The 2006 NLCS came down to one highly memorable Game 7 between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, played 10 years ago Wednesday.
It pivoted one team closer to an eventual and unlikely World Series title and another on a multi-year run of frustration and despair.
The catch
This was a tension-filled pitcher’s duel early between Jeff Suppan and Oliver Perez, the latter of whom had a 6.55 ERA during the regular season and was pitching on three days rest. The Mets scored a run in the first inning and the Cardinals matched that in the second.
The Cardinals put two men on base in the third inning and fifth inning but didn’t score. The Mets put two on in the fourth but couldn’t score.
The sixth inning was eventful. With one out, Perez walked Jim Edmonds. Willie Randolph could have pulled Perez at that point but stuck with him and it looked like that would be a major issue when third baseman Scott Rolen crushed a fly ball to left field that appeared certain to be a go-ahead two-run home run.
Endy Chavez raced back, made a full leap and stretched his glove well over the fence. As the ball hit his glove, it took Chavez’s wrist back, but he hung on for dear life as he came back to the ground.
Edmonds was already around second base by this point and Chavez turned it into a double play, throwing to Jose Valentin, who relayed to Carlos Delgado at first base.
It is one of the most memorable defensive plays in postseason history. On the Mets side, it ranks along with the multiple great catches by Tommie Agee and the diving play by Ron Swoboda in the 1969 World Series.
Amazingly, in the bottom of the sixth, things almost came full circle. A Rolen error extended a Mets rally, but with the bases loaded and one out, Valentin struck out and Chavez flied out, giving the Cardinals a great escape of their own.
The home run
The score stayed even until the ninth inning, by which time both teams had gone to their bullpens. The Mets had reliable setup man Aaron Heilman on (and not closer Billy Wagner) and it was perhaps a danger sign when he walked Rolen on nine pitches with one out.
Heilman’s next pitch to Yadier Molina was crushed to left field. Chavez had no chance at this one. At the time, it was the fifth go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game, joining Bill Mazeroski (1960 Pirates), Chris Chambliss (1976 Yankees), Rick Monday (1981 Dodgers) and Aaron Boone (2003 Yankees).
Molina hit .216 in the regular season, but .348 against the Mets in the LCS.
The strikeout
But the Mets, who tied the Yankees for the best record in baseball, would not go quietly into the night, down two runs against rookie Cardinals reliever Adam Wainwright.
They put the first two men on base, bringing up pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd. The Mets went for the win, meaning Floyd didn’t bunt. Instead, he struck out. Jose Reyes followed by a line drive to center that looked for a moment like it would be a hit. Instead Edmonds caught it for the second out, with a runner moving to third.
The Mets' last hope was Paul LoDuca, who told himself he’d try to hit a home run if he got the right pitch. He didn’t. But he did walk, loading the bases for Carlos Beltran.
There was no better hitter for this situation than Beltran. In 50 career postseason at-bats against the Cardinals, he was hitting .360 with seven home runs and 12 walks. He had also beaten the Cardinals with a walk-off home run earlier in the season.
Wainwright made it quick. Beltran fell behind 0-2 and took a big breaking curve down the middle for strike three. The Cardinals won the pennant.
The aftermath
The 83-78 Cardinals won the World Series, the worst record for a World Series winner. The Mets were eliminated on the final scheduled day of the regular season in each of the next two years, then had six sub-.500 seasons before getting back to the World Series in 2015.
Suppan parlayed his NLCS MVP award into a four-year deal with the Brewers. He pitched six more seasons to a 4.96 ERA.
Molina has crushed the Mets since hitting that home run. Over the last 10 seasons, he's hitting .329 against them, though with only one home run in 222 at-bats. Mike Baxter's catch on Molina's fly ball to left field helped preserve Johan Santana's no-hitter.
Wainwright became one of the best pitchers in the majors. He led baseball in curveball strikeouts in 2009 and 2010 and ranked second after returning from injury in both 2012 and 2013. He didn't face the Mets again until 2010. His ERA in nine starts against them since this game is 4.58.
Beltran is still active and has hit 218 home runs over the last 10 seasons. He made the World Series in 2013 – with the Cardinals.
Chavez is still active as well. At age 38, he hit .345 in 95 games and won the batting title with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League this season.
They said it
"I was praying to God to keep that ball away from Endy Chavez."
"We went to the last out of the last inning of the last game and we gave it our all. What else can you ask for?"