'88-LA defeats '86-NYM in classic 3 game playoff

Game 1 at Dodger Stadium,Dodgers 5.......Mets 1 During the regular season, the Mets had little trouble with the Dodgers as they defeated the blue crew 3 games out of 4. However, that was then and this was now. The Dodgers are one of the hotest teams in the league right now and threw Tim Belcher on the mound as he went against Met ace Dwight Gooden. The Mets got on the board first with a run in the third inning as spark plug Lenny Dykstra drove in George Foster with a basehit. The score held until the bottom of the 7th. Jeff Hamilton was hit by a Gooden pitch to lead off the inning. Dave Anderson followed with a walk to put runners on first and second. Tim Belcher was due up but was lifted for pinch hitter Tracy Woodson. Woodson singled up the middle to score Hamilton to knot the game up at 1. The hottest Dodger Steve Sax came up next and untied the game with a hit to hit as Anderson scored. After Scioscia grounded out Gibson walked. Roger McDowell came in to relieve a tired Gooden. Marshall hit a deep fly ball to right field to score Sax from third to make the score 3-1 Dodgers. Franklin Stubbs then lined a double down the right field line for two more runs to make the score 5-1 after 7 innings. Brian Holton and Tim Crews came in to nail down the victory for the Dodgers in game 1. Winning pitcher was Tim Belcher (5-2). Gooden(1-5) received the lost.


Game 2, Shea Stadium Mets 7.....Dodgers 4. Game 2 turned into an exciting game as the Mets evened the series with a late rally to keep their playoff hopes alive. A pair of southpaws got the start. Sid Fernandez for the Mets and John Tudor of the Dodgers. It looked like Los Angeles was going to settle the series quickly as they erupted for two runs in the first inning on a 2-RBI double by third baseman Tracy Woodson (who has driven in 3 runs in the series so far). Los Angeles plated two more runs in the 5th inning on a throwing error by Fernandez and an RBI hit by Steve Sax. Going into the bottom of the 5th inning LA lead 4-0. The Mets would not go down without a fight. New York scored 2 runs in their half of the 5th inning to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Dodgers. In the seventh inning, the Mets got to John Tudor as five straight batters reached base. Strawberry lined a game tying 2 RBI double to center field and Gary Carter drove in the go ahead run with a base hit to left field. On the single, left fielder Kirk Gibson bobbled the ball allowing another run to score. New York added an insurance run in the 8th inning to make the final score 7-4 and a series tie. The victory went to Terry Leach (1-0) and John Tudor(2-1) suffered his first loss of the year.


Game 3, Shea Stadium The deciding game was played on an overcast day and matched up veteran pitchers Don Sutton of Los Angeles and Bobby Ojeda for the Mets. Lenny Dystra walked to lead off the first for the Mets and then promptly stole second base. Gary Carter drove him in with a line drive basehit. Both pitchers were on top of their games as they held the opposing offenses in check. In the fourth inning, .207 hitting Alfredo Griffin tied the the game with a duck snort down the left field line to score Mike Marshall who singled earlier. That would be the only scoring for the next 11 innings as relief pitching dominated both teams. Steve Sax lead off the Dodger 16th inning with a double to left. The next batter was Mike Shelby. Shelby bunted the ball in front of the plate. It looked like an easy play for catcher Gary Carter but his throw to third base floated over Ray Knight's head allowing Sax to score the go ahead run. Brian Holton was on the hill for the Dodgers in the bottom of the 16th inning and surrendered a lead off hit to Keith Hernandez. Gary Carter swung at a split finger fast ball and hit into a 6-4-3 double play. The Dodgers only needed one out to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs but Strawberry singled followed by a Ray Knight hit that sent Strawberry to third. Runners at first and third with two outs and rookie slugger Kevin Mitchell due up. On a 2-1 slider, Mitchell was fooled and rolled a routine grounder to Griffin at shortstop, who cleanly fielded the ball and threw to first well ahead of Mitchell to end this hard fought game. Final score in 16 innings...Dodgers 2...Mets 1. Winning pitcher Brad Havens (1-0) and Holton earned his second save. Doug Sisk (0-3) got the lost. The 1988 Dodgers will face the 1962 Dodgers in the best of 5 games NLCS.
-contributed by Joey Scigliano-