The Big O Earns Three W’s

Jesse Orosco shared closing duties with Roger McDowell during the 1986 season, but in the playoffs, Mets manager Davey Johnson time and again gave the ball to Orosco late in the game. Orosco appeared in eight of the team’s 13 games and finished six of them. Trying to close out Game 6 of the NLCS, Orosco had already given up two runs when Keith Hernandez famously walked to the mound and told Orosco, “If you throw any more fastballs, I’ll kill you.” On the sixth straight breaking pitch to Kevin Bass, Orosco struck out the Astros right fielder and became the first reliever in MLB postseason history to earn three victories in a series. Orosco also earned both Mets saves in the World Series including the iconic Game 7 finish.