# 1986 New York Mets season

The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They improved from a 98–64 record in 1985 to finish the season with a franchise record 108–54 record, giving them the division title. They went on to defeat the Houston Astros in six games in the NLCS and the American League champion Boston Red Sox in seven games in the World Series. This is their last championship to date.
The 1986 Mets are one of just three National League teams (the other two are the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers) to have won twice as many games as lost in the regular season since 1909. The team is often regarded as one of the best of all-time, being cited in 2021 by ESPN as a top contender for best MLB team of the previous half-century from 1970 to 2020.

## Background

Darryl Strawberry and Ron Darling made their debuts in 1983, followed by Dwight Gooden and Sid Fernandez in 1984, and Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell in 1985. The Mets hired Davey Johnson to manage the ballclub in 1984, resulting in a solid season with 90 victories and a second-place finish. The rise continued in 1985, as they netted 98 wins and finished the season only 3 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the 1985–86 offseason, general manager Frank Cashen brought in Tim Teufel, a right-handed hitting infielder from the Minnesota Twins and Bob Ojeda, a left-handed pitcher from the Boston Red Sox. The Mets added them to an existing veteran core including along with former MVPs George Foster and Keith Hernandez, veteran catcher Gary Carter and speedsters Wally Backman and Mookie Wilson.
With these acquisitions, many predicted an easy dominance within the division. The pundits were right. During spring training, Davey Johnson said to his players that they were not only going to win, but that they would dominate. That meant winning the division by double digits. The Mets concluded the season winning a club-record 108 games, two out of every three, and finishing the season 21+1⁄2 games in front of the Philadelphia Phillies.

## Offseason

* November 13, 1985: Calvin Schiraldi, Wes Gardner, John Christensen, and La Schelle Tarver were traded by the Mets to the Boston Red Sox for Bob Ojeda, Tom McCarthy, John Mitchell and Chris Bayer (minors).
* November 13, 1985: Kelvin Chapman was released by the New York Mets.
* December 10, 1985: Clint Hurdle was drafted from the Mets by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 rule 5 draft.
* January 16, 1986: Ronn Reynolds was traded by the New York Mets with Jeff Bittiger to the Philadelphia Phillies for Rodger Cole and Ronnie Gideon.
* January 16, 1986: Billy Beane, Joe Klink, and Bill Latham were traded by the Mets to the Minnesota Twins for Tim Teufel and Pat Crosby (minors).
* March 4, 1986: Tim Corcoran was signed as a free agent by the Mets.

## Spring training

The 1986 Mets held spring training at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida for the 25th season.

## Regular season
### Season standings

vteNL East :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| New York Mets | 108 | 54 | .667 | — | 55‍–‍26 | 53‍–‍28 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 86 | 75 | .534 | 21½ | 49‍–‍31 | 37‍–‍44 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 79 | 82 | .491 | 28½ | 42‍–‍39 | 37‍–‍43 |
| Montreal Expos | 78 | 83 | .484 | 29½ | 36‍–‍44 | 42‍–‍39 |
| Chicago Cubs | 70 | 90 | .438 | 37 | 42‍–‍38 | 28‍–‍52 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 64 | 98 | .395 | 44 | 31‍–‍50 | 33‍–‍48 |

### Record vs. opponents

| | Record | Record | Record | Games Left | Games Left | Games Left |
| Opponent | Home | Road | Total | Home | Road | Total |
| NL East |||||||
| Chicago Cubs | 6–3 | 6–3 | 12–6 | – | – | – |
| Montreal Expos | 5–4 | 5–4 | 10–8 | – | – | – |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 6–3 | 2–7 | 8–10 | – | – | – |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 9–0 | 8–1 | 17–1 | – | – | – |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4–5 | 8–1 | 12–6 | – | – | – |
| NL West |||||||
| Atlanta Braves | 5–1 | 3–3 | 8–4 | – | – | – |
| Cincinnati Reds | 2–4 | 6–0 | 8–4 | – | – | – |
| Houston Astros | 5–1 | 2–4 | 7–5 | – | – | – |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 5–1 | 4–2 | 9–3 | – | – | – |
| San Diego Padres | 5–1 | 5–1 | 10–2 | – | – | – |
| San Francisco Giants | 3–3 | 4–2 | 7–5 | – | – | – |
| Grand Totals | 55–26 | 53–28 | 108–54 | – | – | – |
| Month | Games | Won | Lost | Pct. |
| April | 16 | 13 | 3 | .813 |
| May | 27 | 18 | 9 | .667 |
| June | 28 | 19 | 9 | .679 |
| July | 27 | 16 | 11 | .593 |
| August | 32 | 21 | 11 | .656 |
| September | 27 | 16 | 11 | .593 |
| October | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Totals | 162 | 108 | 54 | .667 |

### Notable transactions

* April 1, 1986: Tom Gorman was released by the Mets.
* April 5, 1986: Doug Frobel was traded by the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets for Joe Graves (minors) and Rodger Cole (minors).
* June 2, 1986: 1986 Major League Baseball draft
** Curtis Pride was drafted by the Mets in the 10th round. Player signed June 12, 1986.
** John Olerud was drafted by the Mets in the 27th round of the 1986 amateur draft, but did not sign.
* June 9, 1986: Tim Corcoran was released by the Mets.
* June 30, 1986: Ed Lynch was traded by the Mets to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Dave Lenderman and Dave Liddell.
* August 3, 1986: Lee Mazzilli was signed as a free agent by the Mets.
* August 7, 1986: George Foster was released by the Mets.
* August 24, 1986: Alex Diaz was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.

### Month by month
#### April

The Mets had a rocky start with a 2–3 record (including two extra-inning losses to the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies respectively). But when the Mets hosted Philadelphia at Shea Stadium a few days later, they kicked off an 11-game winning streak. Their toughest test in this stretch happened in St. Louis in a four-game series. On April 24, Howard Johnson hit a game-tying home run. A few games later, Wally Backman made a series-saving double-play. After the Mets swept the four-game series against St. Louis, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog told sportswriters, "We're not catching the Mets this year." The Mets finished the month 13–3.

#### May

The Mets went 18–9 in May and ended the month with a season record of 31–12.

#### June

On June 10 against the Phillies, Tim Teufel hit a pinch-hit, game-winning grand slam. The Mets went 19–9 during June and finished the month with a season record of 50–21.

