View source for 1986 World Series

{{Short description|83rd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox World Series Expanded
| image = 1986 World Series logo.svg
| country = World
| year = 1986
| champion = [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] (4)
| champion_manager = [[Davey Johnson]]
| champion_games = 108–54, {{winpct|108|54}}, GA: {{frac|21|1|2}}
| runnerup = [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] (3)
| runnerup_manager = [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]]
| runnerup_games = 95–66, {{winpct|95|66}}, GA: {{frac|5|1|2}}
| date = October 18–27
| venue = [[Shea Stadium]] (New York)<br />[[Fenway Park]] (Boston)
| MVP = [[Ray Knight]] (New York)
| television = [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]
| announcers = [[Vin Scully]] and [[Joe Garagiola Sr.|Joe Garagiola]]
| radio_network = [[Major League Baseball on CBS Radio|CBS]]<br>[[WFAN (AM)|WHN]] (NYM)<br>[[WPLM-FM|WPLM]] (BOS)
| radio_announcers = [[Jack Buck]] and [[Sparky Anderson]] (CBS)<br>[[Bob Murphy (sportscaster)|Bob Murphy]] and [[Gary Thorne]] (WHN)<br>[[Ken Coleman]] and [[Joe Castiglione]] (WPLM)
| umpires  = [[John Kibler]] (NL), [[Jim Evans (umpire)|Jim Evans]] (AL), [[Harry Wendelstedt]] (NL), [[Joe Brinkman]] (AL), [[Ed Montague (umpire)|Ed Montague]] (NL), [[Dale Ford]] (AL)
| HOFers = '''Mets:''' <br>[[Gary Carter]]<br />'''Red Sox:''' <br>[[Wade Boggs]]<br>[[Jim Rice]]<br>[[Tom Seaver]] (DNP)
| NLCS = [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] over [[1986 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] (4–2)
| ALCS = [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] over [[1986 California Angels season|California Angels]] (4–3)
| image2 = 1986 World Series Program.png
}}
The '''1986 World Series'''  was the [[World Series|championship series]] of [[Major League Baseball]]'s (MLB) [[1986 Major League Baseball season|1986 season]]. The 83rd edition of the World Series, it was a [[best-of-seven playoff]] played between the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) [[1986 National League Championship Series|champion]] [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] and the [[American League]] (AL) [[1986 American League Championship Series|champion]] [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]]. The Mets won the series in seven games, claiming their second World Series title and first since [[1969 World Series|1969]].

The series is best remembered for its Game 6, which saw the Mets rally from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 10th inning, despite having two outs and no one on base. The Red Sox, who held a 3–2 series lead, were twice one strike away from securing the championship, but failed to close out the inning as the Mets won off an error by Boston first baseman [[Bill Buckner]]. When the Mets won the series in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of the [[Curse of the Bambino]] superstition used to explain the Red Sox's championship drought between [[1918 World Series|1918]] and [[2004 World Series|2004]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Shaughnessy |first=Dan |title=The Curse of the Bambino |year=2004 |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=0-525-24887-0 |author-link=Dan Shaughnessy |url= https://archive.org/details/curseofbambino00shau}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Shaughnessy |first=Dan |title=Reversing the Curse |year=2005 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |location=Boston |isbn=0-618-51748-0 |url= https://archive.org/details/reversingcursein00shau}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dodd |first=Mike |title=Curse RIP: 1918–2004; After decades of pain, Red Sox on top of world |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2004-10-27-ws-game4_x.htm |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=October 28, 2004 |quote=The Curse of the Bambino, said to have started after Red Sox owner [[Harry Frazee]] sold [[Babe Ruth]] to the Yankees after the 1919 season...soared in popularity after the Sox came within one strike of winning the 1986 Series, only to collapse after a score-tying wild pitch. |page=C1 |access-date=June 8, 2010<!--DASHBot--> |archive-date=February 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211210928/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2004-10-27-ws-game4_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 1986 World Series marked the second time, after the [[1985 World Series|previous year's series]],<ref name="0_2_home_deficit">{{cite web | title = Teams that came back after losing first 2 games | website = MLB.com | date = October 20, 2025 | url = https://www.mlb.com/news/2-to-0-deficit-baseball-playoff-rallies-c297376582 | accessdate = October 25, 2025}}</ref> in which the winning team lost the first two games of the series at home (the [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] accomplished this the year prior).<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref> It happened again in the [[1996 World Series]] with the [[1996 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]],<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref> the last such World Series occurrence, but it would happen in the [[2025 American League Championship Series]] with the [[2025 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref>

It was also the first World Series to use the [[designated hitter]] only in games played at the American League representative's stadium, a policy that was maintained until the National League's adoption of the DH in 2022.{{efn|With the exception of the [[2020 World Series]], which was played at a neutral site due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Vecsey|first=George|title=The Designated Hitter Rule Is Unfair to Don Baylor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/19/sports/world-series-86-sports-times-designated-hitter-rule-unfair-don-baylor.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 19, 1986|access-date=February 12, 2018|quote=Starting in 1976, baseball allowed the American League to use its designated hitter in even-numbered years. -- But this year, after taking polls that showed a modest majority of fans dislikes the rule, baseball decided to use the designated hitter in American League parks during the Series.|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212084531/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/19/sports/world-series-86-sports-times-designated-hitter-rule-unfair-don-baylor.html|url-status=live|authorlink=George Vecsey}}</ref>

==Background==
{{See also|1986 Major League Baseball postseason}}
This was the fifth meeting between teams from [[Boston]] and [[New York City]] for a [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports]] championship. This previously occurred in two [[Stanley Cup Finals]] ([[1929 Stanley Cup Finals|1929]], [[1972 Stanley Cup Finals|1972]]) and two previous [[World Series]] ([[1912 World Series|1912]], [[1916 World Series|1916]]).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2105715,00.html|title=Top 10 NYC-vs.-Boston Showdowns|last=Sifferlin|first=Alexandra|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]|date=January 31, 2012|accessdate=March 13, 2025}}</ref>

===New York Mets===
{{Main|1986 New York Mets season}}

The [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] finished the regular season with a franchise-best record of 108–54, winning the [[National League East]] division by {{frac|21|1|2}} games over the [[Mets–Phillies rivalry|division rival]] [[1986 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]].<ref name=MetsPhillies>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_1986.shtml|title=1986 National League (NL) Statistics and Awards|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=February 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207060523/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_1986.shtml|archive-date=February 7, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Phillies1986>{{cite news|title=Bad Start, Promising Ending|date=October 6, 1986|first=Peter|last=Pascarelli|newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer|page=D1}}</ref><ref name=PhilliesContenders>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1986-schedule-scores.shtml|title=1986 Philadelphia Phillies Schedule, Box Scores and Splits|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=February 11, 2011<!--DASHBot-->|archive-date=June 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628231932/http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1986-schedule-scores.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> They then won a tightly contested [[1986 National League Championship Series]] against the [[1986 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]], 4 games to 2, clinching the series with a 7–6, 16-inning win in Game&nbsp;6. On July 19, Mets' infielder [[Tim Teufel]] and pitchers [[Rick Aguilera]], [[Bobby Ojeda]], and [[Ron Darling]] were arrested after fighting with policemen outside a bar in [[Houston]]. Just three days later, the Mets played a game in Cincinnati that saw Ray Knight, Darryl Strawberry, and Kevin Mitchell get [[Glossary of baseball (E)#ejected|ejected]], forcing starting catcher [[Gary Carter]] to play third base and the Mets to play a pitcher in the outfield, with lefty [[Jesse Orosco]] and right-hander [[Roger McDowell]] alternating between the pitcher's mound and the outfield as needed. Despite the adversity, the Mets won the game, 6–3 in 14 innings, on a three-run homer by [[Howard Johnson (baseball)|Howard Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B07220CIN1986.htm|title=Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Mets 6, Cincinnati Reds 3|access-date=June 15, 2008|archive-date=September 8, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908202206/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B07220CIN1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Boston Red Sox===
{{Main|1986 Boston Red Sox season}}

[[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston]] went 95–66 during the season, winning the [[American League East]] division by {{frac|5|1|2}} games over their [[Yankees–Red Sox rivalry|biggest nemesis]], the [[1986 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]], marking the first time since {{mlby|1904}} that the Red Sox and the Yankees finished first and second in the standings.<ref name=Yankees1986>{{cite book|first=Mike|last=Vaccaro|year=2005|title=Emperors and idiots: The hundred year rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox, from the very beginning to the end of the curse|publisher=Doubleday|location=New York|isbn=0-385-51354-2|author-link=Mike Vaccaro|url=https://archive.org/details/emperorsidiotsth00vacc}}</ref>

The gritty play of eventual ALCS MVP [[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]] and [[Rich Gedman]]; clutch hitting from veterans [[Jim Rice]], [[Wade Boggs]], [[Don Baylor]], [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] and [[Dave Henderson]]; and quality starting pitching, especially from 1986 [[American League MVP]] and [[Cy Young Award]] winner [[Roger Clemens]], [[Bruce Hurst]] and [[Oil Can Boyd]], pushed the Red Sox to the World Series. The team's defining moment occurred in Game&nbsp;5 of the [[1986 American League Championship Series]] against the [[1986 California Angels season|California Angels]]. With the Angels leading three games to one in the best-of-seven series and their top reliever [[Donnie Moore]] on the mound, the Sox needed a last-out miracle home run from Henderson to survive Game&nbsp;5; they later loaded the bases and got the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from Henderson off Moore in the 11th. The Angels never recovered from this blow, and with Boston capitalizing on some defensive [[Glossary of baseball (M)#miscue|miscues]] by the Angels, and [[Glossary of baseball (C)#clutch|clutch]] performances by some of their big name players (namely Rice and Clemens in the deciding game), the Red Sox clinched the pennant with a seven-game series win.

