Dodgers: 20 years ago today

By Matt McHale
Staff Writer

Kirk Gibson could walk, but unlike the past two days he couldn't walk on water. There will be baseball in Dodger Stadium tonight to decide the National League pennant.

It was the New York Mets who elevated their game Tuesday night with a critical 5-1 victory over the Dodgers that has forced a Game 7 in the National League Championship Series.

Gibson was in the Dodgers' lineup less than 24 hours after receiving an injection for his strained left hamstring and is certain to be back tonight when Orel Hershiser faces Ron Darling in the deciding game.

But he had to step back Tuesday night as the Mets' David Cone and Kevin McReynolds played the impact roles.

"He came to me this afternoon and told me he'd be there," Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda said of Gibson. "When ever it comes down to a game this important, you know it is Kirk's kind of game."

But Tuesday also was the kind of game that made Cone a 20-game winner in 1988, a five-game complete game victory. He was no longer writing the newspaper column that so angered the Dodgers after New York's Game 1 win.

He was a pitcher that got support from his offense and overcame some early wildness to shutdown the opponent.

Cone greatest ally was McReynolds, who tied a league championship series record with four hits, including a two-run homer off Dodgers starter Tim Leary in the fifth inning.

"I had nothing to prove," Cone said. "I had a great season and contributed to my team. I wanted to contribute again tonight and take it to Game 7."

For the first time in the series, the Mets scored first.

Len Dykstra, who started the playoffs on the bench, opened the game by reaching on Mickey Hatcher's fielding error at first.

Wally Backman, moved from eighth to second in the order, followed with a single to left with Dykstra taking third. Leary struck out Keith Hernandez, but Darryl Strawberry walked to load the bases.

McReynolds opened his big night with a sacrifice fly, scoring Dykstra and giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The Mets loaded the bases again when Gregg Jefferies walked, but Gary Carter stranded all three when he struck out to end the inning.

It was an unearned run, but still not the kind of start the Dodgers wanted out of Leary, who struggled in the his last five appearances during the regular season.

Although he threw several 94-mph fastballs, Leary also made 33 pitches in the first inning. The split-finger fastball, the pitch that made Leary successful most of the season, was up in the strike zone.

He looked very much like the pitcher that was 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA in his last six starts, rather than a 17-game winner heading into early August. Leary defeated every NL club this season except the Mets.

Brian Holton and Ricky Horton warmed up in each of the first four innings.

The Mets had several opportunities to blow the game open, stranding seven runners in the first three innings, but Leary trailed just 2-0 entering the fifth.

That was the inning Strawberry opened with a walk and McReynolds homered into the left-field stands. That was it for Leary. With Cone breezing, the Mets four-run lead was ominous.

"I felt I had good velocity, but I was getting behind in the count," Leary said. "It was a struggle, but we were still in the game until the fifth. That was the inning that bothered me most. Walking Strawberry was the killer. It set up the home run."

Holton, who pitched brilliantly in games 4 and 5, finally entered the game and got out of the inning without further trouble.

He also accounted for the Dodgers only run, blooping a two-out single to left and later scoring on Hatcher's ground single to right.

"You hope to make something happen, but it just didn't," Holton said. ''I think after the two emotional victories in New York, we were a little down. It wasn't something intentional, but we have been through a lot."

One run was all the Dodgers could get off Cone, who retired the next 11 batters until Mike Scioscia and Jeff Hamilton singled with two outs in the ninth. But pinch hitter Mike Davis flied to left, ending the game.

Cone started slowly, throwing seven straight balls and walking the first two batters.

He got a break when Gibson surprisingly popped a bunt to the pitcher's mound. Mike Marshall flied to shallow left and John Shelby struck out.

"That was the play of the game right there," Gibson said. "It gave them a breath of fresh air. It should have been down, but the results were terrible. . . .

"I told you I bleeped up, what else do you want me to say? My teammates were counting on me, my manager was counting on me, I was counting on me."

Hernandez was startled with the move, especially since Gibson put the last two games away with home runs.

"He is a team player and was trying to move the runners over,"
Hernandez said. "I was surprised because of the way he'd hit the ball the last two games, but it was a big play for us."

Cone allowed just one hit - Hamilton's second-inning single - until the fifth when the Dodgers finally scored.

But it was that bunt play in the first that remained fresh in his mind.

"Gibson bunting probably turned the game around," Cone said. "I made a mistake though. I should have let it drop, but I just wanted to get an out.