#### July

On July 3 against the Houston Astros, Darryl Strawberry hit a game-tying home run, but it was Ray Knight who won the game with a homer of his own, after striking out in his first four at-bats. Dwight Gooden's first half performance was good enough for him to earn the honor of being named starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game in the Astrodome. This game marked the end of a streak where the NL won 13 of the previous 14 games and served as foreshadowing for what would happen next. Later in the month, the Mets lost three of four to the Astros. During this series, four Mets were arrested at a popular nightclub in Houston. Their fortunes improved in a bizarre game in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium on July 22. In the top of the ninth, Dave Parker dropped the ball that could have been the final out for the Cincinnati Reds, allowing the Mets to tie the game. In the bottom of the tenth, Eric Davis got to third and brawled with Ray Knight. Both men, along with Kevin Mitchell and Mario Soto, were ejected. Johnson was forced to alternate Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell in the outfield. In the bottom of the twelfth, Carl Willis bunted into a double-play. In the top of the fourteenth, Howard Johnson hit a home run to put the Mets on top. The Mets went 16–11 during July and finished the month with a season record of 66–32 and were up by 15.5 games in the NL East division.

#### August

Former MVP George Foster was released after he was benched for Kevin Mitchell, partially due to Foster's decline in production and Mets manager Davey Johnson trying to get Mitchell more playing time, and also due to Foster giving comments following his benching suggesting that it might've been racially motivated, along with other teams' personnel decisions. Former Mets favorite Lee Mazzilli was resigned after Pittsburgh released him, filling Foster's spot in the roster. Gary Carterwas injured with a broken thumb, and missed two weeks. While he was gone, the Mets won 8 of 11 games with Ed Hearn filling in for catcher duties. The Mets went 21–11 in August and ended with a season record, to that point, of 87–43 and were up by 19 games in the NL East division.

#### September–October

When they got to Philadelphia, droves of Mets fans were there to see if they would clinch the NL East. In fact, they seemed to take up half of Veterans Stadium. Given what had happened to them when they got swept in a three-game series by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field preceding the series and not wanting to see visiting teams win a division title on their field, the Phillies swept the Mets. During the series, Mets fans at Veterans Stadium became unruly and damaged seats in the upper deck (the 700 level). One Mets fan was arrested after striking at two Philadelphia police officers. The Phillie Phanatic summed up the Mets being swept by crushing three Mets helmets in front of the Mets dugout during the final game of the series. The Phillies ended up being the only team in the league to post a winning record against the Mets, going 10–8, with a 7–2 mark at Veterans Stadium. During the postseason awards, the Mets rivalry with the Phillies and that series was played out again, as it was Mike Schmidt of the Phillies who won the National League MVP Award, ahead of Gary Carter, who finished third, and Keith Hernandez, who finished fourth. It was Schmidt's third career MVP.
The Mets then split a two-game series in St. Louis, trimming the magic number to clinch to 1 on September 16. The following day, they faced Dennis Eckersley and the Chicago Cubs. With a flu-ridden Hernandez, Dave Magadan was the offensive source of the day. Hernandez returned in the 9th to get the final out. The champagne was popped immediately while the fans invaded the field quickly. The Mets won a team-record 108 games after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Mets went 21–11 during the final two months to end the season with a record of 108-54 while winning the National League East division by 21.5 games.