==Summary==
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary = NL [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] (4) beat AL [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] (3)
| winner =
| score =
| score1 = '''Boston Red Sox''' – 1, New York Mets – 0
| date1 = October 18
| loc1 = [[Shea Stadium]]
| time1 = 2:59
| att1 = 55,076
| ref1 =<ref name="Game1">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10180NYN1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 1 – Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113045317/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10180NYN1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score2 = '''Boston Red Sox''' – 9, New York Mets – 3
| date2 = October 19
| loc2 = Shea Stadium
| time2 = 3:36
| att2 = 55,063
| ref2 =<ref name="Game2">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10190NYN1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 2 – Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113080653/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10190NYN1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score3 = '''New York Mets''' – 7, Boston Red Sox – 1
| date3 = October 21
| loc3 = [[Fenway Park]]
| time3 = 2:58
| att3 = 33,595
| ref3 =<ref name="Game3">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10210BOS1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 3 – New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113055159/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10210BOS1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score4 = '''New York Mets''' – 6, Boston Red Sox – 2
| date4 = October 22
| loc4 = Fenway Park
| time4 = 3:22
| att4 = 33,920
| ref4 =<ref name="Game4">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10220BOS1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 4 – New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113103824/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10220BOS1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score5 = New York Mets – 2, '''Boston Red Sox''' – 4
| date5 = October 23
| loc5 = Fenway Park
| time5 = 3:09
| att5 = 34,010
| ref5 =<ref name="Game5">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10230BOS1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 5 – New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909082410/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10230BOS1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score6 = Boston Red Sox – 5, '''New York Mets''' – 6 <small>(10)</small>
| date6 = October 25
| loc6 = Shea Stadium
| time6 = 4:02
| att6 = 55,078
| ref6 =<ref name="Game6">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10250NYN1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 6 – Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113041721/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10250NYN1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| score7 = Boston Red Sox – 5, '''New York Mets''' – 8
| date7 = October 27<small>†</small>
| loc7 = Shea Stadium
| time7 = 3:11
| att7 = 55,032
| ref7 =<ref name="Game7">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10270NYN1986.htm|title=1986 World Series Game 7 – Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909215837/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B10270NYN1986.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
<small>†</small>: Postponed from October 26 due to rain

==Matchups==

===Game 1===
[[File:Boston Red Sox Calvin Schiraldi.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Calvin Schiraldi]], the successful relief pitcher of Game 1]]

{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 18, 1986
|Time=8:30{{nbsp}}pm ([[Eastern Time Zone|ET]])
|Location=[[Shea Stadium]] in [[Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
|Road='''Boston'''|RoadAbr=BOS
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=5|RE=0
|Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYM
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=4|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Bruce Hurst]] (1–0)|LP=[[Ron Darling]] (0–1)|SV=[[Calvin Schiraldi]] (1)
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|51|F|C}}, clear}}

Just as they did against [[1986 Houston Astros season|Houston]] in the [[1986 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]], the Mets opened the World Series by taking a 1–0 defeat. Boston's [[Bruce Hurst]] dominated the Mets with his forkball and looping curve, allowing only four hits over eight innings to get the win. In the bottom of the sixth, Hurst got [[Ray Knight]] to ground into an inning-ending double play and thwart a scoring opportunity for the Mets.

New York's [[Ron Darling]] was equally effective, yielding only one unearned run in the seventh inning when second baseman [[Tim Teufel]] committed an error by letting a ground ball from [[Rich Gedman]] go through his legs, allowing [[Jim Rice]] to score from second. Red Sox closer  [[Calvin Schiraldi]], acquired from the Mets in the previous offseason, walked [[Darryl Strawberry]] to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Schiraldi got Knight to force out Strawberry at second base and then got [[Wally Backman]] to fly out to left field. With two outs, [[Danny Heep]] pinch hit for [[Rafael Santana]]. Schiraldi worked Heep to a 2–2 count and then struck him out swinging to solidify the victory.

Mets' legend [[Tom Seaver]], now a member of the Red Sox, received a standing ovation from the Shea Stadium fans during the Game&nbsp;1 introductions. Seaver did not pitch in the series because of a knee injury.

===Game 2===
[[File:Wade Boggs 1988 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Wade Boggs]] drove in the first run of Game 2]]

{{Linescore|
|Date=Sunday, October 19, 1986
|Time=8:25{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=Shea Stadium in Queens, New York
|Road='''Boston'''|RoadAbr=BOS
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=3|R4=1|R5=2|R6=0|R7=2|R8=0|R9=1|RR=9|RH=18|RE=0
|Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYM
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=2|H4=0|H5=1|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=3|HH=8|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]] (1–0)|LP=[[Dwight Gooden]] (0–1)|SV=[[Bob Stanley (baseball)|Bob Stanley]] (1)
|RoadHR=[[Dave Henderson]] (1), [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] (1)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|54|F|C}}, clear}}

Game 2 figured to be a classic pitching matchup, between the Mets' young phenom [[Dwight Gooden]] and Boston's own young pitching sensation [[Roger Clemens]], but neither pitcher went beyond five innings. The Red Sox scored first in the top of the third inning, following a leadoff walk to [[Spike Owen]], when [[Keith Hernandez]] fielded a Clemens bunt, but threw it away trying to catch Owen at second base. [[Wade Boggs]] then drove in Owen with a double, [[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]] drove in Clemens with a single, and [[Bill Buckner]] drove in Boggs with a single to give the Sox a 3–0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Mets had men on second and third base for [[Wally Backman]], who grounded up the middle, plating [[Rafael Santana]]. Hernandez then grounded out, allowing Gooden to score and bring the Mets within one run.

In the top of the fourth inning, [[Dave Henderson]], the hero of the [[1986 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], drove the second pitch from Gooden to left-center field for a home run. [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] followed with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, bringing the score to 6–2. Although Clemens had a comfortable lead going into the bottom of the fifth, he was pulled in favor of [[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]] after facing three batters, leaving runners on first and third. Crawford promptly gave up a single to [[Gary Carter]] that scored Backman, cutting the deficit to three runs. Crawford struck out [[Darryl Strawberry]] and got [[Danny Heep]] to ground out, but this left Clemens with a [[no decision]].

Gooden was relieved by [[Rick Aguilera]] in the sixth inning. Aguilera loaded the bases in the seventh, and after consecutive RBI singles by Henderson and Owen, was pulled in favor of [[Jesse Orosco]], who shut down the Red Sox over the next two innings.

The Red Sox were not done, however. Facing [[Sid Fernandez]], pitching in relief with runners on first and second base in the ninth inning, Boggs drove in Henderson with a double to make the score 9–3. The Mets were unable to recover from this deficit, and took the loss, giving Boston a 2–0 advantage heading to [[Fenway Park]].

===Game 3===
[[File:Bob Ojeda 1986.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bob Ojeda]], the winning pitcher of Game 3]]

{{Linescore|
|Date=Tuesday, October 21, 1986
|Time=8:30{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=[[Fenway Park]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]
|Road='''New York'''|RoadAbr=NYM
|R1=4|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=2|R8=1|R9=0|RR=7|RH=13|RE=0
|Home=Boston|HomeAbr=BOS
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=1|HH=5|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Bob Ojeda]] (1–0)|LP=[[Oil Can Boyd]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=[[Lenny Dykstra]] (1)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|62|F|C}}, mostly cloudy}}

Mets manager [[Davey Johnson]] gave his team a day off from practice and interviews with the media just before game 3, thinking it would make his team more focused and re-energize them after their exhausting NLCS win over the Astros. Johnson's plan worked as the Mets started well when [[Lenny Dykstra]] led off the game with a home run. After two singles, [[Gary Carter]] followed with an RBI double, and [[Danny Heep]] drove in two runners with a single to give the Mets a 4–0 lead in the first inning. After the rocky start, Red Sox starter [[Oil Can Boyd]] settled down, but [[Bob Ojeda]] pitched well and Boston was unable to overcome their early deficit. In his first at bat of the World Series, Boston's [[Don Baylor]] almost homered in the second inning but hit the [[Green Monster]], resulting in a double.

Ojeda gave up an RBI single to [[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]] in the bottom of the third inning, but this would be the only Boston run of the game. Carter drove in two runners with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning, and [[Ray Knight]] drove in [[Darryl Strawberry]], who had singled and moved to third on two wild pitches, with a double in the eighth inning off of [[Joe Sambito]]. [[Roger McDowell]] pitched the final two frames to seal a 7–1 Mets victory.

===Game 4===
[[File:Gary Carter Mets.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Gary Carter]] hit two home runs in Game 4, the only multi-home run game in the Series.]]

{{Linescore|
|Date=Wednesday, October 22, 1986
|Time=8:25{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
|Road='''New York'''|RoadAbr=NYM
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=3|R5=0|R6=0|R7=2|R8=1|R9=0|RR=6|RH=12|RE=0
|Home=Boston|HomeAbr=BOS
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=2|H9=0|HR=2|HH=7|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Ron Darling]] (1–1)|LP=[[Al Nipper]] (0–1)|SV=[[Jesse Orosco]] (1)
|RoadHR=[[Gary Carter]] 2 (2), [[Lenny Dykstra]] (2)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|58|F|C}}, mostly clear}}

[[Ron Darling]] faced off against Boston's [[Al Nipper]], as the Mets looked to tie the Series. Neither starter allowed a run until the top of the fourth inning, when [[Gary Carter]] ripped a two-run home run over the Green Monster and [[Ray Knight]] drove in [[Darryl Strawberry]], who had doubled after the home run, with a single. In the top of the seventh inning, Boston right fielder [[Dwight Evans (baseball)|Dwight Evans]] almost robbed [[Lenny Dykstra]] of a two-run home run only for the ball to bounce out of his glove and over the wall. TV replay showed Evans taking off his hat and leaning against the wall in disappointment and frustration. Carter hit a solo shot in the top of the eighth inning, both Dykstra's and Carter's second home run came off of [[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]].

