Amazing Away Games: Riverfront Stadium: An Epic Fight...and two pitchers in the Outfield!

July 22, 1986. Mets 6, Reds 3 (14 innings)

There have been many, many books about the World Champion 1986 New York Mets. Thanks to announcers Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, we get to hear tidbits about the team on a nightly basis.

Those rough and tumble Mets weren't afraid to mix it up in a brawl both on and off the field.

But if you were watching the extra-inning game in July of 1986, you haven't forgotten it.

The Cincinnati Reds had three players in the lineup who later had their sons (and a nephew) manage in the majors! Third baseman Buddy Bell (his father was original Met Gus Bell) saw his son David later manage the Reds from 2019 to 2024. Outfielder Max Venable's son Will has done a tremendous job taking a White Sox team that lost 100 games three years in a row to the playoffs in 2026. Backup catcher Sal Butera's nephew Blake is the manager of the Nationals.

The scoring in this 14 inning game didn't begin until the third inning. Reds starting pitcher Scott Terry singled (for you young folks, pitchers used to hit! I kid you not). Future Hall of Famer Dave Parker then hit a long homer to right off Mets starter Bobby Ojeda for a 2-0 lead.

Parker garnered MVP votes in his first 5 full seasons in Pittsburgh, and an MVP award in 1978 when he went 30/117/.334 including his second batting crown in a row. After a few injury plagued years, he returned to his home city of Cincinnati and finished second in the MVP voting in 1985 (34, 125, .312).

Future article alert: How could Willie McGee, Parker, and Pedro Guerrero all have finished ahead of Doc Gooden for MVP in 1985? Gooden only had one first place vote out of 24. Reminder: Gooden had a 1.53 ERA.

In the top of the fifth, shortstop Rafael Santana walked (Rare! Santana only walked 36 times in 139 games in 1986) and Ojeda's bunt wasn't good enough. Santana was erased at second with Ojeda taking first. Lenny Dykstra then tripled, scoring the sluggish pitcher from first. A wild guess is that was the only time in his career Ojeda scored from first on a hit.

Dykstra tried to score on a grounder by Wally Backman, but another Cincy native, second baseman Ron Oester, threw Lenny out at the plate.

Bell hit a homer in the fifth for a 3-1 Reds lead.

Lefthander Rob Murphy relieved Terry in the sixth, in part to face Mets lefty hitters Darryl Strawberry and Danny Heep. Straw did not like the strike three call and was thrown out of the game for arguing. That would later have a huge influence in this game's history.

Rookie Randy Myers, the future Mets closer who would eventually save 347 games (15th All-Time) walked Parker leading off the 8th and was relieved by Doug Sisk. You heard that right....Myers relieved by Sisk. But Sisk got the Reds out 1-2-3. Sisk was flipped in the batting order with Mookie Wilson entering the game in left. (Foreshadowing....Heep was removed, George Foster had pinch hit for Ojeda and Strawberry was thrown out of the game. That's three outfielders already gone.)

In the ninth, Howard Johnson struck out, but catcher Bo Diaz dropped it and kicked it around....HoJo safe at first! Hope!

Mookie then grounded into a double play. No hope.

But Dykstra walked and Tim Teufel, who hit for Backman earlier, doubled to put runners on second and third with Hernandez coming up!

Reds manager Pete Rose went to get his lefthanded closer John Franco to pitch to the Captain. And it worked! Hernandez lined an easy one to three time Gold Glove Parker in right. But (sorry Reds fans), Parker dropped the final out and both runners scored to tie the game at 3!

Sisk pitched his second scoreless inning in the ninth and the game went to extras. (Again for you young folks....they used to play real baseball with no ghost runners in extra innings. I KID YOU NOT!)

The Mets threatened in the tenth with pinch hitter Rick Aguilera walking (yes, the pitcher who would eventually earn 318 saves. Good for 24th All-Time. Isn't baseball great?).

After Ray Knight singled, they both moved up on a wild pitch, but Johnson struck out (don't worry, HoJo, you'll get another chance) and so did Wilson to keep the game going.

The bottom of the tenth is where things get bananas. Mets closer Jesse Orosco strikes out Parker. PLAYER-MANAGER Pete Rose then decides to pinch hit himself and singles to center. Super speedy Eric Davis runs for Pete.

Davis steals second, and as Eddie Miler (John "The Hammer" Milner's cousin!) strikes out, Davis steals third.

But Davis and Knight begin shoving each other before Knight, a former Golden Gloves boxer, decks Davis with a right hook!

Gary Carter tackles Davis and tosses him away from the scrum. Out of nowhere, Kevin Mitchell is throwing punches and cleaning house! Mitchell, rumored to have been in gangs growing up in San Diego, was not one to be messed with. Many players have been asked who they would want to be on their side in a fight, and Mitch is always at the top of the list.

Reds pitcher John Denny also joins the melee. Denny was a karate master and he and Mitchell are now the main event. Carter is the one who keeps Denny from creating more havoc.

Watch tiny imagined tough guy Franco flail his arms a lot but get into no fighting action. In fact, he goes the other way! (Sorry, Johnny, you can see the truth).

When the Mets got back to the dugout, Foster was there by himself. He never left the bench! That was truly the end of his Mets career. He had a start or two over the next few weeks and was released in August. Foster played the last 15 games of his career with the White Sox. (Immaculate Grid alert: Cleon Jones played the last 12 games of his career with the White Sox).

After Knight and Mitchell (another outfielder gone!) were ejected, Manager Davey Johnson had to get creative. Carter played third, backup Ed Hearn caught, and with no outfielders left except Dykstra and Wilson, Orosco was moved to right field and Roger McDowell entered the game to pitch. Pitcher Tom Browning ran for the ejected Davis at third. Phew!

McDowell and Orosco then began to flip flop on the mound and the outfield! If Davey wanted a left or right handed pitcher, he would flip his two main closers on the mound with the other going to the outfield. There, they would flip from left to right with Mookie depending on which hitter was up for Cincinnati. Got it?

In the bottom of the 12th, Bell and Parker opened with singles and pitcher Carl Willis coming up. Here comes one of the greatest plays in Mets history. Willis bunts in front of the mound to the THIRD BASE side. Hernandez darts across the field to get the bunt and fires to third, where catcher Carter is now playing, for the force. Gary throws to first to get Willis for the double play!

We will hear Willis' name again. He was a long time pitching coach. He had FIVE Cy Young winners under his tutelage. C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and Shane Bieber with Cleveland. Felix Hernandez with Seattle. Rick Porcello with the Red Sox. He returned to Cleveland in 2017 to be the pitching coach for the second time when their former coach was hired to manage the Mets! Mickey Callaway! (I told you baseball was awesome).

If you are a Carl Willis fan, you can still see him as the pitching coach of the Guardians! That's what I'm talking about, Willis!

Willis starts his fourth inning of relief in the 14th. Hearn leads off with a double and then RIGHT FIELDER Orosco walks. (Bananas!).

Ted Power enters the game for the Reds and strikes out McDowell when he can't get the bunt down. (Side note: For short relievers, McDowell and Orosco weren't hopeless at the plate. McDowell had 16 career hits with a .222 lifetime average. Orosco had 10 career hits, not including his 8th inning RBI single in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series).

Howard Johnson got a chance to redeem himself, and he lined a long three-run homer to right for a 6-3 lead. McDowell retired the side in order to put it in the books.

The last three outs? Those with sons and nephews who would eventually manage. Venable, Bell, and Butera. Baseball is awesome.