## Schedule and results
### Regular season

1986 Regular Season Game Log (108–54) (Home: 55–26; Road: 53–28) :
April (13–3) (Home: 5–1; Road: 8–2)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
1April 8@ Pirates4–2Gooden (1–0)Reuschel (0–1)48,962Three Rivers Stadium1–0Boxscore1Tied6:05 PM ESTWOR-TV
April 10@ PiratesPostponed (inclement weather); rescheduled for June 6Three Rivers Stadium-½
2April 11@ Phillies9–7Ojeda (1–0)Gross (0–1)Orosco (1)36,190Veterans Stadium2–0Boxscore2-½7:35 PM ESTSportsChannel New York Plus
3April 12@ Phillies8–9 (14)Hudson (1–0)Niemann (0–1)22,737Veterans Stadium2–1Boxscore2-1+1⁄21:20 PM ESTNBC
4April 13@ Phillies2–4Rawley (1–0)Aguilera (0–1)27,691Veterans Stadium2–2Boxscore3-1+1⁄23:05 PM ESTWOR-TVABC
5April 14Cardinals2–6 (13)Perry (1–0)Niemann (0–2)47,752Shea Stadium2–3Boxscore4-2+1⁄21:35 PM ESTWOR-TV
April 16CardinalsPostponed (rain); rescheduled for August 14Shea Stadium-2+1⁄2
April 17CardinalsPostponed (rain); rescheduled for August 17Shea Stadium-2+1⁄2
6April 18Phillies5–2Darling (1–0)Carlton (0–2)Orosco (2)26,906Shea Stadium3–3Boxscore3-2+1⁄27:35 PM ESTWOR-TV
7April 19Phillies3–2Gooden (2–0)Rawley (1–1)38,333Shea Stadium4–3Boxscore3-2+1⁄21:35 PM ESTSportsChannel New York
8April 20Phillies8–0Fernandez (1–0)Gross (0–2)41,848Shea Stadium5–3Boxscore3-1+1⁄21:35 PM ESTWOR-TV
9April 21Pirates6–5McDowell (1–0)Clements (0–1)10,282Shea Stadium6–3Boxscore2-17:35 PM ESTWOR-TV
10April 22Pirates7–1Ojeda (2–0)Kipper (0–1)15,668Shea Stadium7–3Boxscore1Tied7:35 PM ESTSportsChannel New York Plus
11April 24@ Cardinals5–4 (10)McDowell (2–0)Worrell (0–1)33,597Busch Memorial Stadium8–3Boxscore1+1+1⁄28:35 PM ESTSportsChannel New York Plus
12April 25@ Cardinals9–0Gooden (3–0)Horton (0–2)43,721Busch Memorial Stadium9–3Boxscore1+2+1⁄28:35 PM ESTWOR-TV
13April 26@ Cardinals4–3Fernandez (2–0)Cox (0–1)Orosco (3)44,769Busch Memorial Stadium10–3Boxscore1+3+1⁄21:20 PM ESTNBC
14April 27@ Cardinals5–3Ojeda (3–0)Tudor (3–1)39,193Busch Memorial Stadium11–3Boxscore1+43:05 PM EDTWOR-TVABC
15April 29@ Braves10–5Berenyi (1–0)McMurtry (0–1)McDowell (1)12,258Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium12–3Boxscore1+4+1⁄25:40 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
16April 30@ Braves8–1Gooden (4–0)Johnson (3–1)23,361Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium13–3Boxscore1+57:40 PM EDTSportsChannel New York Plus :
May (18–9) (Home: 9–3; Road: 9–6)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
17May 1@ Braves2–7Smith (2–2)Aguilera (0–2)8,343Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium13–4Boxscore1+4+1⁄25:40 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
18May 2@ Reds8–7Fernandez (3–0)Gullickson (0–3)Orosco (4)20,677Riverfront Stadium14–4Boxscore1+5+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
19May 3@ Reds4–1Ojeda (4–0)Denny (1–3)Orosco (5)20,268Riverfront Stadium15–4Boxscore1+5+1⁄22:15 PM EDTSportsChannel New York Plus
20May 4@ Reds7–2Darling (2–0)Soto (2–3)McDowell (2)25,407Riverfront Stadium16–4Boxscore1+5+1⁄22:15 PM EDTWOR-TV
21May 6Astros4–0Gooden (5–0)Knepper (5–1)41,722Shea Stadium17–4Boxscore1+57:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
22May 7Astros3–2Fernandez (4–0)Ryan (3–4)Orosco (6)26,956Shea Stadium18–4Boxscore1+57:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
23May 9Reds2–1Ojeda (5–0)Soto (2–4)'McDowell (3)40,744Shea Stadium19–4Boxscore1+57:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
24May 10Reds5–1Darling (3–0)Browning (0–4)45,303Shea Stadium20–4Boxscore1+51:20 PM EDTNBC
25May 11Reds2–3Gullickson (2–3)Gooden (5–1)Franco (4)44,236Shea Stadium20–5Boxscore1+41:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
26May 12Braves1–0McDowell (3–0)Assenmacher (1–1)Shea Stadium45,303Shea Stadium21–5Boxscore1+57:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
27May 13Braves3–6Johnson (4–3)Aguilera (0–3)Sutter (2)29,052Shea Stadium21–6Boxscore1+47:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
28May 14@ Astros2–6Knepper (7–1)Ojeda (5–1)11,626Astrodome21–7Boxscore1+38:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
29May 15@ Astros6–2Darling (4–0)Ryan (3–5)13,856Astrodome22–7Boxscore1+48:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
30May 16@ Dodgers3–4 (11)Howell (1–2)Orosco (0–1)11,626Dodger Stadium22–8Boxscore1+310:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
31May 17@ Dodgers2–6Niedenfuer (2–2)Fernandez (4–1)39,429Dodger Stadium22–9Boxscore1+34:05 PM EDTNBC
32May 18@ Dodgers8–4Niemann (1–2)Reuss (2–2)44,426Dodger Stadium23–9Boxscore1+33:05 PM EDTWOR-TVABC
33May 20@ Giants2–1Ojeda (6–1)LaCoss (4–1)McDowell (4)28,837Candlestick Park24–9Boxscore1+410:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
34May 21@ Giants7–4Darling (5–0)Mason (2–4)18,618Candlestick Park25–9Boxscore1+53:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
35May 22@ Giants2–10Krukow (6–3)Gooden (5–2)27,442Candlestick Park25–10Boxscore1+44:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
36May 23@ Padres4–7Gossage (3–3)Orosco (0–2)22,982Jack Murphy Stadium25–11Boxscore1+310:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
37May 24@ Padres5–4Berenyi (2–0)Thurmond (2–4)Orosco (7)36,679Jack Murphy Stadium26–11Boxscore1+310:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
38May 25@ Padres4–2 (11)Orosco (1–2)Lefferts (3–2)30,296Jack Murphy Stadium27–11Boxscore1+44:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
39May 27Dodgers8–1Darling (6–0)Welch (3–4)35,643Shea Stadium28–11Boxscore1+4+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
40May 28Dodgers4–2Gooden (6–2)Reuss (2–4)41,032Shea Stadium29–11Boxscore1+5+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
41May 29Dodgers5–2Fernandez (5–1)Valenzuela (7–3)Orosco (8)41,080Shea Stadium30–11Boxscore1+67:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
42May 30Giants8–7 (10)Orosco (2–2)Davis (1–3)38,243Shea Stadium31–11Boxscore1+67:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
43May 31Giants3–7Garrelts (5–5)Ojeda (6–2)50,498Shea Stadium31–12Boxscore1+67:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York :
June (19–9) (Home: 11–6; Road: 8–3)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
44June 1Giants3–7Krukow (7–3)Darling (6–1)49,041Shea Stadium31–13Boxscore1+63:05 PM EDTWOR-TVABC
45June 2Padres11–2Gooden (7–2)Hoyt (2–2)28,426Shea Stadium32–13Boxscore1+6+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
46June 3Padres4–5Hawkins (4–4)Fernandez (5–2)Gossage (9)25,196Shea Stadium32–14Boxscore1+6+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
47June 4Padres4–2McDowell (4–0)Walter (1–1)26,735Shea Stadium33–14Boxscore1+7+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
48June 5@ Pirates7–0Ojeda (7–2)Kipper (1–5)8,855Three Rivers Stadium34–14Boxscore1+8+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
49June 6@ Pirates1–7Rhoden (5–3)Darling (6–2)Walk (2)N/AThree Rivers Stadium34–15Boxscore1+85:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
50June 6@ Pirates10–4McDowell (5–0)León (1–3)15,113Three Rivers Stadium35–15Boxscore1+88:57 PM EDTWOR-TV
51June 7@ Pirates6–4Gooden (8–2)Reuschel (4–5)Orosco (9)29,770Three Rivers Stadium36–15Boxscore1+97:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
52June 8@ Pirates4–3Fernandez (6–2)McWilliams (1–4)Orosco (10)14,391Three Rivers Stadium37–15Boxscore1+91:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
53June 9Phillies2–3 (10)Carman (3–0)Sisk (0–1)Bedrosian (8)26,050Shea Stadium37–16Boxscore1+87:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
54June 10Phillies8–4 (11)McDowell (6–0)Lerch (0–1)27,472Shea Stadium38–16Boxscore1+87:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
55June 11Phillies5–3Darling (7–2)Carlton (4–7)Orosco (11)27,830Shea Stadium39–16Boxscore1+87:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
56June 13Pirates6–5Orosco (3–2)Clements (0–2)37,582Shea Stadium40–16Boxscore1+97:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