In the eighth inning, the Red Sox scored two runs on an Evans single and a [[Dave Henderson]] sacrifice fly off of [[Roger McDowell]], but it was not enough, and the Mets evened the series at two games apiece to ensure a return to New York.

===Game 5===
[[File:Marty Barrett Red Sox.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]] continued his torrid hitting pace in Game 5 with his fourth straight multi-hit game; he would finish as both the final batter of the Series and with the most hits at 13.]]

{{Linescore|
|Date=Thursday, October 23, 1986
|Time=8:35{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
|Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYM
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=1|RR=2|RH=10|RE=1
|Home='''Boston'''|HomeAbr=BOS
|H1=0|H2=1|H3=1|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=4|HH=12|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Bruce Hurst]] (2–0)|LP=[[Dwight Gooden]] (0–2)|SV=
|RoadHR=[[Tim Teufel]] (1)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|63|F|C}}, partly cloudy}}

The Red Sox struck first in the second when [[Dave Henderson]] tripled with one out off of [[Dwight Gooden]] and scored on [[Spike Owen]]'s sacrifice fly. [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]]'s RBI single next inning with two on made it 2–0 Red Sox. In the fifth, [[Jim Rice]] hit a leadoff triple and scored on [[Don Baylor]]'s single. After Evans singled, [[Sid Fernandez]] relieved Gooden and allowed an RBI double to Henderson. [[Bruce Hurst]] pitched {{frac|7|1|3}} shutout innings before [[Tim Teufel]]'s home run in the eighth put the Mets on the board. In the ninth, [[Mookie Wilson]] doubled with two outs and scored on [[Rafael Santana]]'s single before Hurst struck out [[Lenny Dykstra]] to end the game as the Red Sox's 4–2 gave them a 3–2 series lead heading back to New York.

===Game 6===
{{See also|Bill Buckner's 1986 World Series error}}

{{Very long section|nosplit=yes|date=March 2024}}
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 25, 1986
|Time=8:25{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=Shea Stadium in Queens, New York
|Road=Boston|RoadAbr=BOS
|R1=1|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|R10=2|RR=5|RH=13|RE=3
|Home='''New York'''|HomeAbr=NYM
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=0|H10=3|HR=6|HH=8|HE=2
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Rick Aguilera]] (1–0)|LP=[[Calvin Schiraldi]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=[[Dave Henderson]] (2)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|52|F|C}}, overcast}}

The series returned to Shea Stadium for Game 6, with the Mets facing elimination. [[Bob Ojeda]], the winner of Game 3, returned to the mound for New York. The Red Sox countered with their ace [[Roger Clemens]], who despite the team's victory in his Game 2 start did not factor into the decision as he was pulled from the game in the fifth inning.

The game was briefly paused in the top of the first, as actor and Mets fan [[Michael Sergio]] parachuted onto the field wearing a flag proclaiming "Go Mets". He was immediately arrested by security after landing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dropping In The Series |first=Stephen |last=Kiesling |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068903/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930235703/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068903/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=October 9, 1989 |access-date=2011-09-03}}</ref>

In the first two innings,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_86ws_gm6_bosnym|title=Mets' miracle comeback capped by Bill Buckner's error|publisher=MLB|date=October 25, 1986| access-date=March 29, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100320174023/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_86ws_gm6_bosnym| archive-date=March 20, 2010| url-status= live}}</ref> Boston took a quick 2–0 lead on RBI base hits from [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] and [[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]]. Those would be the only runs Ojeda allowed in six innings. The Mets tied the score in the fifth inning on a single from [[Ray Knight]] and a run-scoring double play by [[Danny Heep]], in his last at-bat as a Met.

After the Mets left the go-ahead run on base in the sixth, the Red Sox came to bat in the top of the seventh  against New York reliever [[Roger McDowell]]. Barrett started off the inning by drawing a walk, then advanced to second on a groundout by [[Bill Buckner]]. [[Jim Rice]] then hit a ground ball to third that Knight misplayed, putting runners on the corners with one out. McDowell then got Evans to ground out to the left side, but since Boston had called for a hit-and-run, the Mets were unable to convert a double play and get out of the inning; Barrett scored on the groundout to give the Red Sox the lead. The Mets avoided further damage, though, as Rice was thrown out at home after trying to score from second on a single by [[Rich Gedman]] for the third out.

In the top of the eighth, McDowell walked [[Dave Henderson]] to start the inning. After [[Spike Owen]] laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Henderson to second, the pitcher's spot was due next. Although Clemens had struck out eight Mets batters and had only allowed one earned run to this point in the game, manager [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]] decided to call for a pinch hitter. Despite having power hitting veteran [[Don Baylor]] on his bench, McNamara chose to send up rookie [[Mike Greenwell]] as he felt the matchup against McDowell favored him. Greenwell responded by striking out on three pitches. After intentionally walking [[Wade Boggs]] next, McDowell walked Barrett to load the bases. [[Jesse Orosco]] came in to face Buckner, inducing a first-pitch fly out to end the inning.

It was initially said that Clemens was removed from the game due to a blister forming on one of his fingers, but both he and McNamara dispute this. Clemens said to [[Bob Costas]] on an [[MLB Network]] program concerning the 1986 postseason that McNamara decided to pull him despite Clemens wanting to pitch. McNamara said to Costas that Clemens "begged out" of the game.<ref name="ReferenceA">^ 1986: A Postseason To Remember, MLB Network, 2011</ref> Regardless of who was really telling the truth, the Red Sox had been warming up closer [[Calvin Schiraldi]] in the prior innings and, with him ready, McNamara
brought him in to pitch the eighth.

[[File:1978 Boston Red Sox Photocards Bob Stanley.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Bob Stanley (baseball player)|Bob Stanley]]'s wild pitch allowed the tying run to score in the bottom of the 10th inning]]
[[File:Bill Buckner of the Boston Red Sox.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Bill Buckner]]'s tenth-inning [[Error (baseball)|error]] remains one of the most memorable plays in baseball history; it was long considered part of a [[Curse of the Bambino|curse on the Red Sox]] that kept them from winning the World Series]]

Pinch hitter [[Lee Mazzilli]], batting for Orosco, led off the inning with a single. [[Lenny Dykstra]] then reached on an attempted sacrifice to put two runners on. [[Wally Backman]] followed with another bunt to move Mazzilli and Dykstra into scoring position, and Schiraldi intentionally walked [[Keith Hernandez]] to load the bases for [[Gary Carter]]. Schiraldi ran up a 3–0 count on Carter, but Carter swung at the next pitch and flied to left, deep enough to score Mazzilli and tie the game. With Dykstra now on third, [[Darryl Strawberry]] stood in with a chance to drive in the go-ahead run, but flied out to end the inning.

After the Red Sox failed to score against [[Rick Aguilera]] in the top of the ninth, the Mets came up with a chance to win the game. Knight started the inning by drawing a walk off Schiraldi. [[Mookie Wilson]] was then asked to lay down a bunt to try to move the runner up to second. The bunt landed directly in front of home plate and catcher Gedman saw he had a play at second and threw there to try and get the lead runner. His throw was high, however, and pulled shortstop Owen off the base long enough for Knight to slide in safely. Owen, Barrett, and McNamara argued that second base umpire Jim Evans made the wrong call, with McNamara saying he could not have seen Owen's foot land back on the bag, but television replays showed that Knight's hand touched just before Owen got his foot back down.

With a runner now in scoring position and still nobody out, [[Howard Johnson (baseball)|Howard Johnson]] came on to pinch hit. Mets manager [[Davey Johnson]] had been expected by the Red Sox to call for a bunt in order to move Knight to third base, where he could score on a deep fly ball, but the play was not called and Johnson struck out. Schiraldi then got Mazzilli out on a fly ball to left, failing to advance Knight to third, and followed that up with another fly out off the bat of Dykstra to end the inning and move the game to extra innings.

In the visiting tenth, Henderson hit Aguilera's second pitch of the inning out of the park for a 4–3 Boston lead. After getting Owen to strike out, the first of two opportunities for McNamara to utilize his bench, where he had several pinch-hitting options including Baylor still available, came up with the pitcher's spot now due. McNamara, however, sent Schiraldi to the plate despite having both [[Joe Sambito]] and [[Bob Stanley (baseball)|Bob Stanley]], the latter having not recorded a single earned run in the postseason to that point, in the bullpen ready to go. Aguilera retired Schiraldi on a strikeout for the second out.

Boggs then followed with a double, and Barrett drove him in with a single to give the Red Sox an insurance run and a 5–3 lead. The second chance for McNamara to use his bench followed. The veteran first baseman Buckner was the next batter, and in many cases where Boston would be leading late in games McNamara would take Buckner out and replace him with [[Dave Stapleton (infielder)|Dave Stapleton]] at first base, as he had done in all three previous Red Sox victories in this series. This time, he did not, even after Aguilera drilled the veteran first baseman in the hip with a pitch. Rice, the next batter, ended the inning with a flyout to Mazzilli.

