On This Date in 1986...

"A little roller up along 1st... behind the bag, it gets through Buckner... here comes Knight and the Mets win it!"

The dramatic, yet simple call of the great Vince Scully, as the Mets capped a remarkable bottom of the 10th inning rally to stun the Red Sox 6-5 and send the World Series to a seventh and deciding game.

Ranking with the greatest post-season games ever, the Red Sox jumped off to the early lead, with Dwight Evans and Marty Barrett driving in runs in the 1st and 2nd innings.  The Mets pulled even in the 5th, only to have Boston move back on top in the 7th -- but were held to just one run when Mookie Wilson nailed Jim Rice, trying to score on a Rich Gedman single to end the inning.  Gary Carter's 8th inning sacrifice fly forced extra innings.

Dave Henderson homered off Rick Aguilera leading off the top of the 10th; the Sox tacked on an insurance run on a Marty Barrett single.

Boston up two; three outs to go before the "curse" would be broken and the Red Sox would claim their first title since 1918.  Wally Backman flied out to start the home half of the inning; Keith Hernandez followed with another easy out.  One more batter... Calvin Schiraldi facing Gary Carter... his single kept the game alive.  And slowly, it all unraveled from there.  Kevin Mitchell delivered another single.  Then Ray Knight singled in Carter.  The lead is down to one; Bob Stanley replaces Schiraldi.  New England holds its breath; Flushing feels hope.  Here comes Mookie Wilson.  He lines a laser into left field -- which tails off and goes foul.  A wild pitch gets him off his feet; it soars by Gedman.  Mitchell scores to tie the game.  Then, a weak little grounder... with eyes.  And an unforgettable victory at Shea Stadium not long after Saturday night rolled into Sunday.  The. Ballpark. Shook.  Loudest and most frenzied moment there that I witnessed in person.

Fortunately, I was there, seated in an "auxiliary press box."  As the overnight deejay on WYNY -- but clearly the biggest sports fan on the staff -- I somehow lucked into a press pass for the NLCS home games against the Astros. When the Mets moved onto the World Series, so did I.  And on October 25th, 1986, I saw the game that will always be synonymous with Bill Buckner (and Mookie Wilson), 



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