57June 14Pirates5–1Fernandez (7–2)Bielecki (4–4)47,664Shea Stadium41–16Boxscore1+101:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
58June 15Pirates4–1Ojeda (8–2)Walk (2–3)N/AShea Stadium42–16Boxscore1+10+1⁄21:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
59June 15Pirates8–5Aguilera (1–3)Kipper (2–6)McDowell (5)41,847Shea Stadium43–16Boxscore1+10+1⁄24:08 PM EDTWOR-TV
60June 16@ Expos4–1 (10)Sisk (1–1)Reardon (6–4)16,347Olympic Stadium44–16Boxscore1+11+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
61June 17@ Expos2–4Hesketh (4–4)Berenyi (2–1)Burke (4)20,193Olympic Stadium44–17Boxscore1+10+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
62June 18@ Expos4–7Youmans (6–5)Gooden (8–3)Reardon (16)22,026Olympic Stadium44–18Boxscore1+9+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
June 19CubsPostponed (rain); rescheduled for July 29Shea Stadium+10
63June 20Cubs10–3Fernandez (8–2)Sanderson (3–5)44,817Shea Stadium45–18Boxscore1+107:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
64June 21Cubs6–8Fontenot (3–2)Orosco (3–3)42,566Shea Stadium45–19Boxscore1+101:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
65June 22Cubs4–2Darling (8–2)Sutcliffe (4–9)46,279Shea Stadium46–19Boxscore1+101:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
66June 23Expos4–5 (10)Burke (5–2)Orosco (3–4)44,199Shea Stadium46–20Boxscore1+97:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
67June 24Expos2–6Smith (5–5)Berenyi (2–2)McClure (2)40,092Shea Stadium46–21Boxscore1+87:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
68June 25Expos5–2Fernandez (9–2)McGaffigan (5–3)McDowell (6)33,030Shea Stadium47–21Boxscore1+91:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
June 27@ CubsPostponed (rain); rescheduled for August 6Wrigley Field+9+1⁄2
69June 28@ Cubs5–2McDowell (7–0)Fontenot (3–3)35,152Wrigley Field48–21Boxscore1+9+1⁄23:20 PM EDTNBC
70June 29@ Cubs7–4Gooden (9–3)Sutcliffe (4–10)34,222Wrigley Field49–21Boxscore1+9+1⁄22:20 PM EDTWOR-TV
71June 30@ Cardinals7–0Ojeda (9–2)Tudor (6–4)38,819Busch Memorial Stadium50–21Boxscore1+9+1⁄28:05 PM EDTABC :
July (16–11) (Home: 9–6; Road: 7–5)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
72July 1@ Cardinals2–1Fernandez (10–2)Cox (2–6)McDowell (7)25,869Busch Memorial Stadium51–21Boxscore1+10+1⁄28:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
73July 2@ Cardinals4–3Sisk (2–1)Forsch (6–5)Orosco (12)29,794Busch Memorial Stadium52–21Boxscore1+11+1⁄28:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
74July 3Astros6–5 (10)Orosco (4–4)DiPino (1–4)48,839Shea Stadium53–21Boxscore1+12+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
75July 4Astros2–1Gooden (10–3)Smith (1–5)28,557Shea Stadium54–21Boxscore1+12+1⁄21:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
76July 5Astros1–2Kerfeld (6–1)McDowell (7–1)50,939Shea Stadium54–22Boxscore1+11+1⁄27:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
77July 6Astros5–3Fernandez (11–2)Knudson (0–3)McDowell (8)31,017Shea Stadium55–22Boxscore1+11+1⁄21:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
78July 7Reds6–7Robinson (7–0)Niemann (1–3)Franco (13)29,265Shea Stadium55–23Boxscore1+11+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
79July 8Reds4–5 (10)Franco (3–4)McDowell (7–2)35,803Shea Stadium55–24Boxscore1+11+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
80July 9Reds1–11Browning (7–7)Gooden (10–4)38,079Shea Stadium55–25Boxscore1+10+1⁄21:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
81July 10Braves5–1Ojeda (10–2)Smith (7–10)34,836Shea Stadium56–25Boxscore1+10+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
82July 11Braves11–0Fernandez (12–2)Palmer (5–8)39,924Shea Stadium57–25Boxscore1+11+1⁄28:35 PM EDTNBC
83July 12Braves10–1Aguilera (2–3)Mahler (10–8)30,899Shea Stadium58–25Boxscore1+12+1⁄21:50 PM EDTNBC
84July 13Braves2–0Darling (9–2)Alexander (6–5)41,128Shea Stadium59–25Boxscore1+13+1⁄21:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
July 15: All-Star Game (AL wins—)3–2Clemens (BOS)Gooden (NYM)Aase (BAL)45,774AstrodomeHouston, Texas
85July 17@ Astros13–2Ojeda (11–2)Ryan (6–7)21,536Astrodome60–25Boxscore1+13+1⁄28:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
86July 18@ Astros0–3Knepper (11–7)Darling (9–3)22,906Astrodome60–26Boxscore1+12+1⁄28:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
87July 19@ Astros4–5Smith (2–6)McDowell (7–3)44,502Astrodome60–27Boxscore1+12+1⁄28:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
88July 20@ Astros8–9 (15)Knepper (12–7)McDowell (7–4)23,900Astrodome60–28Boxscore1+123:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
89July 21@ Reds4–2Aguilera (3–3)Soto (3–8)Orosco (13)23,827Riverfront Stadium61–28Boxscore1+138:05 PM EDTABC
90July 22@ Reds6–3 (14)McDowell (8–4)Willis (1–1)23,707Riverfront Stadium62–28Boxscore1+147:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
91July 23@ Reds3–2Darling (10–3)Robinson (7–1)McDowell (9)25,496Riverfront Stadium63–28Boxscore1+157:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
July 25@ BravesPostponed (rain); rescheduled for July 26Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium+15
92July 26@ Braves3–4Assenmacher (4–2)McDowell (8–5)N/AAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium63–29Boxscore1+14+1⁄25:40 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
93July 26@ Braves5–8Acker (3–4)Fernandez (12–3)Garber (12)44,400Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium63–30Boxscore1+14+1⁄28:46 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
94July 27@ Braves5–1Aguilera (4–3)Mahler (10–10)33,338Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium64–30Boxscore1+15+1⁄22:10 PM EDTWOR-TV
95July 28Cubs9–2Ojeda (12–2)Sanderson (5–7)McDowell (10)38,890Shea Stadium65–30Boxscore1+16+1⁄27:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
96July 29Cubs3–0Darling (11–3)Trout (4–4)N/AShea Stadium66–30Boxscore1+16+1⁄25:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
97July 29Cubs1–2Moyer (11–3)Sisk (2–2)Smith (18)45,731Shea Stadium66–31Boxscore1+16+1⁄28:21 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
98July 30Cubs3–4Eckersley (5–6)Fernandez (12–4)Smith (19)35,734Shea Stadium66–32Boxscore1+15+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV :
August (21–11) (Home: 7–5; Road: 14–6)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
99August 1Expos3–1Gooden (11–4)Youmans (10–7)McDowell (11)47,883Shea Stadium67–32Boxscore1+16+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
100August 2Expos4–1Aguilera (5–3)Sebra (1–2)Orosco (14)43,069Shea Stadium68–32Boxscore1+17+1⁄27:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
101August 3Expos4–3 (10)McDowell (9–5)McClure (2–3)47,167Shea Stadium69–32Boxscore1+17+1⁄21:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
102August 4@ Cubs2–4Eckersley (6–6)Darling (11–4)Smith (20)29,016Wrigley Field69–33Boxscore1+17+1⁄24:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
103August 5@ Cubs5–8Smith (7–7)McDowell (9–6)28,211Wrigley Field69–34Boxscore1+16+1⁄24:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
104August 6@ Cubs7–6 (12)McDowell (10–6)Frazier (2–4)N/AWrigley Field70–34Boxscore1+171:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
105August 6@ Cubs7–6Anderson (1–0)Trout (4–5)Orosco (15)33,343Wrigley Field71–34Boxscore1+175:37 PM EDTSportsChannel New York Plus
106August 7@ Cubs12–3Aguilera (6–3)Sanderson (5–9)28,725Wrigley Field72–34Boxscore1+172:20 PM EDTWOR-TV
107August 8@ Expos3–5Smith (8–6)Ojeda (12–3)Reardon (26)21,027Olympic Stadium72–35Boxscore1+167:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
108August 9@ Expos10–8McDowell (11–6)Reardon (6–7)Orosco (16)33,093Olympic Stadium73–35Boxscore1+177:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
109August 10@ Expos7–2Fernandez (13–4)Martínez (1–4)Anderson (1)35,743Olympic Stadium74–35Boxscore1+181:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
110August 11@ Phillies8–4Gooden (12–4)Carman (5–4)43,133Veterans Stadium75–35Boxscore1+198:05 PM EDTABC
