Today in Postseason History: Gary Carter's 12th-inning walk-off single lifts '86 Mets in NLCS
In '86, Gary Carter's walk-off hit lifts Mets in 12th
Through the first 10 postseason games of his Hall of Fame career, late catcher Gary Carter accumulated 15 hits, posting a .429 average. So when his 1986 Mets reached the National League Championship Series and Carter started the series 1-for-17 through the first four games, Mets fans had reason to believe he'd come around.
And boy did he ever. With the series tied, 2-2, and Wally Backman on second base in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 5, Carter stepped up to the plate and sharply lined a single into center field. Backman scored easily, Carter and his teammates celebrated and the Mets were one win away from the '86 Fall Classic:
Eleven days later, Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball to first base that would forever change baseball history. Two days after that, Carter and the Mets were World Series champions.