1986 World Series
Team (Wins) Managers Season New York Mets (4) Davey Johnson 108–54, .667, GA:21+1⁄2 Boston Red Sox (3) John McNamara 95–66, .590, GA:5+1⁄2
Dates	October 18–27
Venue(s)	Shea Stadium (New York) Fenway Park (Boston)
MVP	Ray Knight (New York)
Umpires	John Kibler (NL),Jim Evans (AL),Harry Wendelstedt (NL),Joe Brinkman (AL),Ed Montague (NL),Dale Ford (AL)
Hall of Famers	Mets: Gary Carter Red Sox: Wade Boggs Jim Rice Tom Seaver (DNP)
Broadcast
Television	NBC
TV announcers	Vin Scully andJoe Garagiola
Radio	CBS WHN (NYM) WPLM (BOS)
Radio announcers	Jack Buck andSparky Anderson (CBS) Bob Murphy andGary Thorne (WHN) Ken Coleman andJoe Castiglione (WPLM)
ALCS	Boston Red Sox overCalifornia Angels (4–3)
NLCS	New York Mets overHouston Astros (4–2)
World Series program
← 1985 World Series 1987 →

The1986 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)1986 season. The 83rd edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff played between theNational League (NL)championNew York Mets and theAmerican League (AL)championBoston Red Sox. The Mets won the series in seven games, claiming their second World Series title and first since1969.

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 basemanBill Buckner. Due to the Mets claiming the series in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of theCurse of the Bambino superstition used to explain the Red Sox's championship drought between1918 and2004.^[1][2][3]

The 1986 World Series marked the second time, after theprevious year's series,^[4] in which the winning team lost the first two games of the series at home (theKansas City Royals accomplished this the year prior).^[4] It happened again in the1996 World Series with theNew York Yankees,^[4] the last such World Series occurrence, but it would happen in the2025 American League Championship Series with theToronto Blue Jays.^[4]

It was also the first World Series to use thedesignated 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.^[a][5]

This was the fifth meeting between teams fromBoston andNew York City for amajor professional sports championship. This previously occurred in twoStanley Cup Finals (1929,1972) and two previousWorld Series (1912,1916).^[6]

TheNew York Mets finished the regular season with a franchise-best record of 108–54, winning theNational League East division by21+1⁄2 games over thedivision rivalPhiladelphia Phillies.^[7][8][9] They then won a tightly contested1986 National League Championship Series against theHouston Astros, 4 games to 2, clinching the series with a 7–6, 16-inning win in Game 6. On July 19, Mets' infielderTim Teufel and pitchersRick Aguilera,Bobby Ojeda, andRon Darling were arrested after fighting with policemen outside a bar inHouston. Just three days later, the Mets played a game in Cincinnati that saw Ray Knight, Darryl Strawberry, and Kevin Mitchell getejected, forcing starting catcherGary Carter to play third base and the Mets to play a pitcher in the outfield, with leftyJesse Orosco and right-handerRoger 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 byHoward Johnson.^[10]

Boston went 95–66 during the season, winning theAmerican League East division by5+1⁄2 games over theirbiggest nemesis, theNew York Yankees, marking the first time since1904 that the Red Sox and the Yankees finished first and second in the standings.^[11]

The gritty play of eventual ALCS MVPMarty Barrett andRich Gedman; clutch hitting from veteransJim Rice,Wade Boggs,Don Baylor,Dwight Evans andDave Henderson; and quality starting pitching, especially from 1986American League MVP andCy Young Award winnerRoger Clemens,Bruce Hurst andOil Can Boyd, pushed the Red Sox to the World Series. The team's defining moment occurred in Game 5 of the1986 American League Championship Series against theCalifornia Angels. With the Angels leading three games to one in the best-of-seven series and their top relieverDonnie Moore on the mound, the Sox needed a last-out miracle home run from Henderson to survive Game 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 defensivemiscues by the Angels, andclutch 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.

NLNew York Mets (4) beat ALBoston Red Sox (3)

†: Postponed from October 26 due to rain

Just as they did againstHouston in theNational League Championship Series, the Mets opened the World Series by taking a 1–0 defeat. Boston'sBruce 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 gotRay Knight to ground into an inning-ending double play and thwart a scoring opportunity for the Mets.

New York'sRon Darling was equally effective, yielding only one unearned run in the seventh inning when second basemanTim Teufel committed an error by letting a ground ball fromRich Gedman go through his legs, allowingJim Rice to score from second. Red Sox closerCalvin Schiraldi, acquired from the Mets in the previous offseason, walkedDarryl Strawberry to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Schiraldi got Knight to force out Strawberry at second base and then gotWally Backman to fly out to left field. With two outs,Danny Heep pinch hit forRafael Santana. Schiraldi worked Heep to a 2–2 count and then struck him out swinging to solidify the victory.

