: The Miracle Mets of 1969 were never expected to be in the World Series let alone World Series champions. After losing Game 1 in Baltimore, the Mets never lost again and had an opportunity to become champions in front of the home crowd at Shea in Game 5. It wasn’t looking good when they got into an early 3-0 hole and still had not scored until the sixth inning. Donn Clendenon finally got the Mets on the board with a dramatic home run of his own, but it was Al Weis’s improbable home run in the seventh that tied the game. Weis had only hit two home runs the entire season but his clutch home run in the seventh gave the Mets new life. They scored two runs in the following inning and put the Orioles away in the ninth to become World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history.
2. Ray Knight, World Series Game 7, Mets vs. Red Sox– October 27, 1986: After all of the heart stopping action of Game 6, it would come down to Game 7 to decide who would become champions. Ron Darling got the start and again was off his game, putting the Mets down 3-0 in the second. Similar to 1969, it would take until the sixth inning for the Mets to get back in it. They managed to tie the game and this time they would take the lead in the seventh on Ray Knight’s home run. It was the first lead they held all game. They tacked on a couple of insurance runs but it was Knight’s home run that was the ultimate game-winner. Jesse Orosco closed out the ninth and once again the Mets were champions in one of the all-time most memorable World Series played.
- Pete Alonso, Wild Card Game 3, Mets vs. Brewers– October 3, 2024: It does not get more dramatic than this. Down 2-0 with one out in the ninth inning, two runners on, in an elimination game, facing one of the most fearsome closers in the game. Since entering the league in 2019 Pete Alonso was one of the most prolific power hitters in the game. He set a new rookie home run record in 2019, and won the Home Run Derby back-to-back years. Since making his debut, he has hit the most home runs in the National League, trailing only Aaron Judge for most in the majors during that timeframe. In normal circumstances, Alonso would be the guy Mets fans would want up in that situation. However they were starting to turn on him. He had not hit a home run since September 19 and struggled the entire month of September and down the stretch. He batted just .222/.343/.378 with an OPS of .720 in the month of September with four home runs. With the team fighting for their playoff lives, they needed more from the Polar Bear. Even after clinching a spot in the Wild Card, Alonso struggled in the Wild Card Series and it seemed like it could be a sad end for Alonso’s tenure as a Met. During the entire series, Alonso was jumpy and swinging away at the plate. However, in the ninth he managed to get himself into a hitter’s count. With a mighty swing, and a mighty scream, the mighty Alonso did not strike out. There was oh so much joy in Metsville that day when Pete Alonso saved the Mets and saved his Mets career. That prolific power that was dormant for weeks returned just in time to give the team the lead in the ninth. They did tack on a run but what will be remembered in Alonso’s mighty blast that sent them to the NLDS for the first time since 2015. The 2024 team’s destiny is not yet written but that home run will be tough to top given both the moment in the series and the moment in a beloved Met’s career.
Honorable Mention: Robin Ventura, Game 5 NLCS, Mets vs. Braves- October 17, 1999: Officially Edgardo Alfonzo and Francisco Lindor are the only ones to ever hit a grand slam in the playoffs for the Mets. However, if not for Todd Pratt tackling Robin Ventura before second base there would have been a third entry in the record books. The Mets were down 3-0 in the series and staved off elimination in Game 4 which meant Game 5 was another must-win in order to stay alive. The Mets took the lead in the first but the Braves came back to tie the game in the fourth. In the pouring rain, nobody was able to score again until the 15th inning when the Braves took the lead. It was looking bleak until Shawon Dunston had an epic 12-pitch at bat that ended in a single to start the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, Todd Pratt tied the game with a walk. That left the game up to Ventura who had a knack for hitting grand slams. Earlier in the year he had hit a grand slam in both games of a doubleheader, the first player to do that in major league history. He had his chance once again with the bases loaded and one out. Up until that at bat, he was only 1-for-18 in the series and had been struggling in the playoffs. When he connected on a 2-1 pitch by Kevin McGlinchy, right fielder Brian Jordan did not even bother watching. He started walking off the field as the ball sailed over his head and over the fence. The game took fifteen innings and 5 hours and 46 minutes but the Mets had won the ballgame. In their exuberance the team tackled Ventura before he ever made it to home. It did not matter, the winning run had scored, the game was won, and the hit was ruled a single. A game-winning grand slam, in an elimination game, against a hated rival would have put this high on the list but alas it is only a single. It is now affectionately known as the Grand Slam Single, but it will forever remain a grand slam in Mets fans hearts.