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NLCS Minutiae

*The Mets concluded their 13th postseason series by sweeping the Dodgers in 3 games. Of the 13 postseason series in which the Mets have appeared, this is the 7th in which there have been no Mets walk-off wins.

* This will be the 4th time that the Mets played in an NLCS against an opponent whom they had walked-off against during the regular season. They previously did so in 1969 (Braves), 1986 (Astros) and 1988 (Dodgers)

* The Mets have had 3 NLCS walk-off wins- 2 in 1986 (Len Dykstra HR and Gary Carter single) and 1 in 1999 (Robin Ventura single). The Cardinals have had 3 as well- 1 in 1982 (Ken Oberkfell single in Game 2), 1 in 1985 (Ozzie Smith HR in Game 5), and 1 in 2004 (Jim Edmonds HR in Game 6).

* The Mets have had 1-run walk-off wins against the Cardinals by scores of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3, 5-4 etc....all the way up to 10-9.

* Fill-in SNY broadcaster Todd Zeile had a walk-off hit for the Cardinals against the Mets (1992). Absentee SNY broadcaster Keith Hernandez had 2 walk-off hits against the Cardinals, for the Mets.

* The Mets have had 5 walk-off wins and 6 walk-off losses against Cardinals clubs managed by Tony La Russa. The Cardinals manager has a 2-5 career record in postseason games decided in walk-off fashion. One odd note about La Russa's playing career: His last action in a major-league game was scoring the winning run on Rick Monday's walk-off walk for the Cubs against the Expos, on April 6, 1973.

* Willie Randolph had 8 walk-off RBI during his playing career. La Russa had one, on September 1, 1970, for the Athletics against the White Sox (an infield single to third base). Randolph did not have any walk-off RBI when he played for La Russa on the 1990 Athletics. They were together for nine walk-off wins that season, including two in which Randolph scored the deciding run (August 15, he pinch-ran for Rickey Henderson and scored first on Mark McGwire's walk-off grand slam against Boston. On August 30, he had four hits and a key stolen base, scoring the winning run on Mike Gallego's single against Kansas City).

* Current Mets who had a walk-off hit for the Mets, against the Cardinals: Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran. Current Cardinals who had a walk-off hit for the Cardinals, against the Mets: Jim Edmonds (he has 3) and Yadier Molina.

* The last time the Mets had more than one walk-off win against the Cardinals was in 1992, when they had 3 (matching a team record. They also had 3 against the Cardinals in 1985)

* The Cardinals pitcher to suffer the most walk-off losses against the Mets happens to be my all-time favorite Met, Neil Allen, who had 3, and was on the mound for another walk-off loss to the Mets, though he did not suffer defeat in that game.

More can be found here...

http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/09/possible-playoff-preview-cardinals.html

This link, to a story about Bill Buckner, is also worth checking out. I didn't get to see the "Outside the Lines" feature on Buckner/Mookie Wilson, but I imagine it was interesting viewing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2615471

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