Mets' legendTom Seaver, now a member of the Red Sox, received a standing ovation from the Shea Stadium fans during the Game 1 introductions. Seaver did not pitch in the series because of a knee injury.

Game 2 figured to be a classic pitching matchup, between the Mets' young phenomDwight Gooden and Boston's own young pitching sensationRoger Clemens, but neither pitcher went beyond five innings. The Red Sox scored first in the top of the third inning, following a leadoff walk toSpike Owen, whenKeith 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 drove in Clemens with a single, andBill 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 forWally Backman, who grounded up the middle, platingRafael 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 theALCS, drove the second pitch from Gooden to left-center field for a home run.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 ofSteve Crawford after facing three batters, leaving runners on first and third. Crawford promptly gave up a single toGary Carter that scored Backman, cutting the deficit to three runs. Crawford struck outDarryl Strawberry and gotDanny Heep to ground out, but this left Clemens with ano decision.

Gooden was relieved byRick 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 ofJesse Orosco, who shut down the Red Sox over the next two innings.

The Red Sox were not done, however. FacingSid 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 toFenway Park.

Mets managerDavey 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 whenLenny Dykstra led off the game with a home run. After two singles,Gary Carter followed with an RBI double, andDanny 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 starterOil Can Boyd settled down, butBob Ojeda pitched well and Boston was unable to overcome their early deficit. In his first at bat of the World Series, Boston'sDon Baylor almost homered in the second inning but hit theGreen Monster, resulting in a double.

Ojeda gave up an RBI single toMarty 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, andRay Knight drove inDarryl Strawberry, who had singled and moved to third on two wild pitches, with a double in the eighth inning off ofJoe Sambito.Roger McDowell pitched the final two frames to seal a 7–1 Mets victory.

Ron Darling faced off against Boston'sAl Nipper, as the Mets looked to tie the Series. Neither starter allowed a run until the top of the fourth inning, whenGary Carter ripped a two-run home run over the Green Monster andRay Knight drove inDarryl Strawberry, who had doubled after the home run, with a single. In the top of the seventh inning, Boston right fielderDwight Evans almost robbedLenny 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 ofSteve Crawford.

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

The Red Sox struck first in the second whenDave Henderson tripled with one out off ofDwight Gooden and scored onSpike Owen's sacrifice fly.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 onDon Baylor's single. After Evans singled,Sid Fernandez relieved Gooden and allowed an RBI double to Henderson.Bruce Hurst pitched7+1⁄3 shutout innings beforeTim Teufel's home run in the eighth put the Mets on the board. In the ninth,Mookie Wilson doubled with two outs and scored onRafael Santana's single before Hurst struck outLenny Dykstra to end the game as the Red Sox's 4–2 gave them a 3–2 series lead heading back to New York.

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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 aceRoger 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.

In the first two innings,^[19] Boston took a quick 2–0 lead on RBI base hits fromDwight Evans andMarty Barrett. Those would be the only runs Ojeda allowed in six innings The Mets tied the score in the fifth inning on a single fromRay Knight and a run-scoring double play byDanny Heep, in his last at-bat as a Met. The game was briefly paused in the top of the first, as actor and Mets fanMichael Sergio parachuted onto the field wearing a flag proclaiming "Go Mets". He was immediately arrested by security after landing.^[20]

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 relieverRoger McDowell. Barrett started off the inning by drawing a walk, then advanced to second on a groundout byBill 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 byRich Gedman for the third out.

In the top of the eighth, McDowell walkedDave Henderson to start the inning. AfterSpike 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, managerJohn McNamara decided to call for a pinch hitter. Despite having power hitting veteranDon Baylor on his bench, McNamara chose to send up rookieMike Greenwell as he felt the matchup against McDowell favored him. Greenwell responded by striking out on three pitches. After intentionally walkingWade 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 toBob Costas on anMLB 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.^[21] Regardless of who was really telling the truth, the Red Sox had been warming up closerCalvin Schiraldi in the prior innings and, with him ready, McNamarabrought him in to pitch the eighth.

Pinch hitterLee 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 walkedKeith Hernandez to load the bases forGary 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 againstRick 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 came on to pinch hit. Mets managerDavey 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 bothJoe Sambito andBob 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 withDave 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 andTom 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 theLos Angeles Dodgers in the1974 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;^[21] 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.^[22]

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.^[23]

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 manKevin 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 ofThe 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.^[21] 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,^[24] 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 2011ESPN Films documentaryCatching 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.^[25] 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. TheCommissioner's Trophy had been brought into the Red Sox clubhouse along with several bottles of champagne, team co-owner/presidentJean Yawkey and pitcherBruce Hurst (who had already been named the series MVP by the sportswriters) withBob 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.^[21] 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.^[26]It was the last World Series game to end on an error until Game 4 of the2020 World Series.^[27]

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.

