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Walk-Off Trivial Pursuit

Six years and change is a long time between walk-offs against one particular rival. Consider that the Mets hadn't beaten the Pirates via walk-off since October 3, 1999. That's pretty lengthy.

* Since their last walk-off win against the Pirates, the Mets had beaten the following franchises in walk-off fashion...Diamondbacks, Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Orioles, Expos/Nationals, Giants, Marlins (8 times!), Phillies, Royals, Reds, Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Tigers, Yankees, Astros, and Angels. The only NL team they hadn't beaten in walk-off fashion since then: the Rockies, whom they last dinged on May 19, 1997.

* In between Mets walk-off wins against the Pirates, Carlos Delgado hit 230 home runs, including two that were walk-offs. For more info, see this post from wintertime.

http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/11/del-gone-o.html

Some other extracted minutiae from Wednesday's win (also known as "Unofficially walk-off #333). Feel free to stump your friends, regardless of whether or not your trivia questions are sponsored by Aflac.

* This marked the 10th time that the Mets beat the Pirates on a walk-off home run. The last Met to hit one was Carl Everett, on June 22, 1997. Delgado joined Ed Charles, Gary Carter, and Chris Jones as Mets who hit solo walk-off home runs against the Pirates. Delgado is the first of that quartet to do so in extra innings.

* The last Met to hit an extra-inning walk-off home run in the 12th inning or later is Benny Agbayani (Game 3, 2000 NLDS vs Giants). The last Met to do so in the regular season is Todd Hundley (July 30, 1996, Game 2 of doubleheader vs Pirates).

* The only other Mets walk-off win to take place on a May 3 came on May 3, 1971, when Tommie Agee's game-winning pinch-hit single beat the Cubs, 3-2 in 11 innings.

* The last lefty hitter to hit a walk-off home run for the Mets, against a lefty pitcher was Craig Brazell against Kent Mercker and the Cubs on September 25, 2004. Coincidentally, the final score that day was also 4-3.

* The last Met to hit a walk-off HR wearing uniform #21 was Kevin Elster, who did so to beat the Dodgers on May 31, 1988.

* The only other Carlos to get a walk-off RBI for the Mets? Carlos Baerga, who did so on three separate occasions.

* I just completed a chart of losing pitcher/Mets walk-off giveuppers, to which the name "Gonzalez, Mike" gets added to the list. He slots in nicely, alphabetically speaking, between "Gibson, Bob" and "Gossage, Goose."

True Metgados know...The last time the Mets had 3 or more walk-off wins on or before May 3 of a particular season was in 1998, when they had 4 walk-off wins by the end of April.

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