Despite high hopes following the 1969 championship season, the Mets could not break through to the postseason in the early '70s, coming up short three times. Then, in 1973, the Mets found themselves deadlocked with their opponents in what was then the tightest divisional race of the century. Despite going .600 for the month of April, the team then floundered as the season progressed. Hampered with many injuries, Berra's Mets found themselves in last place with a 61–71 record at the end of August 1973, but when they got healthy again, they recovered behind relief pitcher Tug McGraw and his "Ya gotta believe!" rallying cry (a phrase the team has since trademarked), winning 21 of their last 29 games. Berra also coined his most famous Yogiism that year: "It ain't over till it's over!" Their final record of only 82–79 was good enough to win the division while five better teams missed the postseason. Despite the second-worst winning percentage ever by a division winner (until the 2005 San Diego Padres), the Mets stunned the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" in the NLCS, beating them in 5 games. Their record remains the lowest of any pennant-winning team but they managed to push the defending World Series Champion Oakland Athletics to a seventh game. Their near-miracle season ended with a loss to Ken Holtzman in the final contest.