A Look to the Past: 1988 NLCS Part 2

1988 National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers 4 New York Mets 3

For my account of Games 1-3, check out part 1.

The Dodgers came into Game Four needing a win and having very little chance to get one for Dwight Gooden was starting and he was very much, well, Dwight Gooden. The Dodgers had an ailing John Tudor on the mound and not much behind him. Jay Howell, who was suspended for the pine tar found in his glove was initially out for three days (not games), but that was later reduced to two days. Otherwise, the Dodgers had a five man bullpen to go with their three starters.

The Dodgers grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Darryl Strawberry tied the game in the fourth with a long two-run home run to right. Kevin McReynolds followed that with a homer of his own to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

They led 4-2 going into the ninth with Gooden still on the mound. He allowed an innocent enough walk to the leadoff man, John Shelby, but Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia made him pay by tying the game with a home run.

The game was tied, but Lasorda did not have many options left in his bullpen as the game went into extra innings. He had already used Brian Holton and Ricky Horton and was forced to bring in Alejandro Pena, normally a short reliever, for a three inning appearance.

Kirk Gibson put the Dodgers ahead in the 12th with a solo home run. Lasorda brought in Tim Leary who got an out, but allowed two hits. In came the last member of the bullpen Jesse Orosco. He immediately loaded the bases with a walk but then got Strawberry to pop out to second base. Lasorda had seen enough of him and brought in Orel Hershiser, the man who had thrown seven innings that day before. He had to, it was his only option. The only other pitcher who had not been used, Tim Belcher, was not even in uniform. He was at the team hotel getting ready for the next day’s start. Hershiser got the final out, although it was an adventure as Kevin McReynolds hit a fly ball very reminiscent of Gary Carter’s Game One winning flare. Shelby was able to corral it and the Dodgers had tied the series. You have to wonder, though, what would have happened had the Mets tied the game. Would Hershiser have been left in the game until it was over or would Lasorda have a position player take the mound while Hershiser played the field?

Game Four ended after midnight while Game Five, technically a makeup of Game Three which was postponed, started just after noon. The starting pitchers were easily the most rested of all the players and it showed early as they both matched zeros through three innings. The Dodgers had scored first in every game so far and they continued that when they took the big early lead by scoring three in the fourth and three in the fifth (thanks to another home run by Gibson) and went on to an easy 7-4 win.

Suddenly the Dodgers had a 3-2 lead in the series and Lasorda had to be excited by the prospect of clinching the series in Game Six and saving Hershiser for the World Series. It wasn’t meant to be that easy as David Cone rebounded and threw a complete five hit, one run, game to send the series to a seventh game. The Dodger starter Tim Leary was clearly tired by this point. He threw over 300 innings in 1988 between the Mexican League and then with the Dodgers. The Mets roughed him up for four runs in three innings.

So, Hershiser started Game Seven, this time on only two days rest from his one batter stint in Game Four. The Dodgers handed him a quick 6-0 lead after two innings against Met starter Ron Darling. Darling didn’t actually pitch all that badly–he was just very unlucky. A five run second was set up when Dodger shortstop Alfredo Griffin bunted the ball to a spot where no Met infielder could get it. It was just out of the reach of Darling and by the time he fielded, it was obvious that the starting pitcher was very frustrated. Hershiser followed with a soft single to third and then Steve Sax singled home two for the big blow.

The lead allowed Hershiser to relax and throw another gem. He shut out the Mets on five hits and the Dodgers won the 1988 National League pennant. They of course dropped the mighty A’s in five games (thanks to Hershiser and one big swing by the ailing Kirk Gibson) in the World Series that had NBC announcer Vin Scully comparing them to the ‘69 Miracle Mets.

1988 NLCS was a great series, quite possibly the greatest of the 1980’s. Every game had a unique storyline from Hershiser’s huge series to two big collapses by the Dodger bullpen, to Howell’s suspension to David Cone’s failed effort as a newspaper writer. Even 23 years after the fact, this series has very riveting sports drama.

MVP: Orel Hershiser. If you want to make a case for Hershiser’s induction for the Hall of Fame, it starts in 1988. He clearly doesn’t have the numbers to stack up, but he had as great a season and postseason as any pitcher has ever had. He also gave more to his team than any player has for a long, long time. Consider that he went on three days rest in Game Three, came back on no rest in Game Four to get a save and then shut the Mets out on two days rest in Game Seven. There was no rest for the weary as he pitched two more complete games (both on three days rest) in the World Series. His ERA for the 1988 postseason was a mere 1.05. He gave up his right arm for the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers and maybe because of that, didn’t have the type of career he should have.