When asked later about his decision to leave Buckner in the game, McNamara initially said that he felt that he deserved to stay on the field for the potential final out to preserve the victory and the championship. Buckner, after all, was the third-oldest Red Sox player behind Baylor and [[Tom Seaver]], (who was not on the postseason roster), and was an 18-year veteran who had only seen action in one prior World Series, which came when he was a member of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the [[1974 World Series]]. Years later, McNamara changed his story and said that the reason why had nothing to do with sentimentality and instead said that Stapleton, who said McNamara's decision cost the Red Sox the series, was not a reliable defender and that his teammates had taken to calling him "Shaky" as a result;<ref name="ReferenceA"/> in spite of McNamara's assertion, Stapleton had only committed one error at first base since Buckner joined the Red Sox in 1984 and, in his last two full seasons at first base, had recorded fielding percentages of .991 and .992 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/staplda01.shtml |title=Dave Stapleton Stats &#124; Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-date=July 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720110051/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/staplda01.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

Needing to rally for the second time in three innings, and now having to overcome a two-run deficit, the Mets' first two batters in the tenth went quietly against Schiraldi. Backman flew out to left, and Hernandez flew out to center. With Carter now New York's last hope, the words "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions" briefly and accidentally flashed on the scoreboard.<ref>Deane, Bill, ''Baseball Myths: Debating, Debunking, and Disproving Tales from the Diamond'' 174 (2012).</ref>

The celebration, however, was put on hold as Carter singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Had he not come out in the ninth inning, Strawberry would have been the next batter. However, Mazzilli had taken his place in the field when Aguilera was brought in to pitch the ninth inning; as a result of the double switch, the pitcher's spot was now due and Johnson called for utility man [[Kevin Mitchell (baseball)|Kevin Mitchell]] to pinch hit for Aguilera, who stood to lose the game as the pitcher of record unless the Mets somehow rallied to at least tie the game.

An anecdotal story about the sequence of events that followed, which has been relayed several times over the years and denied by Mitchell in the years following, says that Mitchell had left the dugout and gone back to the Mets' clubhouse after Hernandez flew out in order to book a flight home after the game and had taken his uniform off. Hernandez, who had himself gone to the clubhouse after recording the second out, later said on a 2023 episode of ''[[The Rich Eisen Show]]'' that the story was half true; Mitchell was in the clubhouse with him, but was still in uniform when he was called to pinch hit.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Despite the rush, the rookie utility man came through with a single of his own, advancing Carter to second and putting the tying runs on base with Knight, now the potential winning run, coming up.

Schiraldi got two quick strikes on the Mets' third baseman, who had already driven in one run so far. However, with his team within one strike of that elusive championship, he could not finish the job as Knight singled to left-center. Carter scored from second standing up and the speedy Mitchell advanced to third. Finally, McNamara decided his closer had seen enough and called for the veteran Stanley to try to close out the game. Some later speculated as to why Stanley, who had been warmed up by the time the tenth inning began, had not been called upon earlier instead of McNamara asking for a third inning out of Schiraldi, who had already blown the save in the eighth.

The Mets' next batter was Wilson, who had recorded one hit and reached on a fielder's choice after the bad throw by Gedman in the ninth. Six pitches into the at-bat, with the count even at two balls and two strikes, Stanley threw a breaking ball that broke sharply inside and bounced in front of Wilson, who fell down trying to avoid it. Gedman tried to field the ball but could not, and it rolled to the backstop. From his knees, Wilson signaled to Mitchell to come down from third and he scored easily, tying the score at five.

Knight advanced to second on the wild pitch. Several times during the ensuing series of pitches, second baseman Barrett realized that Knight was straying too far from the base and that if he could get Stanley to turn and throw to him, he would have an easy pickoff play and the inning could have ended there. Despite his best attempts, Barrett never was able to get Stanley to hear him as the sellout crowd at Shea Stadium was drowning him out, and Stanley instead chose to focus on getting Wilson out.

On the tenth pitch of the at-bat,<ref name="ESPN miracle">{{cite news|last1=Simon|first1=Mark|title=This date in '86: The miracle ofGame 6|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36038/this-date-in-86-miracle-at-shea|publisher=ESPN|access-date=15 August 2015|date=5 November 2013|archive-date=July 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718053735/http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36038/this-date-in-86-miracle-at-shea|url-status=live}}</ref> Stanley finally got Wilson to put the ball in play, forcing a ground ball to first base. Buckner had been playing near the foul line to give himself a better chance to get the speedy Wilson out on a ground ball, but when he went to field the ball it went under his glove and through his legs into right field. Knight scored from second, completing the rally and giving the Mets a 6–5 victory to tie the series and force a seventh game.

In the 2011 [[ESPN Films]] documentary ''Catching Hell'', Buckner explained how, years after the event, he realized from watching a television replay how he had missed the ball. He said, when he played in the field, he liked to wear a very loose glove – i.e. one that was floppy. When he moved to his left to try to field Wilson's grounder and then stopped, the momentum of the leftward-moving loose glove caused the glove to close. The ball then went just past the right side of the glove.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlPf3CjsJ9Q Catching Hell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510031540/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlPf3CjsJ9Q&gl=US&hl=en |date=May 10, 2020 }}.  From [[YouTube]].  The pertinent part is at the 1:28:58 to 1:30:33 of the video.  Retrieved on October 31, 2015.</ref> In his 2023 appearance with Rich Eisen, Hernandez remarked that, because Buckner had spent a significant part of his career playing in the National League, he was more than familiar with Wilson and his baserunning speed. As such he took his normal position near the line to give himself the best chance to get the out at first; Hernandez said that if it was any other hitter in the Mets lineup but Wilson, Buckner would have been able to get the out.

After the top of the tenth, NBC began setting up in the visiting clubhouse for what they believed was the inevitable postgame victory celebration. The [[Commissioner's Trophy (MLB)|Commissioner's Trophy]] had been brought into the Red Sox clubhouse along with several bottles of champagne, team co-owner/president [[Jean Yawkey]] and pitcher [[Bruce Hurst]] (who had already been named the series MVP by the sportswriters) with [[Bob Costas]] ready to preside over the presentation. However, after Stanley's wild pitch in the bottom of the tenth, everything was quickly struck and removed from the room before the Red Sox returned.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Costas later recalled the removal of all the equipment for the postgame celebration as being "like a scene change in a Broadway musical. In, out, gone, not a trace."

In 2011, MLB Network ranked this as the third greatest game of the preceding 50 years.<ref name="MLB's 20 Greatest Games">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/network/games_airdates/|title=MLB's 20 Greatest Games|access-date=November 26, 2011|publisher=MLB|archive-date=November 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127022518/http://mlb.mlb.com/network/games_airdates/|url-status=live}}</ref>
It was the last World Series game to end on an error until Game 4 of the [[2020 World Series]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-series-game-4-2020-recap |title=World Series Game 4 2020 recap &#124; MLB.com |website=[[MLB.com]] |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210337/https://www.mlb.com/news/world-series-game-4-2020-recap |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the years that have followed, many fans regardless of team allegiance consider Game 6 of the 1986 World Series to be one of the greatest games ever played in the history of professional baseball.

===Game 7===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Monday, October 27, 1986
|Time=8:25{{nbsp}}pm (ET)
|Location=Shea Stadium in Queens, New York
|Road=Boston|RoadAbr=BOS
|R1=0|R2=3|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=2|R9=0|RR=5|RH=9|RE=0
|Home='''New York'''|HomeAbr=NYM
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=3|H7=3|H8=2|H9=X|HR=8|HH=10|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Roger McDowell]] (1–0)|LP=[[Calvin Schiraldi]] (0–2)|SV=[[Jesse Orosco]] (2)
|RoadHR=[[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] (2), [[Rich Gedman]] (1)|HomeHR=[[Ray Knight]] (1), [[Darryl Strawberry]] (1)
||Other={{convert|53|F|C}}, light fog}}

In the hours that followed the end of Game 6, a rainstorm passed over the New York metropolitan area. The field at Shea Stadium was rendered unplayable and Game 7 was postponed one night, moving to Monday, October 27.

The pitching matchup was originally supposed to feature [[Ron Darling]], the starter for Games 1 and 4 who had yet to allow an earned run in the World Series, going up against [[Oil Can Boyd]], who started and lost Game 3 by giving up six runs. The rainout offered a chance for both managers to adjust their pitching strategies if they desired. Mets manager [[Davey Johnson]], who had employed a three-man rotation for the series consisting of Darling, [[Dwight Gooden]], and [[Bob Ojeda]], chose to stick with Darling, who would be pitching on his normal four days rest. Red Sox manager [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]], however, decided to change his plans. The rainout enabled [[Bruce Hurst]], who had only allowed two runs against the Mets in his wins in Games 1 and 5, to get a third day of rest before the series ended; since he was now available to use as a starter again, McNamara opted to start him ahead of Boyd.

After Boyd received word he was not starting the final game of the series, he went down into the visitors' clubhouse and remained in there alone for some time. McNamara dispatched pitching coach [[Bill Fischer (baseball)|Bill Fischer]] to find Boyd, and Fischer discovered that the Oil Can had consumed a great deal of alcohol and was in no condition to function, much less play. Fischer moved Boyd into the manager's office where he locked the door and left him for the entire game.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/sports/baseball/former-red-sox-manager-john-mcnamara-recalls-final-out-that-wasnt-to-be.html|title=For McNamara, a Final Out That Wasn't Meant to Be|date=November 8, 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 26, 2017|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212142222/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/sports/baseball/former-red-sox-manager-john-mcnamara-recalls-final-out-that-wasnt-to-be.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 500th game played in World Series history, Boston got to Darling early, recording three runs in the second inning. [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] and [[Rich Gedman]] hit back to back home runs to lead the inning off and with two out, [[Wade Boggs]] drove in [[Dave Henderson]] with a single for a 3–0 Red Sox lead.

