Gooden Plenty!

No one could have matched the incredible season Dwight Gooden completed in 1985, but he more than filled the bill as the Mets’ ace in 1986. Gooden won 17 games with a 2.84 ERA and 200 strikeouts as he earned an All-Star nod and Cy Young votes for the third straight season. The highlight of his season might have come on May 6 when he pitched a two-hit shutout against the powerful Houston Astros in a 4-0 win in front of more than 40,000 fans at Shea Stadium. Gooden drove in two runs himself with a triple in the 7th inning to chase Astros starter Charlie Kerfeld. After a walk, single and error in the 9th inning threatened to undo Gooden’s gem, Doc bowed his back and on his 122nd pitch induced Astros slugger Glenn Davis to tap the ball back to him and start a game-ending 1-2-3 double play. “That was the perfect ending,” said catcher Gary Carter. “After all, the Doctor did everything else tonight.” This program was for a series in the next homestand against Atlanta in which Gooden did not pitch.