Robert Mitchell
July 13, 2000
I lived in the Midwest at the time and was at this game. The Mets trailed 3-1 in the ninth when John Franco came into save the game for the Reds. The Mets got two guys on with two outs and Keith Hernandez hit a lazy fly to right that was dropped by Dave Parker. Both runs scored and the game went into extra innings. The Mets eventually won 6-3 on a three-run homer by HoJo, but not before a bench-clearing brawl that started when Eric Davis and Ray Knight got into it. Several players were ejected and Davey Johnson ended up using Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell as outfielders. When a lefty was up, Orosco would pitch and McDowell played right field. When a righty came up, McDowell would jog in to pitch and Orosco would play right field. Orosco ended up catching a ball hit by Tony Perez. This game also featured an awesome double play initiated by Keith Hernandez that involved Gary Carter, who was playing third base.

Christopher Kuhn
January 10, 2002
This game epitomized the 1986 Mets season. It showed such decision making on the part of Davey Johnson in flip-flopping Orosco and McDowell between pitcher's mound and outfield. It was a also a year where teams simply hated the Mets because of their power and the Mets fought back as Ray Knight did when Eric Davis slid into him. This one ranks up there in Met history as well. I remember Parker dropping the routine fly and reacting. But I will never forget Hernandez charging in on the bunt, throwing to Carter playing third and Carter rifling it over to first to get two, followed by Hernandez pumping his fist. That play alone defined Hernandez, "awesome glove, enthusiasm, leader"! It's a shame he wasn't the same off the field.

David
February 25, 2003
Don't forget Johnny Franco's reaction when Dave Parker dropped the fly in the 9th that would have ended the game. Franco's a guy who you love on your team but hate on another team. Well, he pouted on the mound, glaring at Parker for dropping that ball and taking away his save.

Jimmy D.
April 25, 2003
Great game! I actually forgot about the great double play. So much happened in this game. Too bad players and managers don't show the same effort today that the Mets showed that night.

Joe Lanzisera
June 30, 2003
I don't have much to add to this one that hasn't already been mentioned. I remember Parker dropping the fly ball, the Knight/Davis brawl, Carter playing third, Orosco/McDowell There were so many unforgettable games for the '84-'88 Mets. This one reminded me of the extra-inning home game agaisnt the Pirates in '85 where Staub kept going from right to left field. How come I can remember all this so well and I can't remember what I had for dinner some nights?

Chris B
August 13, 2003
What I remember about the game has as much to do with what I was doing and where I was going as the game went on, as the game itself! We had gone to a concert that evening in Manhatten at the Pier. We were able to get updates from different people and venders and the like as the concert went on and finished. We ran to the car and listened as we got to the Midtown Tunnel.

We lived in Flushing and I was dying because, believe it or not, we entered the tunnel and lost the signal before Parker had made the play. It took us almost twenty minutes of assuming the game was over before we heard he had dropped the ball. If I remember correctly, Parker had this signature one handed, exaggerated sweep he would make as he caught the ball. We were going crazy when we heard the game still on and how he must have looked like a fool.

Now it was a race to get to my girlfriend's house to see if we would get to see any of it. We actually were within a few blocks of the house as the fight broke out at third. We managed to make it into the house in time for the replay of the fight!

We watched the rest of one of the best games of all times. I would give anything to get a copy of that game. I was at Shea for games 6 and 7 and this one ranks right up there with those two and the 16 inning game against the Astros.

The big H
March 22, 2006
The previous comments about this game are pretty complete. Franco was growling at Dave Parker after Parker missed the ball. It was pretty funny.

One special thing about this game though was Pete Rose got what was the last pinch-hit of his career. He came up to bat for Franco and got a hit. He looked back into the dugout before a pinch runner came out with a "look how easy it is to get a hit" face. An old man like him could get a hit, why not everyone else.

The other highlight is Jesse Orosco looking astonished when he caught the ball in the outfield. Look at the box score. Orosco and McDowell played the outfield and Gary Carter played third base. Carter was actually ok at third for that game. That game was fun to watch!

Ken
May 16, 2008
Man I wish SNY would show this game again. We've seen the other games a dozen times. Let's get some of these 86 classics in there.

Witz
May 12, 2009
Very surprised that this game was not mentioned the other night when Delgado dropped a pop up with two outs in the 9th, almost costing the Mets the game--especially with Hernandez in the booth for the Mets, since he hit the ball to Parker!

Raymond
September 2, 2016
If Dave Parker would have caught the ball for the final out, the game would have been over and the brawl would have not happened.