Gedman's home run was noteworthy for several reasons: It occurred on the first pitch after a delay of just over three minutes during which portable stands down the first base line had to be restored after several fans reaching for a foul ball had caused them to collapse. The subsequent pitch by Darling, which came on a two-strike count (1–2), led to Gedman's home run. However, the ball was almost caught by [[Darryl Strawberry]], who was reaching over the right-field wall. Fortunately for the Red Sox, the ball fell out of Strawberry's glove and cleared the fence for a 2–0 Boston lead. If Strawberry had recorded the out, the inning may have ended with only one Boston run instead of three, as three batters later, Red Sox pitcher Bruce Hurst would have stepped to the plate to bat with two outs instead of in a sacrifice situation, which he successfully converted to set up Boggs' run-scoring hit.

The Mets, meanwhile, could not muster much against Hurst and through three innings had only recorded one hit.

In the fourth Henderson reached after Darling hit him with a pitch. After [[Spike Owen]] flew out, Hurst laid down a bunt that moved Henderson into scoring position. Johnson then lifted Darling from the game and brought in [[Sid Fernandez]] to face Boggs and the leading hitter of the series, [[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]]. Boggs managed to draw a walk, but Fernandez retired Barrett on a fly ball to right field to end the inning.

The Mets still did not have an answer for Hurst through the fourth and fifth innings, going down in order in both frames. The Red Sox, conversely, went down in order against Fernandez in the fifth and sixth, which kept the deficit at three. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets were finally able to break through against their series nemesis and turn the tide in their favor.

After Hurst got the first out when [[Rafael Santana]] grounded out, [[Lee Mazzilli]] came up to pinch-hit for Fernandez and singled. [[Mookie Wilson]] followed with a single of his own, and second baseman [[Tim Teufel]] drew a walk to load the bases. [[Keith Hernandez]] then drove the lead runners in with a single, and [[Wally Backman]] came in to run for Teufel representing the tying run.

[[Gary Carter]] was the next batter and he lifted a fly ball to Evans in right. The veteran outfielder had to dive in order to catch it, and was unable to come up with the catch. Right field umpire Dale Ford did not immediately rule that there was no catch, which crossed up Hernandez on the basepath; since the ball was ruled to be in play, he had to attempt to advance to second base. Since there was a delay in the ruling, Evans was able to throw back into the infield and force out Hernandez at second. Backman managed to score on the play to tie the game, but the Mets lost the opportunity to have [[Darryl Strawberry]] come up with a chance to drive in the go ahead run; instead, Hurst got him to fly out and escaped further damage. Hurst was lifted for a pinch hitter after this inning.

[[File:Ray Knight 1986.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ray Knight]] hit a leadoff home run in the seventh inning to break a 3–3 tie in what turned out to be the first of three Met runs.]]
[[Roger McDowell]] entered the game for the Mets in the seventh and retired pinch-hitter [[Tony Armas]], Boggs, and Barrett in order. McNamara called upon Game 6 loser [[Calvin Schiraldi]] to pitch the home half of the inning, despite his struggles in the extended outing he had two nights earlier. The day of rest did not help, as he immediately surrendered a home run to [[Ray Knight]] (playing in what would be his final game as a Met) leading off, giving the Mets their first lead of the game. [[Lenny Dykstra]] came up as a pinch-hitter and singled, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Santana. After McDowell successfully moved Santana into scoring position, McNamara decided to take the ball from Schiraldi and brought in [[Joe Sambito]]. After putting Wilson on intentionally, Sambito walked Backman to load the bases and Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Santana and give the Mets a three-run advantage. [[Bob Stanley (baseball)|Bob Stanley]] recorded the final out by getting Carter to ground out to Owen at shortstop.

Down to their last six outs, Boston had not had a runner reach base since Boggs' walk in the fourth inning. [[Jim Rice]] had recorded the last Red Sox hit, a single in the third, but had been thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. They tried to rally against McDowell in the eighth and [[Bill Buckner]] led the inning off with a single. Rice followed with another single, and Evans doubled after that to make the score 6–5 and bring Gedman to the plate with the potential go-ahead run. Needing to stop the rally, Johnson pulled McDowell in favor of his closer [[Jesse Orosco]] to face the Red Sox catcher. After inducing a line drive to second that Backman caught for the first out, Orosco struck out Henderson for the second out and then got [[Don Baylor]], batting for Owen, to ground out and end the Boston rally.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Mets finally were able to put the game away at the expense of Game 4 loser [[Al Nipper]]. Strawberry led the inning off with a solo home run, and Knight singled and advanced to second on a groundout by Dykstra. Santana was intentionally walked to get to the pitcher's spot, but Orosco not only came to bat but also managed to drive Knight in as he swung away on a fake bunt attempt to extend the lead back to three. [[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]] then came in to face Wilson and hit him, loading the bases. Backman then grounded into a force retiring Santana, and Hernandez grounded out and ended the inning.

Staked to an 8–5 lead, Orosco faced [[Ed Romero]], who took over at shortstop for Owen in the eighth, to start the top of the ninth and retired him on a foul pop. Boggs then grounded out to Backman at second, leaving Barrett as the last hope for the Red Sox. Orosco worked a 2–2 count before getting Barrett to swing and miss, then tossed his glove high into the air and dropped to his knees as the Mets all converged on the mound to celebrate their world championship victory.

McDowell was awarded the victory, with Orosco garnering his second save of the series. Schiraldi was saddled with the loss for the second consecutive game, having been charged with all three runs the Mets scored in the seventh in one-third of an inning. He gave up seven runs in his final two outings of the series.

Due to the rainout, this game coincided with another sporting event taking place in the New York metropolitan area that night. The [[New York Giants]] were taking on the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] at [[Giants Stadium]] on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', with the kickoff happening approximately thirty minutes after Game 7 started. Many of the fans at the football game, which sold out, were following along with the baseball game and cheering loudly during high points of the game. When Orosco recorded the final out, the Giants were driving late in the third quarter and a collective roar went up from the crowd as the stadium scoreboard operator flashed “METS WIN” on the board to inform the fans of the result.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-28-sp-8093-story.html | title=Giants Provide More Cheer for N.Y. : They Beat Redskins, 27-20, to Gain a 3-Way Tie for Lead | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 28, 1986|first=Chris|last=Cobbs}}</ref> The Giants would later win [[Super Bowl XXI]], following in the Mets lead in winning their championship.

==Awards and statistical summary==
The [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP]] was awarded to [[Ray Knight]], who led the Mets' regulars with nine hits and a .393 average in the series. He also recorded five runs batted in, second to [[Gary Carter]]'s nine.

[[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]], in a losing effort, recorded 13 hits — tying the single World Series record<ref>Barrett tied the mark set by [[Bobby Richardson]] (Yankees) in [[1964 World Series|1964]] and [[Lou Brock]] (Cardinals) in [[1968 World Series|1968]]. https://www.infoplease.com/people/baseball-players/world-series-single-game-and-single-series-records {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810121442/https://www.infoplease.com/people/baseball-players/world-series-single-game-and-single-series-records |date=August 10, 2020 }}</ref> — and a .433 average. [[Dave Henderson]] recorded ten hits and a .400 average, while [[Jim Rice]] and [[Wade Boggs]] each had nine hits.

Despite the struggles both pitchers faced in Game 7, both [[Bruce Hurst]] and [[Ron Darling]] were the best starting pitchers on their respective staffs during the World Series. Both finished with 2–0 records and sub-2.00 ERAs, with Darling's 1.35 ERA topping Hurst's 1.96 although Hurst issued fewer walks and struck out more batters. Hurst had been voted MVP prior to the Mets' Game 6 comeback, but that comeback, and the Mets' Game 7 victory, kept [[Bobby Richardson]] of the [[1960 New York Yankees]] as the only World Series MVP from a [[1960 World Series|losing team]].

The only other starter to win a decision was [[Bob Ojeda]]. [[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]] won Game 2 for the Red Sox while [[Rick Aguilera]] and [[Roger McDowell]] won Games 6 and 7 for the Mets. In fact, the record for the starting pitchers for both teams outside of Darling and Hurst was 1–4, with two of those losses recorded by Mets ace [[Dwight Gooden]]. His counterpart on the Red Sox, eventual [[Cy Young Award]] winner [[Roger Clemens]], did not record a decision in either of his starts.