111August 12@ Phillies1–3Gross (8–9)Aguilera (6–4)36,442Veterans Stadium75–36Boxscore1+187:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
112August 13@ Phillies4–8Ruffin (4–3)Ojeda (12–4)39,041Veterans Stadium75–37Boxscore1+187:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
113August 14Cardinals4–3McDowell (12–6)Worrell (7–9)N/AShea Stadium76–37Boxscore1+17+1⁄25:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
114August 14Cardinals1–5Horton (2–3)Anderson (1–1)48,949Shea Stadium76–38Boxscore1+17+1⁄28:56 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
115August 15Cardinals2–4 (10)Perry (2–2)Orosco (4–5)Worrell (26)46,780Shea Stadium76–39Boxscore1+167:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
116August 16Cardinals1–3 (11)Mathews (9–3)McDowell (12–7)Worrell (27)44,873Shea Stadium76–40Boxscore1+162:20 PM EDTNBC
117August 17Cardinals1–2Tudor (12–6)Aguilera (6–5)Perry (2)N/AShea Stadium76–41Boxscore1+16+1⁄21:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
118August 17Cardinals9–2Niemann (2–3)Cox (7–10)McDowell (12)44,843Shea Stadium77–41Boxscore1+16+1⁄24:32 PM EDTWOR-TV
119August 18@ Dodgers5–4Ojeda (13–4)Hershiser (12–9)McDowell (13)46,099Dodger Stadium78–41Boxscore1+178:05 PM EDTABC
120August 19@ Dodgers6–4Darling (12–4)Valenzuela (15–9)McDowell (14)46,977Dodger Stadium79–41Boxscore1+1810:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
121August 20@ Dodgers7–5Fernandez (14–4)Powell (2–5)Orosco (17)36,738Dodger Stadium80–41Boxscore1+18+1⁄28:20 PM EDTNBC
122August 22@ Giants5–3Gooden (13–4)Blue (9–8)McDowell (15)30,679Candlestick Park81–41Boxscore1+1911:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
123August 23@ Giants3–2Ojeda (14–4)Downs (0–4)McDowell (16)31,033Candlestick Park82–41Boxscore1+204:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
124August 24@ Giants1–10Krukow (13–7)Aguilera (6–6)31,606Candlestick Park82–42Boxscore1+194:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
125August 25@ Padres5–2Orosco (5–5)Lefferts (7–5)McDowell (17)18,605Jack Murphy Stadium83–42Boxscore1+208:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
126August 26@ Padres11–6Fernandez (15–4)Dravecky (9–11)15,992Jack Murphy Stadium84–42Boxscore1+2010:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
127August 27@ Padres6–5 (11)Sisk (3–2)Gossage (5–7)19,747Jack Murphy Stadium85–42Boxscore1+2010:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
128August 29Dodgers2–1Ojeda (15–4)Honeycutt (9–9)45,667Shea Stadium86–42Boxscore1+207:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
129August 30Dodgers6–3Aguilera (7–6)Hershiser (12–10)McDowell (18)44,040Shea Stadium87–42Boxscore1+202:20 PM EDTNBC
130August 31Dodgers4–7Valenzuela (17–9)Darling (12–5)45,678Shea Stadium87–43Boxscore1+191:35 PM EDTWOR-TV :
September (16–11) (Home: 11–4; Road: 5–7)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
131September 1Giants5–2McDowell (13–7)Davis (4–5)44,272Shea Stadium88–43Boxscore1+191:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
132September 2Giants3–4Krukow (14–8)Gooden (13–5)Garrelts (7)26,166Shea Stadium88–44Boxscore1+197:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
133September 3Giants4–2Ojeda (16–4)Mulholland (0–6)25,851Shea Stadium89–44Boxscore1+207:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
September 5PadresPostponed (rain); rescheduled for September 7Shea Stadium+20+1⁄2
134September 6Padres4–3Orosco (6–5)McCullers (7–7)46,879Shea Stadium90–44Boxscore1+20+1⁄22:20 PM EDTNBC
135September 7Padres7–1Gooden (14–5)LaPoint (4–8)N/AShea Stadium91–44Boxscore1+211:05 PM EDTWOR-TV
136September 7Padres6–5Sisk (4–2)Lefferts (7–7)McDowell (19)38,630Shea Stadium92–44Boxscore1+213:54 PM EDTWOR-TV
137September 8Expos1–9Sebra (4–3)Ojeda (16–5)38,630Shea Stadium92–45Boxscore1+217:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
138September 9Expos7–9Burke (9–7)Orosco (6–6)Reardon (31)26,867Shea Stadium92–46Boxscore1+217:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
139September 10Expos6–1Darling (13–5)Valdez (0–1)31,934Shea Stadium93–46Boxscore1+227:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
140September 12@ Phillies3–6Ruffin (8–3)Gooden (14–6)Bedrosian (24)43,070Veterans Stadium93–47Boxscore1+217:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
141September 13@ Phillies5–6Schatzeder (4–4)McDowell (13–8)Bedrosian (25)47,108Veterans Stadium93–48Boxscore1+207:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
142September 14@ Phillies0–6Gross (10–11)Fernandez (15–5)38,652Veterans Stadium93–49Boxscore1+191:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
143September 15@ Cardinals0–1 (13)Worrell (9–10)McDowell (13–9)29,566Busch Memorial Stadium93–50Boxscore1+188:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
144September 16@ Cardinals4–2Aguilera (8–6)Conroy (4–9)Orosco (18)30,935Busch Memorial Stadium94–50Boxscore1+188:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
145September 17Cubs4–2Gooden (15–6)Eckersley (6–10)47,823Shea Stadium95–50Boxscore1+197:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
146September 18Cubs5–0Anderson (2–1)Maddux (1–3)13,726Shea Stadium96–50Boxscore1+191:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
147September 19Phillies3–4Gross (11–11)Fernandez (15–6)Bedrosian (27)35,023Shea Stadium96–51Boxscore1+187:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
148September 20Phillies9–5Darling (14–5)Hume (4–1)39,104Shea Stadium97–51Boxscore1+197:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
149September 21Phillies1–7Freeman (1–0)Mitchell (0–1)42,631Shea Stadium97–52Boxscore1+181:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
150September 22Cardinals5–2Gooden (16–6)Forsch (14–9)25,714Shea Stadium98–52Boxscore1+197:35 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
151September 23Cardinals9–1Ojeda (17–5)Mathews (10–8)Orosco (19)11,203Shea Stadium99–52Boxscore1+197:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
152September 24@ Cubs2–8Hall (1–1)Aguilera (8–7)6,468Wrigley Field99–53Boxscore1+192:20 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
153September 25@ Cubs6–5McDowell (14–9)Lynch (5–5)Orosco (20)8,840Wrigley Field100–53Boxscore1+202:20 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
154September 26@ Pirates3–1Fernandez (16–6)Fansler (0–2)McDowell (20)14,080Three Rivers Stadium101–53Boxscore1+207:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
155September 27@ Pirates4–2 (11)Orosco (7–6)McWilliams (2–11)Sisk (1)13,210Three Rivers Stadium102–53Boxscore1+207:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
156September 28@ Pirates4–1 (11)Aguilera (9–7)Walk (7–8)30,606Three Rivers Stadium103–53Boxscore1+201:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
157September 30@ Expos0–1Sebra (5–5)Darling (14–6)6,068Olympic Stadium103–54Boxscore1+19+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV :
October (5–0) (Home: 3–0; Road: 2–0)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumRecordReportRankGB
158October 1@ Expos6–4 (11)Orosco (8–6)McClure (4–6)McDowell (21)10,740Olympic Stadium104–54Boxscore1+207:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
159October 2@ Expos8–2Gooden (17–6)Youmans (13–12)10,726Olympic Stadium105–54Boxscore1+20+1⁄27:35 PM EDTWOR-TV
October 3PiratesPostponed (rain); rescheduled for October 4Shea Stadium+21
160October 4Pirates8–2Ojeda (18–5)Fansler (0–3)Orosco (21)N/AShea Stadium106–54Boxscore1+21+1⁄21:05 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
161October 4Pirates5–2Aguilera (10–7)Patterson (2–3)McDowell (22)30,810Shea Stadium107–54Boxscore1+21+1⁄23:52 PM EDTSportsChannel New York
162October 5Pirates9–0Darling (15–6)Pena (0–3)Fernandez (1)32,170Shea Stadium108–54Boxscore1+21+1⁄21:35 PM EDTWOR-TV :
Legend :
| Mets win | Mets loss | All-Star Game | Game postponed | Clinched |
"GB" legend :
| 1st (NL East) | Not in playoff berth | Tied for 1st (NL East) |
All times are EASTERN time

