OCTOBER 15, 1986 – HOUSTON, TEXAS – On this date in 1986 the National League Championship Series (NLCS) ended with a 16-inning nail-biting marathon between the New York Mets and Houston Astros in game 6. Game 5 went 12 innings. The Mets eventually won the series 4 games to two.
In game 6 the Astros entered the 9th inning up 3-0. The Mets tied the game 3-3. Both teams fought on punch for punch. After neither team scored in the 10th, 11th, 12th or 13th, both scored a run the 14th, so they played on.
The Mets scored 3 in the 16th inning. Houston got a rally going in their half of the 16th (will the game ever end?), and scored 2 to make it 7-6, but Mets reliever Jesse Orosco struck out Kevin Bass with the tying run on second. The Mets advanced.
It would have been hard to top that series, but the Boston Red Sox and California Angels pretty much did in the ALCS that same year (see Oct. 12 story).
The World Series that year was also remarkable. It was won by the Mets with the help of a ball going through Billy Buckner’s legs to tie the Series at three games apiece. The Mets won game 7, a game that saw the lead change hands four times.
Contributing sources:
NLCS Mets-Astros Oct. 15 1986
ALCS Red Sox-Angels
1986 World Series game 7