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 featureRon Darling, the starter for Games 1 and 4 who had yet to allow an earned run in the World Series, going up againstOil 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 managerDavey Johnson, who had employed a three-man rotation for the series consisting of Darling,Dwight Gooden, andBob Ojeda, chose to stick with Darling, who would be pitching on his normal four days rest. Red Sox managerJohn McNamara, however, decided to change his plans. The rainout enabledBruce 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 coachBill 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.^[21][28]

In the 500th game played in World Series history, Boston got to Darling early, recording three runs in the second inning.Dwight Evans andRich Gedman hit back to back home runs to lead the inning off and with two out,Wade Boggs drove inDave 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 byDarryl 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. AfterSpike Owen flew out, Hurst laid down a bunt that moved Henderson into scoring position. Johnson then lifted Darling from the game and brought inSid Fernandez to face Boggs and the leading hitter of the series,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 whenRafael 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 basemanTim Teufel drew a walk to load the bases.Keith Hernandez then drove the lead runners in with a single, andWally 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 haveDarryl 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.

Roger McDowell entered the game for the Mets in the seventh and retired pinch-hitterTony Armas, Boggs, and Barrett in order. McNamara called upon Game 6 loserCalvin 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 toRay 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 inJoe 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 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 andBill 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 closerJesse 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 gotDon 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 loserAl 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 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 facedEd 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. TheNew York Giants were taking on theWashington Redskins atGiants Stadium onMonday 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.^[29] The Giants would later winSuper Bowl XXI, following in the Mets lead in winning their championship.

TheWorld Series MVP was awarded toRay Knight, who led the Mets' regulars with nine hits and a .393 average in the series. He also recorded five runs batted in, second toGary Carter's nine.

Marty Barrett, in a losing effort, recorded 13 hits — tying the single World Series record^[30] — and a .433 average.Dave Henderson recorded ten hits and a .400 average, whileJim Rice andWade Boggs each had nine hits.

Despite the struggles both pitchers faced in Game 7, bothBruce Hurst andRon 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, keptBobby Richardson of the1960 New York Yankees as the only World Series MVP from alosing team.

The only other starter to win a decision wasBob Ojeda.Steve Crawford won Game 2 for the Red Sox whileRick Aguilera andRoger 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 aceDwight Gooden. His counterpart on the Red Sox, eventualCy Young Award winnerRoger Clemens, did not record a decision in either of his starts.

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

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

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

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

Both the Mets and Red Sox would go without reaching the World Series for some time. The Red Sox would not return until2004, where they would finally break through andwin their first title since1918. They have gone on to win three additional world championships, most recently in2018. 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. In2000, the first time since 1956 that two teams from the same city faced each other in the World Series, theMets lost to theNew York Yankees. TheMets returned in2015, only to lose again to theKansas City Royals.

Neither Davey Johnson nor John McNamara would manage in another World Series. Johnson stayed on with the Mets until1990, leading them to another postseason berth in1988 that ended with a loss to theLos Angeles Dodgers in theNational League Championship Series. He was fired early in the1990 season. Johnson would later lead theCincinnati Reds to the playoffs in1995, then followed that with two more playoff runs with theBaltimore Orioles in1996 and1997. He finished his managerial career in2013 with theWashington Nationals.

McNamara returned for1987 with theRed Sox, but the team regressed significantly, finishing with only 78 wins. He would be fired the next year with theRed Sox barely above .500 at theAll-Star break, and his successorJoe Morgan led the team to a comeback and division title. He would take over theCleveland Indians in1990, but was fired midway through1991 with the team at 25–52. He would only manage once more after that, an interim position with theCalifornia Angels in1996, 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 theCalifornia Angels. In1988, he signed with theKansas City Royals and played more of a reserve role for the last three years of his career, which ended in1990 after a second stint with theRed Sox. Buckner's error made him a scapegoat in Red Sox fans' eyes for some time afterward, but following their world championship victory in2004 the fanbase began to embrace him again. In his later years, Buckner developedLewy body dementia, and he died from complications at the age of 69 in May 2019.

