Franchise Friday : At Old Ebbets, Dodgers Find One More Rally to Best Mets in Gooden–Drysdale Duel

The Dodgers landed the first haymakers. In the bottom of the third, the Brooklyn–Hollywood hybrid unleashed a historical mashup that only a strat-o-matic simulation could produce. Corey Seager, who never sniffed a trolley car, blasted a two-run homer. Then Duke Snider, who practically owned the trolley line, added a two-run shot of his own.

Just like that, the Mets trailed 4–0, and Doc Gooden—who had racked up strikeouts like it was 1985—saw his ERA on the afternoon jump faster than the Ebbets scoreboard operator could change the numbers.

But the Mets didn’t fold. They never do, whether in real life, replay life, or alternate-universe strat simulation life.

In the fourth, Mike Piazza, fresh off homering against Koufax in Game 1, stepped in against Drysdale. And—because simulations apparently understand dramatic timing—Piazza smashed another home run.

His second in as many Franchise Fridays.

Edgardo Alfonzo followed with an RBI double to make it 4–2, and suddenly Brooklyn felt the temperature rising.

In the sixth, a Francisco Lindor walk and a Carlos Beltrán rocket that clanked off right fielder Babe Herman’s glove—Herman being historically reliable at misadventures—tied the game at 4–4. Mets fans in attendance (real or imaginary) began calculating how many cannolis it would take to celebrate a comeback win on Flatbush Avenue.

But the Dodgers always seem to have one more inning in them.

In the bottom of the seventh, Justin Turner—apparently still fueled by the bitterness of his brief Mets tenure—roped a double. Jackie Robinson reached. And Furillo, pinch hitting, tapped a grounder that was perfectly placed to ruin the Mets’ evening.

Turner scored. Brooklyn took a 5–4 lead.

And even though the Mets had six outs left, the baseball gods had already sent in Eric Gagné, who arrived wearing those late-’90s glasses that suggested he either closed games or performed LASIK surgery on the side.

Gagné recorded three straight groundouts in the ninth, slamming the last door in Brooklyn since the Dodgers left in ’57.

Gooden vs. Drysdale: The Sequel to a Matchup That Never Was

Drysdale’s line: 6 IP, 9 K, 4 runs (3 earned).

Gooden’s: 6 IP, 9 K, 5 runs, one inning from vintage but never far from dangerous.

Two pitchers separated by eras, decades, and hairstyles, finally sharing a mound—even if it required a Strat-O-Matic time machine to make it happen.

Bright Spots for Queens

Piazza: HR No. 2 in the franchise simulation series

Alonso: 2-for-4 with a double and RBI

Alfonzo: clutch double, RBI, solid defense

Beltrán: a walk, a single, and the most chaotic two-base error assist in Ebbets Field since the Truman administration

Even in defeat, the Mets didn’t boot a single ball in the field. And Armando Benítez struck out the side in the eighth because of course he did in a low-leverage situation.

Up Next: The Decider at Citi Field Jacob deGrom against Fernando Valenzuela

Franchise Friday moves forward next week, one final stop on the subway line of Mets eras: Citi Field as Jacob deGrom matches up against Fernando Valenzuela.

After Koufax–Seaver and Drysdale–Gooden, the finale promises another heavyweight duel, giving the Mets a chance to avoid a sweep and the Dodgers a shot at establishing All-Time bragging rights.

Bring your scorecards. Bring your nostalgia.

Most importantly—bring your imagination.

This series is only just beginning.