### Postseason

1986 Postseason Game Log :
National League Championship Series vs. Houston – New York (NL) wins series 4–2
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumReportGame TimeNational TVNational Radio
1October 8@ Astros0–1Scott (1–0)Gooden (0–1)44,131AstrodomeBoxscore8:25 PM EDTABCCBS
2October 9@ Astros5–1Ojeda (1–0)Ryan (0–1)44,391AstrodomeBoxscore8:20 PM EDTABCCBS
3October 11Astros6–5Orosco (1–0)Smith (0–1)55,052Shea StadiumBoxscore12:10 PM EDTABCCBS
4October 12Astros1–3Scott (2–0)Fernandez (0–1)55,038Shea StadiumBoxscore8:20 PM EDTABCCBS
5October 14Astros2–1 (12)Orosco (2–0)Kerfeld (0–1)54,986Shea StadiumBoxscore1:10 PM EDTABCCBS
6October 15@ Astros7–6 (16)Orosco (3–0)López (0–1)45,718AstrodomeBoxscore3:05 PM EDTABCCBS :
World Series vs. Boston – New York (NL) wins series 4–3
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceStadiumReportGame TimeNational TVNational Radio
1October 18Red Sox0–1Hurst (1–0)Darling (0–1)Schiraldi (1)57,908Shea StadiumBoxscore8:30 PM EDTNBCCBS
2October 19Red Sox3–9Crawford (1–0)Gooden (0–1)Stanley (1)57,911Shea StadiumBoxscore8:25 PM EDTNBCCBS
3October 21@ Red Sox7–1Ojeda (1–0)Boyd (0–1)33,595Fenway ParkBoxscore8:30 PM EDTNBCCBS
4October 22@ Red Sox6–2Darling (1–1)Nipper (0–1)Orosco (1)33,920Fenway ParkBoxscore8:25 PM EDTNBCCBS
5October 23@ Red Sox2–4Hurst (2–0)Gooden (0–2)34,010Fenway ParkBoxscore8:35 PM EDTNBCCBS
6October 25Red Sox6–5 (10)Aguilera (1–0)Schiraldi (0–1)57,908Shea StadiumBoxscore8:25 PM EDTNBCCBS
7October 27Red Sox8–5McDowell (1–0)Schiraldi (0–2)Orosco (2)55,032Shea StadiumBoxscore8:10 PM ESTNBCCBS :
Legend :
| Mets Win | Mets Loss |
All times are EASTERN time
* All games broadcast on WHN and Mets Radio Network
* Some 1986 Mets Cable TV broadcasts were carried on SportsChannel New York Plus because of broadcast conflict of (NY Yankees) of (MLB), (New Jersey Nets) of (NBA) and (NY Islanders) of (NHL).