Hedge fund manager and current Mets owner,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 atCiti Field.^[83]

In 2020,ESPN named the 1986 World Series the fourth greatest of all time.^[84]

On September 14 and 15, 2021, ESPN premieredOnce Upon a Time in Queens, its four-part30 for 30 documentary about the 1986 World Series, the Mets' seasons leading up to it and the aftermath.^[85] The film is directed byNick Davis.^[86]

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".^[87] As a result, then-Yankee ownerGeorge Steinbrenner wrote articles in theNew York Post during this Series.^[88][89]

After seven years, this would be the final World Series to use the logo introduced in the1980 series. Beginningthe next year, a new logo in the style of a baseball diamond was introduced. The logo itself would receive minor updates throughout the years. In1992, gold lettering was added which would remain for the rest of its tenure until it was retired altogether after the1997 series.

1986 World Series(4–3):New York Mets (N.L.) beatBoston Red Sox (A.L.)

NBC's broadcast of Game 6 did not end until 12:32 a.m. Eastern, causing the first cancellation of an episode of NBC'sSaturday Night Live in the show's history. The episode, hosted byRosanna Arquette and scheduled to air live at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, was instead recorded for the studio audience beginning at 1:30 a.m., and aired November 8 with a comedic apology from Ron Darling.^[91] (NBC generally no longer schedules first-runSNL episodes on the same night as sports coverage.)

NBC's broadcast of Game 7 (which went up against aMonday Night Football game between theWashington Redskins andNew York Giants held at nearbyGiants Stadium onABC) garnered aNielsen rating of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date.

In the 1998 filmRounders,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 filmFever Pitch, the main character played byJimmy 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 6 and Game 7 prompted a series of articles byGeorge Vecsey ofThe New York Times, in which he mentions a "Babe Ruth Curse."^[92][93] Although it had long been noted that the selling ofBabe Ruth to theNew 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.^[94][95] 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.^[96] In fact, even though Vecsey's articles mention a "Babe Ruth Curse", theNew York Times did not use the phrase "Curse of the Bambino" until 1990,^[97] the year thatDan Shaughnessy's book of the same name and aBoston Globe article about it were published.^[98] Shaughnessy's bookThe Curse of the Bambino helped that phrase become a key part of the Red Sox lore in the media thereafter.^[96][99]

The dramatic sixth game was the subject ofGame 6, a 2005 independent film starringMichael Keaton, based on a 1991 screenplay by novelistDon DeLillo.

Village Voice film criticJ. Hoberman included Game 6 in his list of the top ten films of 1986.^[100]

In his song "Faith and Fear in Flushing Meadows", twee/folk artist Harry Breitner makes mention ofRay Knight andMookie Wilson.

The game, or more specifically an infamous jeer that was issued in the game against Darryl Strawberry, was referenced inThe 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" fromStereotomy, a penultimate album ofThe Alan Parsons Project.

The Series, and especially Game 6, were referenced in theSeinfeld episode "The Boyfriend", which also guest starred former Mets playerKeith 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 theprior round's Game 6 rally in the 9th inning.

In a 1999 episode ofThe 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 forRay Barone, who invites him to play golf (withArthur Spooner tagging along) until a rainstorm ends their plans. In another episode from the same year ("Where's Poppa?"), Doug andhis cousin Danny bring up the Series while revisiting their high school years.

In theCurb 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 playCurse of the Bambino premiere at the Boston Lyric Stage.^[101] After the 2004 World Series it was rewritten with a happier ending.

InRon Darling's book,108 Stitches, he claims that during Game 3.Lenny Dykstra used racial epithets towardOil Can Boyd. Dykstra sued Darling over this.^[102] The case was later dismissed.^[103]

In the 2005 filmBewitched starringWill Ferrell andNicole 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 theBoy 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."

• 1986 Japan Series

• Angell, Roger (1988).Season Ticket: A Baseball Companion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.ISBN 0-395-38165-7.
• Neft, David S.; Richard M. Cohen (1990).The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins. pp. 412–418.
• Forman, Sean L."1986 World Series".Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information.Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. RetrievedDecember 9, 2007.

• 1986 World Series atWorldSeries.com viaMLB.com
• 1986 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 1986 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 1986 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1986 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.
• 1986 NLCS: Game 1 at MLB.com
• 1986 ALCS: Game 5 at MLB.com
• 1986 NLCS: Game 6 at MLB.com
• Good To The Very Last Out at SI.com
• 1986 New York Mets at baseballlibrary.com
• 1986 Boston Red Sox at baseballlibrary.com
• Game 7, Marty Barrett vs. Jesse Orosco: NBC TV version – Vin Scully & Joe Garagiola
• The Ultimate Mets Database – 1986 World Series
  • Game 6 Memories
  • Game 7 Memories
• Re-creating a classic
• Mets Win World Series – Bob Murphy Call

• (Audio call)
• NBC TV version with audio from WHN – Bob Murphy

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