After a miraculous comeback against California in the ALCS, the Red Sox were on the cusp of redemption in Game 6 of the World Series against the New York Mets. But, even with a 5-3 lead and two outs in the ninth, the Curse of the Bambino foiled Beantown's best laid plans once again. After Calvin Schiraldi allowed three consecutive singles to load the bases, Red Sox manager John McNamara brought in Bob Stanley to face Mookie Wilson. Almost immediately, Stanley threw a wild pitch that scored Kevin Mitchell and tied the game. Mookie Wilson then dribbled a grounder down the first base line that miraculously went through Bill Buckner's legs to win the game for New York, who would come from behind again in Game 7 to win the Series.
» In Game 3 of each of the three World Series in which the Mets have played, their first batter has slugged a home run: Tommie Agee (1969), Wayne Garrett (1973), and Lenny Dykstra (1986).
Having shocked the baseball world by erasing a 9½-game deficit to overtake the Cubs and then sweeping past the Braves in the NLCS, the "Miracle Mets" faced off against the high-flying Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Mets and Orioles split the first two games in Baltimore; in Game 3, leadoff man Tommie Agee sparked the Mets to a key win that gave the Mets the momentum they needed to finish off their magical season with a World Series championship. Agee got off to a quick start, leading off the bottom of the first with a homer off Oriole ace Jim Palmer to give the Mets an early lead. In the fourth inning, with the tying runs on base, he made a spectacular catch on a line drive off the bat of Oriole catcher Elrod Hendricks to end the inning. The Mets coasted from there, winning the World Series in five games.
Most Memorable Playoff Race
1973: "You Gotta Believe"
As improbable as their comeback in 1969 was, the Mets' 1973 NL East Championship run was just as incredible. Alone in last place with an 48-61 record in early July, the Mets rallied behind closer Tug McGraw's "You Gotta Believe" mantra to win 34 out of their final 53 games, making up an 11½-game deficit to the first-place Cubs in the process. McGraw led the team both in the clubhouse and on the field, going 5-0 with 12 saves and an 0.88 ERA during the season's final 19 ballgames. Unfortunately for the Flushing faithful, the magic ended in the World Series as the Mets succumbed to the hard-hitting Oakland A's in seven games.
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