### Attendance

| Attendance | Rank |
| 2,767,601 | 2 |

### Opening day lineup

Opening Day Starters :
| # | Name | Position |
| 4 | Lenny Dykstra | CF |
| 6 | Wally Backman | 2B |
| 17 | Keith Hernandez | 1B |
| 8 | Gary Carter | C |
| 18 | Darryl Strawberry | RF |
| 15 | George Foster | LF |
| 20 | Howard Johnson | 3B |
| 3 | Rafael Santana | SS |
| 16 | Dwight Gooden | P |

## Player stats

* = Indicates team leader

### Batting
#### Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
| C | Gary Carter | 132 | 490 | 125 | .255 | 24 | 105 | 1 |
| 1B | Keith Hernandez | 149 | 551 | 171 | .310 | 13 | 83 | 2 |
| 2B | Wally Backman | 124 | 387 | 124 | .320 | 1 | 27 | 13 |
| 3B | Ray Knight | 137 | 486 | 145 | .298 | 11 | 76 | 2 |
| SS | Rafael Santana | 139 | 394 | 86 | .218 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| LF | George Foster | 72 | 233 | 53 | .227 | 13 | 38 | 1 |
| CF | Lenny Dykstra | 147 | 431 | 127 | .295 | 8 | 45 | 31 |
| RF | Darryl Strawberry | 136 | 475 | 123 | .259 | 27 | 93 | 28 |

#### Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
| Mookie Wilson | 123 | 381 | 110 | .289 | 9 | 45 | 25 |
| Kevin Mitchell | 108 | 328 | 91 | .277 | 12 | 43 | 3 |
| Tim Teufel | 93 | 279 | 69 | .247 | 4 | 31 | 1 |
| Howard Johnson | 88 | 220 | 54 | .245 | 10 | 39 | 8 |
| Danny Heep | 86 | 195 | 55 | .282 | 5 | 33 | 1 |
| Ed Hearn | 49 | 136 | 36 | .265 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| Lee Mazzilli | 39 | 58 | 16 | .276 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Kevin Elster | 19 | 30 | 5 | .167 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stan Jefferson | 14 | 24 | 5 | .208 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| John Gibbons | 8 | 19 | 9 | .474 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dave Magadan | 10 | 18 | 8 | .444 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Barry Lyons | 6 | 9 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tim Corcoran | 6 | 7 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Pitching
#### Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Dwight Gooden | 33 | 250.1 | 17 | 6 | 2.84 | 200 |
| Ron Darling | 34 | 237.0 | 15 | 6 | 2.81 | 184 |
| Sid Fernandez | 33 | 204.1 | 16 | 6 | 3.52 | 200 |
| Bob Ojeda | 32 | 217.1 | 18 | 5 | 2.57 | 148 |
| Rick Aguilera | 28 | 141.2 | 10 | 7 | 3.88 | 105 |

#### Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Rick Anderson | 15 | 49.2 | 2 | 1 | 2.72 | 21 |
| Bruce Berenyi | 14 | 39.2 | 2 | 2 | 6.35 | 30 |
| John Mitchell | 4 | 10.0 | 0 | 1 | 3.60 | 2 |

#### Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; SV = Saves
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO | SV |
| Roger McDowell | 76 | 128.0 | 14 | 9 | 3.02 | 65 | 23 |
| Jesse Orosco | 59 | 81.0 | 8 | 6 | 2.33 | 62 | 21 |
| Doug Sisk | 41 | 70.2 | 4 | 2 | 3.06 | 31 | 1 |
| Randy Niemann | 31 | 35.2 | 2 | 3 | 3.79 | 18 | 0 |
| Randy Myers | 10 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 | 4.22 | 13 | 0 |
| Terry Leach | 6 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 2.70 | 4 | 0 |
| Ed Lynch | 1 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 |

## NLCS
### Game 1

October 8 (Astrodome, Houston)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Houston | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| WP: Mike Scott (1–0) LP: Dwight Gooden (0–1) |||||||||||||
| HR: NYM – None.; HOU – Glenn Davis (1) |||||||||||||

### Game 2

October 9 (Astrodome, Houston)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| WP: Bob Ojeda (1–0) LP: Nolan Ryan (0–1) |||||||||||||
| HR: NYM – None.; HOU – None. |||||||||||||

### Game 3

October 11 (Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Houston | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
| WP: Jesse Orosco (1–0) LP: Dave Smith (0–1) |||||||||||||
| HR: HOU – Bill Doran (1); NYM – Darryl Strawberry (1), Lenny Dykstra (1) |||||||||||||

### Game 4

October 12 (Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Houston | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| WP: Mike Scott (2–0) LP: Sid Fernandez (0–1) |||||||||||||
| HR: HOU – Alan Ashby (1), Dickie Thon (1); NYM – None. |||||||||||||

### Game 5

October 14 (Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| WP: Jesse Orosco (2–0) LP: Charlie Kerfeld (0–1) ||||||||||||||||
| HRs: HOU – None. NYM – Darryl Strawberry (2) ||||||||||||||||

### Game 6

October 15 (Astrodome, Houston)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | R | H | E |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| Houston | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| WP: Jesse Orosco (3–0) LP: Aurelio López (0–1) ||||||||||||||||||||
| HRs: NYM – None. HOU – Billy Hatcher (1) ||||||||||||||||||||

