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

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.