In True Jesse Orosco Fashion

If you know me, you know that the 1988 NLCS still triggers me.

Special nod to Game 4, where everyone remembers Davey Johnson leaving Doc Gooden in to face Mike Scioscia, Kirk Gibson’s home run against Roger McDowell in the 8th, and Orel Hershisher coming in to the game in relief to get the final out, a Kevin McReynolds pop fly that John Shelby ran in to make a shoestring catch on. But what has been lost in that shuffle was Jesse Orosco, who just two years earlier threw his glove up in the air in jubilation after striking out Marty Barrett to make the dream work in 1986, came into that game … for the Dodgers … and after walking Keith Hernandez, got Darryl Strawberry to pop up to second base for the forgotten but just as important second out of the 12th inning.

It feels wrong to bring up the names of Orosco, Gooden, Hernandez, and Strawberry in this context after they were all a part of an incredible old-timers day celebration where 1988 was nary a thought in any right thinking Met fans head (not even mine), seeing former Met Jake Reed come in and get all three outs in the 9th inning to get the save in a 4-3 Mets loss, then lay out a primal scream afterwards like the spirit of Paul Sewald had entered his body like this was some dumb after school movie, flooded back all those memories of Orosco in a Dodger uniform in 12 degree weather in a game that changed the course of Mets history. I doubt Jake Reed is going to change the course of Mets history, but then again the Mets had lots of promise in spring training of 1989.

Of course, there will be other things to remember from this game. For example, Starling Marte staying put at third base on what looked to be a designed double steal attempt to get Marte home in the first inning, as Francisco Lindor pulled up as if to give himself up for Marte to score. There was Taijuan Walker being careful pitching to Max Muncy with first base open in the third, only to hit Joey Gallo with the first pitch after that to force home the first run of the game, leading to Gavin Lux to drive home two runs on the first pitch after that.

There was another Mets comeback, this one featuring home runs by Marte and Mark Canha (which apparently is the English translation from “Manny Ramirez” the way he’s hitting lately.) But there was also Pete Alonso chasing high fastballs like Wil E. Coyote chases the Roadrunner, with similar results. Also, there was the underbelly of the Mets bullpen rearing its ugly head, as Joely Rodriguez was victimized by a well placed 150 foot double to left by Freddie Freeman (I knew he wasn’t done killing us), and a another single by Lux on an outer half changeup that got too much plate which made it 4-3.

Mychal Givens mixed up his pitches so much better than he has in his past couple of outings, and ptiched two scoreless innings against a lineup which is slightly better than chop meat to hold the Dodger lead to 4-3. But then in came Reed (in place of Craig Kimbrel who was used for four outs yesterday) to torture the Mets in front of a frothy regular season crowd in the same fashion that Orosco did in front of a raucous playoff crowd. Just as I wondered how Strawberry couldn’t take Orosco to the moon in 1988, I wonder tonight why Daniel Vogelbach picked that at-bat, with nobody out and Eduardo Escobar at first after a single, to get over anxions and swing at ball four. After that, getting Brandon Nimmo out was a mere formality, even if the shout to the heavens wasn’t. (Funny, I don’t remember a scream like that from Reed when he got this very important base hit when he was on our side.)

Thanksfully, the Rockies did us a solid and held on to beat the Braves to keep the N.L. East lead at three games. If the Mets can somehow keep the lead at three games after the next couple of days, the rest of the schedule clearly favors the Mets, as if you take out the common opponents that both teams have plus the series against each other, the Mets have a series against the Brewers, a series against the Cubs, and TWO series against the Pirates while the Braves have a series against the Giants, a series in Seattle, and TWO series against the Phillies. Clearly, it’s advantage Mets. But then again I thought that winning the season series 10-1 against L.A. in ’88 meant a clear advantage for us. And they still have to get through Los Angeles the next two days. Considering the Mets’ problems against lefties, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Orosco and John Tudor come out of the Dodgers’ pen to back up Tyler Anderson and Clayton Kershaw.

Today’s Hate List

1. Gavin Lux
2. Joey Gallo
3. Alex Vesia
4. Andrew Heaney
5. Heath Hembree