## World Series

NL New York Mets (4) vs. AL Boston Red Sox (3)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance | Time of Game |
| 1 | Red Sox – 1, Mets – 0 | October 18 | Shea Stadium (New York) | 57,908 | 3:18 |
| 2 | Red Sox – 9, Mets – 3 | October 19 | Shea Stadium (New York) | 57,911 | 2:44 |
| 3 | Mets – 7, Red Sox – 1 | October 21 | Fenway Park (Boston) | 33,595 | 3:09 |
| 4 | Mets – 6, Red Sox – 2 | October 22 | Fenway Park (Boston) | 33,920 | 3:22 |
| 5 | Mets – 2, Red Sox – 4 | October 23 | Fenway Park (Boston) | 34,010 | 2:55 |
| 6 | Red Sox – 5, Mets – 6 (10 inn.) | October 25 | Shea Stadium (New York City) | 57,908 | 3:18 |
| 7 | Red Sox – 5, Mets – 8 | October 27 | Shea Stadium (New York City) | 55,032 | 2:44 |

### Game Six

One of the most famous games in baseball history is Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets rallied in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 6, tying the game on a Gary Carter sacrifice fly. Reliever Calvin Schiraldi had loaded the bases with one out and had a 3–0 count on Carter, who swung away at the next pitch to hit the fly ball. In the ninth inning, after a walk and an error put two men on with nobody out, Howard Johnson was sent to the plate to sacrifice the winning run to third. After Johnson was unsuccessful on his first bunt attempt, Mets manager Davey Johnson took the bunt off. Johnson ended up striking out, leaving runners at first and second with one out. Lee Mazzilli followed with a deep fly to left that would have won the game had the runner been at third. Lenny Dykstra then flied out for the third out, sending the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th inning, Dave Henderson homered to pull the Red Sox within three outs of a world championship, and Barrett singled in Wade Boggs to make it a 5–3 lead. When Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez were retired to start the bottom of the 10th, the championship seemed at hand. After Hernandez made the second out, he went to the Mets' locker room, took off his uniform, opened a beer and watched the rest of the game on the clubhouse TV, thinking the game and the Series would be over soon. Hernandez, who is superstitious, never left that spot until the game ended.
Then, Carter singled to left. Pinch-hitter Kevin Mitchell then singled to center and Shea Stadium started to get loud. Knight went down in the count 0–2 bringing the Mets to their last strike but he hit the next pitch into center field for a single that scored Carter and advanced Mitchell to third base, making the score 5–4 and bringing Shea back to life. Before his at-bat, Mitchell was on the phone in the locker room making plane reservations to fly home to San Diego, thinking the game was over. He had already gotten out of his uniform and was in street clothes, and, when he was told he was batting, got off the phone and hurriedly got dressed, not even bothering to put his cup back on.
The Red Sox replaced Schiraldi with Bob Stanley to face left fielder Mookie Wilson. Wilson got the count to 2–1 but fouled the fourth pitch away to bring the Mets to their last strike again. He stayed alive fouling off two more Stanley pitches. Then, the seventh pitch sailed towards Wilson's knees sending him to the ground. The ball bounced off catcher Rich Gedman's catchers' mitt and went straight to the backstop. Mitchell scored on the wild pitch (which many thought should have been scored a passed ball) uncontested to tie the game and Shea Stadium erupted while Knight advanced to second base. The Red Sox were shocked to have blown the lead with the game all but over, much as the Angels had done to them in the ALCS almost two weeks earlier.
Wilson fouled off two more pitches to bring the at bat to the tenth pitch. His next hit sent a slow rolling ground ball up the first base line, which appeared to be an easy to field situation. Bill Buckner, with his chronic bad ankles and knees, moved to field the ball in an effort to beat the speedy Wilson to first base, and finish the inning. As he bent over, the ball passed between his legs, under his glove and rolled behind him into right field. Shea Stadium exploded and the Mets' players and fans screamed in excitement. Knight needed to hold his helmet on while jumping towards home plate with the winning run. Buckner and the rest of the Red Sox appeared stunned as they exited the field.
Vin Scully's call of the play quickly become an iconic one to baseball fans, with the normally calm Scully growing increasingly excited:
   So the winning run is at second base, with two outs, three and two to Mookie Wilson. A llittle roller up along first... behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight, and the Mets win it!
Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with:
   If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well, and they will play the Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow!
Had the Red Sox won the World Series, they would have won their first World Series since 1918, in addition to making Boston the first city to win both NBA and World Series championships in the same year. As it turned out, the Celtics championship four months before was the last championship for Boston and for Massachusetts until the New England Patriots, who lost Super Bowl XX to the Chicago Bears in January, won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.

## Awards and honors

* Ray Knight, Babe Ruth Award
* Ray Knight, World Series Most Valuable Player Award
* Keith Hernandez, National League First Baseman Gold Glove
* Gary Carter, National League Catcher Silver Slugger Award

## 57th Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Infielders
| Pos | # | Player | League | AB | H | RBI |
| 1B | 17 | Keith Hernandez | National League Starter | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Outfielders
| Pos | # | Player | League | AB | H | RBI |
| RF | 18 | Darryl Strawberry | National League Starter | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Catcher
| # | Player | League | AB | H | RBI |
| 8 | Gary Carter | National League Starter | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Pitchers
| # | Player | League | IP | SO |
| 50 | Sid Fernandez | National League | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Dwight Gooden | National League Starter | 3 | 2 |
Coach
| # | Coach | League | Position |
| 5 | Davey Johnson | National League | Third Base Coach |

## Farm system

| Level | Team | League | Manager |
| AAA | Tidewater Tides | International League | Sam Perlozzo |
| AA | Jackson Mets | Texas League | Mike Cubbage |
| A | Lynchburg Mets | Carolina League | Bobby Floyd |
| A | Columbia Mets | South Atlantic League | Tucker Ashford |
| A-Short Season | Little Falls Mets | New York–Penn League | Rich Miller |
| Rookie | Kingsport Mets | Appalachian League | Chuck Hiller |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Columbia

## Documentary

ESPN's 30 for 30 released a four-part documentary on the 1986 Mets entitled Once Upon a Time in Queens, in September 2021. It is produced by Jimmy Kimmel and directed by Nick Davis. It is available for streaming on ESPN+ along with the entire 30 for 30 library.