New York Mets walk-off wins and losses in postseason history

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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 29: The 1969 New York Mets are honored during the 50th Anniversary of the Mets winning the World Series before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 29, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) /

Whether they won or lost, these are each of the playoff games involving the New York Mets ending in a walk-off.

Depending on which side you’re on, a walk-off in the postseason can either help swing momentum your way or completely deflate your team. The New York Mets have experienced both ends of this. In the biggest of games, they have triumphed. Other times, they have been the ones walking back to the dugout with their heads hung low.

Coming into the 2021 season, the Mets have been to the postseason eight times. In six of those seasons, they have played a game ending in a walk-off.

Going back to 1969 up through 2016, these are all of the joyous moments and agonizing defeats for the Mets in postseason walk-off form.

10/15/1969 – J.C. Martin’s sacrifice

In Game 4 of the 1969 World Series, the Mets sent J.C. Martin to the plate to hit for Tom Seaver. A sign of the times, it was already the tenth inning and Seaver was still on the mound.

Jerry Grote doubled to lead off the inning and Al Weis was intentionally walked. Martin went up to the plate looking to sacrifice the runners over only for pitcher Pete Richert, who had just entered the game, to throw the ball away.

The errant throw allowed Grote to score. The Mets took the 2-1 lead, the game, and set themselves up for a win in Game 5 to seal the series and the first championship in franchise history.

10/6/1973 – Johnny Bench goes yard

The second walk-off victory the Mets were involved in had them on the other side of the beating. The 1973 NLCS had them traveling to Ohio to face the powerhouse Cincinnati Reds. In the bottom of the ninth, with the game knotted up at 1, Tom Seaver had the difficult task of getting the team into extra innings.

Seaver had cruised through the first 8.1 innings before a Pete Rose home run in the eighth inning put the Reds on the scoreboard. This time, again with one out, another future Hall of Famer would take Seaver deep.

Catcher Johnny Bench hit a walk-off home run to send the Reds to victory in the first game of the NLCS. It was a blow to the Mets’ already underdog chances. Fortunately, the club would come back from this walk-off and win the series.

NEW YORK – CIRCA 1986: Lenny Dykstra #4 of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1986 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Dykstra played for the Mets in 195-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

10/11/1986 – Lenny Dykstra blasts the Mets to victory

The Mets didn’t make the postseason for a long time after their visit to the 1973 World Series. It took them until 1986!

For fans of dramatic victories, it was well worth the wait. In this postseason alone, the team would be involved in three of them.

The first was in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Houston Astros. The Mets trailed 5-4 and looked like they were about to go down 2-1 in the series. Lenny Dykstra had other ideas. With one on and one out, Dykstra hit the first walk-off postseason home run in franchise history.

The dinger gave the Mets the lead, the win, and put them in position to make another magical run.

10/14/1986 – Gary Carter plays the hero

Only days after Dykstra delivered for the Mets, the club needed help from another player to end things with a walk-off. In Game 5, it was Gary Carter’s turn.

The Mets and Astros battled for 12 innings with each team only scoring once. With Wally Backman on second base after a single and an error and Keith Hernandez on first base via an intentional walk, Carter came to the plate.

On a 3-2 pitch, Carter singled to center field. Backman crossed the plate, the Mets scored, and they were another game closer to the biggest walk-off in club history.

10/25/1986 – A little roller up along first…

This Mets walk-off needs no introduction. It’s about a little roller up along the first base line that somehow managed to find its way into the outfield.

In possibly the wildest inning in baseball history, the Mets went into the bottom of the tenth inning trailing 5-3. Two fly balls put them a single out away from a loss. Then, the bats came to life.

Gary Carter singled. Then Kevin Mitchell did. With two on and two out, Ray Knight singled and drove in Carter. The lead was cut down to a single run!

A wild pitch from Bob Stanley plated another and the score was suddenly tied. That’s when Mookie Wilson hit his famous routine groundball down the first base line that somehow managed to allude Bill Buckner whose glove was right there.

The Mets won on the error, making for one of the most infamous plays in MLB history.

