At Shea Stadium, the New York Mets win their 11th consecutive home opener, an 8 – 4 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets have now won on Opening Day in 18 of the last 20 seasons.
Howard Johnson breaks a 53 year-old National League record when he strokes his 36th home run as a switch hitter in the Mets’ 7-1 victory over Chicago at Wrigley Field. The New York third baseman’s historic homer, the team’s franchise-high seventh grand slam of the season, surpasses the mark established by Cardinals’ first baseman Ripper Collins in 1934 but is far less than the major league record of 54 set in 1961 by Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle.
Mets phenom pitcher Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden avoids suspension for substance abuse by agreeing to enter a drug rehab facility. The talented 22 year-old right-hander will make his first start on June 5 and will win 15 games for the team despite missing the first two months of the season.
1986 – At Fenway Park, Bruce Hurst’s complete game victory gives the Boston Red Sox a 4 – 2 win and 3-2 lead in the World Series against the New York Mets. Hurst scatters 10 hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
At Shea Stadium, Steve Crawford is the winning pitcher in the Red Sox’ 9-3 victory over the Mets in Game 2 of the World Series. The right-handed reliever, who was 0-2 before the start of the postseason, becomes the first hurler to win a Fall Classic contest after being winless during the regular season.
1986 – Mike Scott outduels Dwight Gooden for a 1-0 victory at the Astrodome in Game One of the N.L.C.S. Scott fans 14 Mets on his way to a complete game shutout. Glenn Davis supplies all the offense with a second-inning home run . New York complains about Scott scuffing the ball but the umpires find nothing wrong. The next day, the Mets even the series with a 5-1 decision as Bob Ojeda outduels Nolan Ryan.
1986 – The Mets clinch the National League East title with a 4 – 2 win over the Cubs at Shea Stadium as Dwight Gooden tosses a six-hitter. The Mets will win 108 games this season, most in the National League since the 1975 Reds.
VINTAGE BASEBALL MEMORABILIA Vintage Baseball Memorabilia 1985 season recap Kansas City came back from a three games to one deficit to defeat in-state rival St. Louis and capture the 1985 World Series. The Royals blow out the Cardinals 11-0 in Game 7 behind the strong pitching of Series MVP and AL Cy Young award…
Mets sophomore Dwight Gooden pitches a 5-2 complete-game victory over the Cardinals and will become the seventh pitcher in baseball history to finish the season leading both leagues in wins (24), ERA (1.53), and strikeouts (268). Doc joins Walter Johnson (Senators – 1913), Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies – 1915, 1917), Dazzy Vance (Dodgers – 1924), Lefty Grove (A’s -1930, 1931), Hal Newhouser (Tigers – 1945), and Sandy Koufax (Dodgers – 1963, 1965, 1966) in winning the major league pitching triple crown, but he will not follow the six legends into the Hall of Fame.
In a matchup of aces that lives up its advanced billing, Dwight Gooden and Fernando Valenzuela hook up in one of the best pitchers’ duel in recent memory. New York beats Los Angeles at Chavez Ravine, 2-0, thanks to Darryl Strawberry’s two-run double on a day that the 20 year-old Mets right-hander strikes out 10 batters, throwing nine shutout innings, while the Dodgers southpaw pitches 11 innings without allowing a run.
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