I went looking for the best game by a hitter in a Mets loss and came across this one from the otherwise completely unmemorable 1978 season. It was a May 24 game between the Mets and Pirates attended by just over 5,300 fans, likely rendering it forgettable to many. But for Willie Montañez, it was about as good a day as he could have at the plate. For those unfamiliar with Montañez, he was a player with some personality to his game. It didn't play well with some people at the time. As was described in his SABR Bioproject : When Willie Montanez walked to the plate from the on-deck circle he would flip his bat end over end like a baton. When he swung and missed he had a high, circular finish reminiscent of a matador twirling his sword at a charging bull. At first base, he would sometimes tap runners on the rear end with his glove which on occasion led to more than one altercation. He was called a hot dog or showboat or worse, all of which Montanez disputed. “I’m just being me,” he said...
A blog devoted to cataloguing New York Mets walk-offs and other trivia. For those unaware of the definition of walk-off just replace the term with the words "game-ending" and you should have a much better understanding of the phrase.