John From Albany: 40 Years Ago - Hojo's error sinks Mets in 13th inning, 4/14/1986

NY Newsday 4/15/1986

1986, the last year the Mets won the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to that Fall Title.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics.

Year: 1986; Game #5; Monday; Apr 14, NYM 2 STL 6; boxscore; 13 innings; WP: Perry; LP: Niemann; Time: 04:21; DAY; Attendance: 47,752; Record: 2-3; Standings: 4; Games up/behind: 2.5; L; 

Lenny Dykstra CF; 1 for 5; SB; 1 walk; Tim Teufel 2B-1B; 0 for 4; SF; 1 RBI; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Keith Hernandez 1B; 1 for 4; Wally Backman PR-2B; 0 for 2; SB; 1 run; Gary Carter C; 1 for 4; GDP; 2 walks; Darryl Strawberry RF; 1 for 5; 1 RBI; 1 K; George Foster LF; 0 for 4; 1 walk; Ray Knight 3B; 0 for 2; GDP; 1 run; 1 walk; 1 K; Howard Johnson PH-3B; 0 for 2; Rafael Santana SS; 0 for 4; 1 walk; 1 K; Dwight Gooden P; 0 for 1; SH; Kevin Mitchell PH; 0 for 1; 1 K; Danny Heep PH; 0 for 1; 1 K; Dwight Gooden; 8 innings; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 5 hits; 1 walk; 6 Ks; Roger McDowell; 2 innings; no runs; 1 hit; 2 Ks; Jesse Orosco; 2 innings; no runs; 1 hit; 2 walks; 3 Ks; Randy Niemann, L (0-2); 0 inning; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 1 hit; Bruce Berenyi; 1 inning; 2 runs; 1 ER; 2 hits; 1 walk; 1 K; 

Media Panic was starting to set in with the Mets managing just 4 hits over 13 innings as they fall below .500, a 2-3 record to start the 1986 campaign.  In their home opener, Darryl Strawberry's single tied the game at 2 with 1 out but with the winning run on 3rd, George Foster popped up to the catcher and Howard Johnson popped up to short.  In the 13th, Howard Johnson's bases loaded error allowed the Cards to take the lead.  Mets went down 1,2,3 in the bottom of the 13th.  Though the season did not start the way fans hoped - things were about to change as the Mets would soon embark on one of their longest winning streaks in team history.

Steve Jacobson of NY Newsday had this to say about this game: "Besides, it was the Cardinals, The Mets were 8-10 with them last season and wound up three games behind them in the standings.  And one of the limited number of golden starts Gooden can make against the Cardinals was wasted - lost and gone forever.  That makes it more than just one game of 162."

 

NL East Standings 4/14/1986

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
STL	5	1	.833	--	29	12	.834
PIT	3	2	.600	1.5	20	11	.749
PHI	3	3	.500	2.0	30	32	.471
MON	2	3	.400	2.5	13	26	.220
NYM	2	3	.400	2.5	25	28	.448
CHC	1	4	.200	3.5	9	21	.175

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/14/1986.