== Series statistics ==

===Boston Red Sox===

==== Batting ====
''Note: GP=Games Played; AB=At Bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home Runs; RBI=Runs Batted In; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting Average; OBP=On Base Percentage; SLG=Slugging Percentage''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="9%" |GP
! width="9%" |AB
!R
! width="9%" |H
!2B
!3B
! width="9%" |HR
! width="9%" |RBI
!BB
! width="9%" |AVG
!OBP
!SLG
!Reference
|-
|[[Rich Gedman]]
|7
|30
|1
|6
|1
|0
|1
|1
|0
|.200
|.200
|.333
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Rich Gedman |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgedmr0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429213036/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgedmr0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bill Buckner]]
|7
|32
|2
|6
|0
|0
|0
|1
|0
|.188
|.212
|.188
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Bill Buckner |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbuckb0014301986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429212830/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbuckb0014301986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Marty Barrett (second baseman)|Marty Barrett]]
|7
|30
|1
|13
|2
|0
|0
|4
|5
|.433
|.514
|.500
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Marty Barrett |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbarrm0014121986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429212627/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbarrm0014121986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wade Boggs]]
|7
|31
|3
|9
|3
|0
|0
|3
|4
|.290
|.371
|.387
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Wade Boggs |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jboggw0014211986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429212355/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jboggw0014211986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Spike Owen]]
|7
|20
|2
|6
|0
|0
|0
|2
|5
|.300
|.423
|.300
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Spike Owen |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jowens0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429212141/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jowens0014161986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Rice]]
|7
|27
|6
|9
|1
|1
|0
|0
|6
|.333
|.455
|.444
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Jim Rice |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jricej0014241986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429211932/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jricej0014241986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dave Henderson]]
|7
|25
|6
|10
|1
|1
|2
|5
|2
|.400
|.448
|.760
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Dave Henderson |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhendd0014181986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429211708/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhendd0014181986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dwight Evans (baseball)|Dwight Evans]]
|7
|26
|4
|8
|2
|0
|2
|9
|4
|.308
|.400
|.615
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Dwight Evans |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jevand0024261986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429211434/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jevand0024261986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Don Baylor]]
|4
|11
|1
|2
|1
|0
|0
|1
|1
|.182
|.308
|.273
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Don Baylor |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbayld0014271986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429211150/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbayld0014271986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mike Greenwell]]
|4
|3
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|1
|.000
|.250
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Mike Greenwell |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgreem0014141986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429210943/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgreem0014141986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Tony Armas]]
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Tony Armas |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jarmat0014191986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429210724/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jarmat0014191986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ed Romero]]
|3
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Ed Romero |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jromee0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429210344/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jromee0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dave Stapleton (infielder)|Dave Stapleton]]
|3
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Dave Stapleton |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstapd0014091986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429210121/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstapd0014091986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Roger Clemens]]
|2
|4
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Roger Clemens |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jclemr0014261986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429205743/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jclemr0014261986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bruce Hurst]]
|3
|3
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Bruce Hurst |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhursb0014181986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429205520/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhursb0014181986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bob Stanley (baseball)|Bob Stanley]]
|5
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Bob Stanley |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstanb0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429205301/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstanb0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]]
|3
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Steve Crawford |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jcraws0014121986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429205034/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jcraws0014121986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Calvin Schiraldi]]
|3
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Batting Splits for Calvin Schiraldi |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jschic0014111986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429204823/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jschic0014111986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|}

==== Pitching ====
''Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="5%" |G
! width="5%" |GS
! width="5%" |IP
! width="5%" |H
! width="5%" |BB
! width="5%" |R
! width="5%" |ER
! width="5%" |SO
! width="5%" |W
! width="5%" |L
!SV
! width="5%" |ERA
!Reference
|-
|[[Roger Clemens]]
|2
|2
|{{Fraction|11|1|3}}
|9
|6
|5
|4
|11
|0
|0
|0
|3.18
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Roger Clemens |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lclemr0014261986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429192224/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lclemr0014261986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bruce Hurst]]
|3
|3
|23
|18
|6
|5
|5
|17
|2
|0
|0
|1.96
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Bruce Hurst |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lhursb0014181986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429192008/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lhursb0014181986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bob Stanley (baseball)|Bob Stanley]]
|5
|0
|{{Fraction|6|1|3}}
|5
|1
|0
|0
|4
|0
|0
|1
|0.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Bob Stanley |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lstanb0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429192556/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lstanb0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Steve Crawford (baseball)|Steve Crawford]]
|3
|0
|{{Fraction|4|1|3}}
|5
|0
|3
|3
|4
|1
|0
|0
|6.23
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Steve Crawford |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lcraws0014121986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429192832/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lcraws0014121986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Calvin Schiraldi]]
|3
|0
|4
|7
|3
|7
|6
|2
|0
|2
|1
|13.50
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Calvin Schiraldi |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lschic0014111986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429193038/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lschic0014111986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Oil Can Boyd]]
|1
|1
|7
|9
|1
|6
|6
|3
|0
|1
|0
|7.71
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Oil Can Boyd |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lboydo0014131986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429193230/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lboydo0014131986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Al Nipper]]
|2
|1
|{{Fraction|6|1|3}}
|10
|2
|5
|5
|2
|0
|1
|0
|7.11
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Al Nipper |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lnippa0014081986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429193357/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lnippa0014081986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Joe Sambito]]
|2
|0
|{{Fraction|0|1|3}}
|2
|2
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|27.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 BOS A World Series Pitching Splits for Joe Sambito |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lsambj0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240429193634/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lsambj0014161986.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|}

=== New York Mets ===

==== Batting ====
''Note: GP=Games Played; AB=At Bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home Runs; RBI=Runs Batted In; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting Average; OBP=On Base Percentage; SLG=Slugging Percentage''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="9%" |GP
! width="9%" |AB
!R
! width="9%" |H
!2B
!3B
! width="9%" |HR
! width="9%" |RBI
!BB
! width="9%" |AVG
!OBP
!SLG
!Reference
|-
|[[Gary Carter]]
|7
|29
|4
|8
|2
|0
|2
|9
|0
|.276
|.267
|.552
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Gary Carter |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jcartg0014301986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501201136/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jcartg0014301986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Keith Hernandez]]
|7
|26
|1
|6
|0
|0
|0
|4
|5
|.231
|.344
|.231
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Keith Hernandez |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhernk0014251986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501200948/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jhernk0014251986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wally Backman]]
|6
|18
|4
|6
|0
|0
|0
|1
|3
|.333
|.429
|.333
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Wally Backman |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbackw0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501200751/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jbackw0014161986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ray Knight]]
|6
|23
|4
|9
|1
|0
|1
|5
|2
|.391
|.440
|.565
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Ray Knight |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jknigr0014191986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501200551/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jknigr0014191986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Rafael Santana]]
|7
|20
|3
|5
|0
|0
|0
|2
|2
|.250
|.318
|.250
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Rafael Santana |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jsantr0014091986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501200350/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jsantr0014091986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mookie Wilson]]
|7
|26
|3
|7
|1
|0
|0
|0
|1
|.269
|.321
|.308
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Mookie Wilson |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jwilsm0014151986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501200025/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jwilsm0014151986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Lenny Dykstra]]
|7
|27
|4
|8
|0
|0
|2
|3
|2
|.296
|.345
|.519
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Lenny Dykstra |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jdyksl0014151986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501195759/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jdyksl0014151986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Darryl Strawberry]]
|7
|24
|4
|5
|1
|0
|1
|1
|4
|.208
|.321
|.375
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Darryl Strawberry |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstrad0014211986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501195611/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jstrad0014211986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Danny Heep]]
|5
|11
|0
|1
|0
|0
|0
|2
|1
|.091
|.167
|.091
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Danny Heep |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jheepd0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501195314/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jheepd0014161986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Tim Teufel]]
|3
|9
|1
|4
|1
|0
|1
|1
|1
|.444
|.500
|.889
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Tim Teufel |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jteuft0014141986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501194855/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jteuft0014141986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kevin Mitchell (baseball)|Kevin Mitchell]]
|5
|8
|1
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.250
|.250
|.250
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Kevin Mitchell |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jmitck0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501194706/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jmitck0014171986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Howard Johnson (baseball)|Howard Johnson]]
|2
|5
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Howard Johnson |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jjohnh0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501194320/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jjohnh0014171986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Lee Mazzilli]]
|4
|5
|2
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.400
|.400
|.400
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Lee Mazzilli |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jmazzl0014201986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501194034/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jmazzl0014201986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kevin Elster]]
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Kevin Elster |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jelstk0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501193812/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jelstk0014161986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ron Darling]]
|3
|3
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Ron Darling |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jdarlr0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501193610/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jdarlr0014171986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bob Ojeda]]
|2
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Bob Ojeda |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jojedb0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501193354/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jojedb0014171986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dwight Gooden]]
|2
|2
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.500
|.500
|.500
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Dwight Gooden |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgoodd0014211986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501193113/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jgoodd0014211986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Jesse Orosco]]
|4
|1
|0
|1
|0
|0
|0
|1
|0
|1.000
|1.000
|1.000
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Batting Splits for Jesse Orosco |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jorosj0014291986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501192849/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Jorosj0014291986.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|}

==== Pitching ====
''Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="5%" |G
! width="5%" |GS
! width="5%" |IP
! width="5%" |H
! width="5%" |BB
! width="5%" |R
! width="5%" |ER
! width="5%" |SO
! width="5%" |W
! width="5%" |L
!SV
! width="5%" |ERA
!Reference
|-
|[[Ron Darling]]
|3
|3
|{{Fraction|17|2|3}}
|13
|10
|4
|3
|12
|1
|1
|0
|1.53
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Ron Darling |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Ldarlr0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430183032/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Ldarlr0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bob Ojeda]]
|2
|2
|13
|13
|5
|3
|3
|9
|1
|0
|0
|2.08
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Bob Ojeda |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lojedb0014171986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430183725/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lojedb0014171986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dwight Gooden]]
|2
|2
|9
|17
|4
|10
|8
|9
|0
|2
|0
|8.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Dwight Gooden |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lgoodd0014211986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430183950/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lgoodd0014211986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Jesse Orosco]]
|4
|0
|{{Fraction|5|2|3}}
|2
|0
|0
|0
|6
|0
|0
|2
|0.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Jesse Orosco |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lorosj0014291986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430184259/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lorosj0014291986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Roger McDowell]]
|5
|0
|{{Fraction|7|1|3}}
|10
|6
|5
|4
|2
|1
|0
|0
|4.91
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Roger McDowell |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lmcdor0014161986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430184510/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lmcdor0014161986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sid Fernandez]]
|3
|0
|{{Fraction|6|2|3}}
|6
|1
|1
|1
|10
|0
|0
|0
|1.35
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Sid Fernandez |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lferns0014181986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430184704/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lferns0014181986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Rick Aguilera]]
|2
|0
|3
|8
|1
|4
|4
|4
|1
|0
|0
|12.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Rick Aguilera |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Laguir0014211986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430184904/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Laguir0014211986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Doug Sisk]]
|1
|0
|{{Fraction|0|2|3}}
|0
|1
|0
|0
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0.00
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1986 NY N World Series Pitching Splits for Doug Sisk |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lsiskd0014111986.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430185116/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/Lsiskd0014111986.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
|}

==Postscript==
Both the Mets and Red Sox would go without reaching the World Series for some time. The Red Sox would not return until [[2004 Boston Red Sox season|2004]], where they would finally break through and [[2004 World Series|win their first]] title since [[1918 Boston Red Sox season|1918]]. They have gone on to win three additional world championships, most recently in [[2018 Boston Red Sox season|2018]]. As of 2024, this remains the most recent time the Red Sox have lost a World Series title.

