Franchise Fridays: All-Time Mets Greats Get in Win Column with 7-5 Thriller against the All-Time Giants Greats at the Stick.

Week 5 of Franchise Fridays brought the All-Time Mets Greats back into action, this time facing the All-Time Giants at the breezy confines of virtual Candlestick Park. After dropping their first four games—three to their Dodgers cousins and one to the Giants—the Mets were desperate to get off the schnied and remind everyone that New York baseball can, in fact, be victorious.

As always, these games are more than just numbers on a Strat-O-Matic board. By pitting all-time greats from Mets and Giants history against one another, we get to relive the thrills of the season—without worrying about snowstorms, injuries, or ticket prices. Each pitch, each swing, each home run is generated by the magic of dice, cards, and Strat-O-Matic genius, giving us box scores to analyze and debates to fuel during the winter months.

Dwight Gooden took the mound for the Mets against Juan Marichal, the “Hairpin” hurler whose high leg kick and pinpoint control earned him Hall of Fame immortality. Gooden was vintage “Doc,” striking out 11 Giants, including Barry Bonds at one point, to keep the Mets in control throughout. The Giants’ lineup also featured Barry Bonds hitting third—a reminder that even in simulation, baseball greatness casts a long shadow—and Bobby Bonds in the eighth spot, proving that baseball dynasties sometimes run in the family.

The Mets finally broke through in the second inning when Darryl Strawberry drew a walk, stole second, and scored on an Edgardo Alfonzo single. Strawberry would go deep later in the sixth, launching a three-run homer that put the Mets firmly ahead. Mike Piazza added a solo blast in the eighth, and Pete Alonso capped the scoring with a ninth-inning pop fly homer, turning a nail-biter into a 7-5 lead.

For Mets fans still hurting over Edwin Díaz leaving for the Dodgers, his simulated ninth inning was a bittersweet reminder of what we’ll miss. Díaz started the frame by striking out Willie Mays, Mel Ott, two Hall of Famers, six swings and misses. But even the best can’t control everything: Barry Bonds then blasted a solo home run through Candlestick’s wind and fog to bring the Giants within two. Then Díaz closed it out in signature style, freezing Willie McCovey on a backfoot slider to end the game.

With Gooden’s dominance, Strawberry’s timely power, Piazza’s clutch hitting, Alonso’s late bomb, and Díaz’s final flourish, the Mets finally broke their losing streak, 7-5. In the Strat-O-Matic world, as in real life, legends collide, drama unfolds, and Mets fans can once again savor a victory—even if it’s at the mercy of dice and cards.