After the season, Jesse Orosco was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and, in , McDowell improved his ERA back down to 2.63 and moved into third place on the Mets' all-time save list behind Orosco and Tug McGraw. The lefty-righty closer platoon system was maintained with McDowell and Randy Myers. The Mets won 100 games and were pitted against Orosco and the Dodgers in the 1988 National League Championship Series. In Game 4, the Mets had a chance to take a commanding 3–1 series lead but Mike Scioscia tied the game with a 2-run shot off Dwight Gooden in the 9th inning. McDowell would later give up the game-winning home run to Kirk Gibson in the 12th inning. Overall, McDowell gave up a run in three of his four games. The favored Mets lost in seven games in their last postseason for over a decade. It also spelled the last postseason appearance of the 27-year-old McDowell's career.