The Mets have returned to the World Series twice since 1986. In [[2000 World Series|2000]], the first time since 1956 that two teams from the same city faced each other in the World Series, the [[2000 New York Mets season|Mets]] lost to the [[2000 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]]. The [[2015 New York Mets season|Mets]] returned in [[2015 World Series|2015]], only to lose again to the [[2015 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]].

Neither Davey Johnson nor John McNamara would manage in another World Series. Johnson stayed on with the Mets until [[1990 New York Mets season|1990]], leading them to another postseason berth in [[1988 New York Mets season|1988]] that ended with a loss to the [[1988 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the [[1988 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]]. He was fired early in the [[1990 New York Mets season|1990 season]]. Johnson would later lead the [[Cincinnati Reds]] to the playoffs in [[1995 Cincinnati Reds season|1995]], then followed that with two more playoff runs with the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in [[1996 Baltimore Orioles season|1996]] and [[1997 Baltimore Orioles season|1997]]. He finished his managerial career in [[2013 Major League Baseball season|2013]] with the [[Washington Nationals]].

McNamara returned for [[1987 Major League Baseball season|1987]] with the [[1987 Boston Red Sox season|Red Sox]], but the team regressed significantly, finishing with only 78 wins. He would be fired the next year with the [[1988 Boston Red Sox season|Red Sox]] barely above .500 at the [[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star break]], and his successor [[Joe Morgan (manager)|Joe Morgan]] led the team to a comeback and division title. He would take over the [[Cleveland Indians]] in [[1990 Cleveland Indians season|1990]], but was fired midway through [[1991 Cleveland Indians season|1991]] with the team at 25–52. He would only manage once more after that, an interim position with the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] in [[1996 California Angels season|1996]], before retiring. He died in July 2020 at the age of 88.

Bill Buckner never did win that elusive World Series ring. He would be released by the Red Sox during the 1987 season, then spend the rest of the year with the [[1987 California Angels season|California Angels]]. In [[1988 Major League Baseball season|1988]], he signed with the [[1988 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] and played more of a reserve role for the last three years of his career, which ended in [[1990 Major League Baseball season|1990]] after a second stint with the [[1990 Boston Red Sox season|Red Sox]]. Buckner's error made him a scapegoat in Red Sox fans' eyes for some time afterward, but following their world championship victory in [[2004 Major League Baseball season|2004]] the fanbase began to embrace him again. In his later years, Buckner developed [[Lewy body dementia]], and he died from complications at the age of 69 in May 2019.

Hedge fund manager and current Mets owner, [[Steve Cohen (businessman)|Steven A. Cohen]], revealed in an interview that he currently owns the Buckner ball from Game 6. He has stated that he would donate the ball to the Mets Museum at [[Citi Field]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mets owner Steve Cohen reveals he owns Bill Buckner baseball from 1986 World Series|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mets-owner-steve-cohen-reveals-he-owns-bill-buckner-baseball-from-1986-world-series/|access-date=2020-11-27|website=CBSSports.com|date=November 26, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127082842/https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mets-owner-steve-cohen-reveals-he-owns-bill-buckner-baseball-from-1986-world-series/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, [[ESPN]] named the 1986 World Series the fourth greatest of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Sam|date=2020-10-30|title=Which World Series is the best ever? We rank all 116 Fall Classics|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29104085/ranking-every-world-series-mlb-history|access-date=2020-12-09|website=ESPN.com|language=en|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320011645/https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29104085/ranking-every-world-series-mlb-history|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 14 and 15, 2021, ESPN premiered ''Once Upon a Time in Queens'', its four-part ''[[30 for 30]]'' documentary about the 1986 World Series, the Mets' seasons leading up to it and the aftermath.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1986 Mets doc airs tonight, tomorrow|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/1986-mets-documentary-on-espn|access-date=2021-09-17|website=MLB.com|language=en|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917075416/https://www.mlb.com/news/1986-mets-documentary-on-espn|url-status=live}}</ref> The film is directed by [[Nick Davis (television and movie producer)|Nick Davis]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hayes|first=Dade|date=2021-09-14|title=Nick Davis Pulls Off Rare Doubleheader, Directing ESPN's 'Once Upon A Time In Queens' And Publishing Dual Biography Of Ancestors Joseph And Herman Mankiewicz|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/nick-davis-espn-30-for-30-new-york-mets-herman-mankiewicz-book-1234832503/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-17|website=Deadline|language=en-US|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917075415/https://deadline.com/2021/09/nick-davis-espn-30-for-30-new-york-mets-herman-mankiewicz-book-1234832503/}}</ref>

Because of the involvement of both of the Yankees' rivals (both their traditional one and their cross-city counterparts), this World Series was called "(George) Steinbrenner's nightmare".<ref>{{cite news|quote=What about the dilemma of the Yankee fans? This may be a series to eat their hearts out. As a Mets-oriented T-shirt says, 'Steinbrenner's Nightmare.' |title=And What If You're a Yankees Fan? |date=October 18, 1986 |first=Richard C. |last=Firstman |newspaper=Newsday |page=83}}</ref> As a result, then-Yankee owner [[George Steinbrenner]] wrote articles in the ''[[New York Post]]'' during this Series.<ref>{{cite news |title=East Meets East as Series Starts Tonight Mets and Red Sox Match Their Storied Traditions|date=October 18, 1986|first=Gordon|last=Edes|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=1|author-link=Gordon Edes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-27-sp-7521-story.html|title=Why I'm Going to Forget the Yankees and Take Up a Worthwhile Profession : By GEORGE STEINBRENNER Wealthy Free Lancer|first=Mike|last=Downey|date=October 27, 1986|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

After seven years, this would be the final World Series to use the logo introduced in the [[1980 World Series|1980 series]]. Beginning [[1987 World Series|the next year]], a new logo in the style of a baseball diamond was introduced. The logo itself would receive minor updates throughout the years. In [[1992 World Series|1992]], gold lettering was added which would remain for the rest of its tenure until it was retired altogether after the [[1997 World Series|1997 series]].

==Composite line score==
1986 World Series '''(4–3): [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] (N.L.)''' beat [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] (A.L.)
{{Linescore
|Road='''[[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]]'''
|R1=4|R2=0|R3=2|R4=3|R5=3|R6=3|R7=7|R8=6|R9=1|R10=3|RR=32|RH=65|RE=5
|Home='''[[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]]'''
|H1=1|H2=5|H3=5|H4=1|H5=4|H6=0|H7=4|H8=4|H9=1|H10=2|HR=27|HH=69|HE=4
|TotalAttendance=321,774 |AveAttendance=45,967
|WinPlayerShare=$86,254 |LosePlayerShare=$74,986<ref name="wsshares">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|access-date=June 14, 2009|publisher=Baseball Almanac| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090502011628/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml| archive-date=May 2, 2009| url-status= live}}</ref>
}}

==Broadcast==
NBC's broadcast of Game 6 did not end until 12:32&nbsp;a.m. Eastern, causing the first cancellation of an episode of NBC's ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' in the show's history. The episode, hosted by [[Rosanna Arquette]] and scheduled to air live at 11:30&nbsp;p.m. Eastern, was instead recorded for the studio audience beginning at 1:30&nbsp;a.m., and aired November 8 with a comedic apology from Ron Darling.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCarron |first1=Anthony |title=Ron Darling recalls his public apology after the '86 Mets pre-empted 'Saturday Night Live' |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ron-darling-recalls-apology-mets-pre-empted-snl-86-article-1.2648156 |work=New York Daily News |date=24 May 2016 |access-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422194355/https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ron-darling-recalls-apology-mets-pre-empted-snl-86-article-1.2648156 |url-status=live }}</ref> (NBC generally no longer schedules first-run ''SNL'' episodes on the same night as sports coverage.)

NBC's broadcast of Game&nbsp;7 (which went up against a ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' game between the [[1986 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] and [[1986 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] held at nearby [[Giants Stadium]] on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]) garnered a [[Nielsen rating]] of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date.

==In popular culture==
In the 1998 film [[Rounders (film)|''Rounders'']], [[Matt Damon]]'s character (Mike McDermott) references Game 6 while returning into Teddy KGB's place in the final scene. "I feel like Buckner walking back into Shea."

In the 2005 film ''[[Fever Pitch (2005 film)|Fever Pitch]]'', the main character played by [[Jimmy Fallon]], a die hard Red Sox fan, watches a tape of the ending to Game 6 to get over what looks to be his break up with his girlfriend.