9 Oct 1999: Todd Pratt #7 of the New York Mets runs around the bases during the game against the Arizona DiamondBacks at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Mets defeated the DiamondBacks 4-3. /

10/9/1999 – Todd Pratt sends the Mets to the NLCS

The Mets weren’t involved in any walk-offs in their 1988 playoff series but they had three more in 1999. It all began with a clinching Game 4 hit from an unlikely hero: Todd Pratt.

Not known for his long-distance shots, Pratt stepped up to the plate in a 3-3 game at Shea Stadium. The Mets, now one win away from advancing to the NLCS, got their first walk-off win in NLDS history.

Pratt swatted a pitch from Matt Mantei over the Shea Stadium fence. It’s one of my earliest baseball memories—possibly because it happened on my birthday.

10/17/1999 – The grand slam single

Like a fool, I almost had to double-check this postseason walk-off. Because the final score of the game was 4-3, I didn’t think this was the famous grand slam single. It was.

Only a little more than a week after Pratt’s big hit, the Mets had some drama for the Atlanta Braves. In the fifteenth inning, with Atlanta ahead 3-2, New York mustered up a rally in the bottom half of the inning.

After loading the bases, Pratt came through again for the orange and blue. He drew a walk which tied the game. This wasn’t the end of the scoring. Stepping up to the plate next was Robin Ventura.

Ventura hit the longest single in Mets history—probably. It was a grand slam but because he was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base, it turned into the grand slam single.

10/19/1999 – A heartbreaking walk-off walk

Unfortunately, this awesome streak of great walk-off wins for the Mets had to end at some point. Only two days after the grand slam single and a game later, they were on the other side of one.

Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS took them to Atlanta. In the bottom of the eleventh, Kenny Rogers ran into trouble. He ended up loading the bases with a double, and a pair of intentional walks. This brought Andruw Jones to the plate.

Rogers failed to hold the 9-9 tie. Jones drew a walk and the Braves walked away with the series win.

New York Mets players wait for their teammate Benny Agbayani as he heads for home after his 13th inning winning home run against the San Francisco Giants during the National League Division Series 07 October, 2000 at Shea Stadium in New York. The Mets won the game 3-2. AFP PHOTO Heather HALL (Photo by HEATHER HALL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HEATHER HALL/AFP via Getty Images) /

10/7/2000 – The last walk-off win for the Mets

Almost a year after Pratt was the hero for the Mets with a walk-off home run of his own, another less-than-likely hero did the same. This time, up against the San Francisco Giants, it was Benny Agbayani’s chance to have an all-time moment.

In yet another playoff game that went into extra innings, it took a solo shot to end it things.

This home run by Agbayani gave the Mets a 2-1 series lead. A day later, they were able to shutout the Giants 4-0.

10/21/2000 – Yankees take the game and the momentum

The good times, unfortunately, end on our previous walk-off home run by Agbayani. If you hate bad Mets moments, you’ve been warned.

The penultimate playoff walk-off in Mets history happened in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series. In the bottom of the twelfth, a former Met was the one to end the match.

With two outs and the bases juiced, Jose Vizcaino lined a single to left field off of Turk Wendell. The Yankees took the game and at the time, it felt to many like the series may already be over. The Mets had a real shot to win this one. Sadly, it was the start of what became a disappointing World Series appearance.

10/27/2015 – How to not start a World Series

Finally, we arrive at yet another World Series walk-off where the Mets were on the wrong side of history. In their most recent trip to the championship, there was a similar set of circumstances for this walk-off loss.

In the bottom of the fourteenth, the Kansas City Royals managed to load the bases against Bartolo Colon. There was nobody out and it wouldn’t take much for Eric Hosmer to win Game 1 for his team.

On a 2-2 pitch, Hosmer hit a fly ball to right field. It was deep enough for Alcides Escobar to tag up from third base and score.

Next. Greatest Mets players in team history

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In the not too distant future, hopefully, we see a few more playoff games from the Mets with some walk-off moments. After finishing with two devastating losses in the World Series on walk-offs, I think it’s time we get a win.

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