The collapse of the Boston Red Sox in Game&nbsp;6 and Game&nbsp;7 prompted a series of articles by [[George Vecsey]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'', in which he mentions a "Babe Ruth Curse."<ref>{{cite news|last=Vecsey|first=George|title=SPORTS OF THE TIMES: THE WORLD SERIES '86; Red Sox: 68 Years and Counting|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/26/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-world-series-86-red-sox-68-years-and-counting.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 26, 1986|access-date=December 19, 2018|archive-date=May 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524193918/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/26/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-world-series-86-red-sox-68-years-and-counting.html|url-status=live|authorlink=George Vecsey}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Vecsey|first=George|title=SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Babe Ruth Curse Strikes Again|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/28/sports/sports-of-the-times-babe-ruth-curse-strikes-again.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 28, 1986|access-date=December 19, 2018|archive-date=May 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513061133/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/28/sports/sports-of-the-times-babe-ruth-curse-strikes-again.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Although it had long been noted that the selling of [[Babe Ruth]] to the [[1919 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] had marked the beginning of a down period in the Red Sox's fortunes, this was one of the first instances, if not the first, in which mention of a "curse" was made.<ref>{{harvnb|Shaughnessy|2004|page=175}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Shaughnessy|2005|page=8}}</ref>  The term "[[Curse of the Bambino]]" was not in common use by the press during the 1920s, nor can it be found through the 1970s, as a search of historical newspapers will illustrate.<ref name="Lore"/> In fact, even though Vecsey's articles mention a "Babe Ruth Curse", the ''New York Times'' did not use the phrase "Curse of the Bambino" until 1990,<ref>{{cite news|first=Jeffrey|last=Lyons|title=The Year of the Red Sox in New York?|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 12, 1990|page=8.8|author-link=Jeffrey Lyons (television critic)}}</ref> the year that [[Dan Shaughnessy]]'s book of the same name and a ''Boston Globe'' article about it were published.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Curse of the Bambino|date=June 3, 1990|first=Dan|last=Shaughnessy|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=23}}</ref>  Shaughnessy's book ''The Curse of the Bambino'' helped that phrase become a key part of the Red Sox lore in the media thereafter.<ref name="Lore">{{harvnb|Shaughnessy|2005|page=7–8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ding-Dong, Curse od Dead|date=October 28, 2004|first=Kevin|last=Kernan |newspaper=New York Post|page=86}}</ref>

The dramatic sixth game was the subject of ''[[Game 6]]'', a 2005 independent film starring [[Michael Keaton]], based on a 1991 screenplay by novelist [[Don DeLillo]].

''[[Village Voice]]'' film critic [[J. Hoberman]] included Game&nbsp;6 in his list of the top ten films of 1986.<ref name="hoberman">{{cite web |url=http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/hoberman.html#y1986 |title=J. Hoberman: 1986 (Village Voice) |publisher=Eric C. Johnson |access-date=November 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214171232/http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/hoberman.html#y1986 |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In his song "Faith and Fear in Flushing Meadows", twee/folk artist Harry Breitner makes mention of [[Ray Knight]] and [[Mookie Wilson]].

The game, or more specifically an infamous jeer that was issued in the game against Darryl Strawberry, was referenced in ''The Simpsons'' episode "[[Homer at the Bat]]" where Bart and Lisa jeer Strawberry the exact same way due to being sore over his forcing Homer to remain on the bench.

NBC's telecast of the Series ended with the song "Limelight" from ''[[Stereotomy]]'', a penultimate album of [[The Alan Parsons Project]].

The Series, and especially Game&nbsp;6, were referenced in the ''[[Seinfeld]]'' episode "[[The Boyfriend (Seinfeld)|The Boyfriend]]", which also guest starred former Mets player [[Keith Hernandez]]. Hernandez being referred to Game 6 in the episode suggested that he was part of the winning rally, even though he was the 2nd (and final) out of the inning, though Hernandez was a big part of the [[1986 National League Championship Series|prior round's]] Game 6 rally in the 9th inning.

In a 1999 episode of ''[[The King of Queens]]'' ("Rayny Day"), [[Doug Heffernan]] promises Richie Ianucci that they will watch the Series that is being rerun on TV, only to abandon him for [[Ray Barone]], who invites him to play golf (with [[Arthur Spooner]] tagging along) until a rainstorm ends their plans. In another episode from the same year ("Where's Poppa?"), Doug and [[Danny Heffernan|his cousin Danny]] bring up the Series while revisiting their high school years.

In the ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'' episode "Mister Softee", Bill Buckner appears as a guest star and mocks his famous 1986 mishap by missing a crucial catch of a Mookie Wilson-signed baseball. As the episode concludes, he redeems himself by catching a baby thrown from a burning building.

In 2001, playwright David Kruh had his play ''Curse of the Bambino'' premiere at the Boston Lyric Stage.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bambinomusical.com/DavidKruh.htm |title=Curse of the Bambino Musical<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=October 27, 2018 |archive-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415060930/http://www.bambinomusical.com/DavidKruh.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> After the 2004 World Series it was rewritten with a happier ending.

In [[Ron Darling]]'s book, ''108 Stitches'', he claims that during Game 3. [[Lenny Dykstra]] used racial epithets toward [[Oil Can Boyd]]. Dykstra sued Darling over this.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2019/04/09/mets-lenny-dykstra-sues-ron-darling-over-book-claiming-racist-tirade/3417619002/ |title=Mets: Lenny Dykstra sues Ron Darling over book claiming racist tirade<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425173237/https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2019/04/09/mets-lenny-dykstra-sues-ron-darling-over-book-claiming-racist-tirade/3417619002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  The case was later dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Calcaterra |first1=Craig |title=Judge: Len Dykstra's reputation is so bad it's legally impossible to libel him |url=https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/06/01/judge-len-dykstras-reputation-is-so-bad-its-legally-impossible-to-libel-him/?partner=Yahoo |access-date=1 June 2020 |work=NBC Sports |date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607194637/https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/06/01/judge-len-dykstras-reputation-is-so-bad-its-legally-impossible-to-libel-him/?partner=Yahoo |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 2005 film ''[[Bewitched (2005 film)|Bewitched]]'' starring [[Will Ferrell]] and [[Nicole Kidman]], there's a scene in which Jack (Ferrell) asks Isabel (Kidman) if her parents were in the witch business, Isabel answered that both her parents are and that her mother fixed the 1986 World Series.

In the ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' episode "Career Day" Cory is embarrassed by his dad Allen's presentation of his career as a grocer in front of the class. When he talks to Shawn about this in the lunchroom, he references the Bill Buckner play. "Do you remember that uh, that World Series game where the first baseman let that EASY ground ball go under his legs and his team lost and he was humiliated in front of the entire world? (Shawn replies "Yeah?") I envy his son." Later in the episode, Allen uses the same analogy while talking to his wife at home. "Do you remember the World Series where that first baseman let that grounder dribble through his uh, legs? (Yeah?) I envy him."

== See also ==
* [[1986 Japan Series]]

==Notes and references==
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|ref=none|last=Angell|first=Roger|year=1988|title=[[Season Ticket: A Baseball Companion]] |location=Boston|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |isbn= 0-395-38165-7}}
*{{cite book|ref=none|last=Neft|first=David S.|author2=Richard M. Cohen|title=The World Series. 1st ed.|location=New York|publisher=St Martins|year=1990|pages=412–418}}
*{{cite web|ref=none|last=Forman|first=Sean L.|title=1986 World Series|work=Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information.|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1986_WS.shtml|access-date=December 9, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071223120120/http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1986_WS.shtml| archive-date=December 23, 2007| url-status= live}}

==External links==
{{WSExtLinks|year=1986}}
*[http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_86nlcs_gm1_nymhou 1986 NLCS: Game 1 at MLB.com]
*[http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_86alcs_gm5_boscal 1986 ALCS: Game 5 at MLB.com]
*[http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_86nlcs_gm6_nymhou 1986 NLCS: Game 6 at MLB.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010124092200/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/features/1997/wsarchive/1986.html Good To The Very Last Out at SI.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040627140935/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/teams/1986mets.stm 1986 New York Mets at baseballlibrary.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040615180908/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/teams/1986redsox.stm 1986 Boston Red Sox at baseballlibrary.com]
*[http://members.aol.com/msimon6986/nbcg7.htm Game 7, Marty Barrett vs. Jesse Orosco: NBC TV version – Vin Scully & Joe Garagiola]
*[http://ultimatemets.com/postseason.php The Ultimate Mets Database – 1986 World Series]
**[http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=4021&tabno=B Game 6 Memories]
**[http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=4022&tabno=B Game 7 Memories]
*[https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=As1HvXZZDhXqUGOBCAAVQIQ5nYcB?slug=jp-rbi041506&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Re-creating a classic]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081031004334/http://contursi.freeyellow.com/baseballtour/sounds/sounds/mets86win.wav Mets Win World Series – Bob Murphy Call]

===Mookie Wilson's at bat===
*([https://web.archive.org/web/20081031004334/http://www.contursi.freeyellow.com/baseballtour/sounds/sounds/buckner.wav Audio call])
*[http://www.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w=mms%3A//a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/library/open/broadcasters/murphy_bob/murphy_1986_gm6_win_350.wmv&pid=gen_video&cid=mlb&v=2&mType=w&urlstr=&mUrl=&type=v_free&_mp=1 NBC TV version with audio from WHN – Bob Murphy]

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[[Category:World Series]]
[[Category:1986 Major League Baseball season|World Series]]
[[Category:New York Mets postseason]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox postseason]]
[[Category:1986 in Boston|World Series]]
[[Category:1986 in sports in Massachusetts|World Series]]
[[Category:1986 in sports in New York City|World Series]]
[[Category:October 1986 sports events in the United States|World Series]]
[[Category:Baseball competitions in Boston]]
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[[Category:1980s in Queens]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Queens, New York]]