Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — Hmm…. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets in the LCS. Where have we seen this before…? Indeed, for longtime fans of both teams the upcoming League Championship Series will be sure to reignite memories of an October 36 years ago, when these teams had an epic seven-round-title fight that in many ways was even better than the World Series that was to follow.
Before the 1988 Dodgers became the “weakest lineup ever to take the field for a World Series game,” to quote Bob Costas at the time, before Kirk Gibson‘s heroic homer in Game 1 that turned the series decisively in the Dodgers’ favor, the Dodgers had to slay the beasts from the East, the mighty New York Mets, who were at the height of the 80’s heyday.
The Mets had dominated the season series, taking 10 out of 11 games and finishing with 100 wins to the Dodgers’ 94. Many analysts predicted a Mets sweep, citing the power and depth in New York’s lineup and pitching staff. However, the Dodgers had the hot hand of Orel Hershiser, who was in the midst of a historic season, and the fiery leadership of Kirk Gibson, whose determination drove the team forward despite injuries. As Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia put it in 2015, “We felt like we didn’t have anything to lose. One thing about that club was that we weren’t intimidated, and [we] played free and relaxed.” No one could expect what would unfold over the next week of baseball.
Game 1: Mets 3, Dodgers 2 – October 4, 1988, Dodger Stadium
In those days, home field advantage was determined on a rotating basis, so that year the Dodgers were the lucky ones, despite having fewer wins than the Mets. That led to the series opening up at Chavez Ravine. Hopes were high as Orel Hershiser took the mound, fresh off a historic streak of 59 scoreless innings. When Mike Marshall‘s RBI single put the Dodgers up early, fans were confident Hershiser could carry the team to victory. But the mood shifted dramatically in the ninth inning. Hershiser finally cracked, allowing the Mets to tie the game. Hershiser, looking back on the game, said in that same 2015 piece on MLB.com, “Tommy came to the mound to take me out…and I go, ‘Tommy, I’m fine, I just look tired because it’s the first run I’ve given up in 67 innings.’ He goes, ‘Bulldog, get off the mound.'” Get off the mound he did and closer Jay Howell couldn’t stop the bleeding. The Mets stunned the home crowd with a three-run rally to steal the game, and the fans left Dodger Stadium feeling deflated, wondering if the team could actually beat this Mets squad.
Game 2: Dodgers 6, Mets 3 – October 5, 1988, Dodger Stadium
With Game 1’s heartbreak still fresh, Dodgers fans needed a reason to believe. The motivation came from an unlikely source: a column by Mets pitcher David Cone, who, after Game 1, criticized Dodgers closer Jay Howell as a “high school pitcher” for relying too heavily on curveballs. The Dodgers used this as bulletin-board material, fueling a 6-3 victory to even the series. “We took it to heart,” Scioscia said. Lasorda, always the motivator, couldn’t believe how fired up his team became: “I couldn’t believe the players, how mad they were at the way [Cone] had conducted himself.”. The team responded on the field, knocking Cone out early and piling up a 5-0 lead by the second inning. Tim Belcher’s dominant pitching performance and Alejandro Peña’s save put the Dodgers back on even terms, and fans could finally exhale, feeling that this team wasn’t going down without a fight.
Game 3: Mets 8, Dodgers 4 – October 8, 1988, Shea Stadium
The series shifted to New York, and so did the momentum. The Dodgers built an early lead, but the Mets took advantage of a rainy, muddy field to stage a comeback. When Jay Howell was caught with pine tar on his glove in the eighth inning, Dodgers fans were furious and braced themselves for the worst. “We were trying to figure out any way to hold the ball,” Howell said of the incident, claiming that the poor weather led to his used of the banned substance. Regardless, Howell was out on his ear. The bullpen collapsed, and New York took a 2-1 series lead. The frustrations and doubts from Game 1 resurfaced, and many wondered if the Dodgers had any hope left against the Mets.
Game 4: Dodgers 5, Mets 4 (12 innings) – October 9, 1988, Shea Stadium
Just when Dodgers fans thought the series might be slipping away, Game 4 delivered a dramatic turnaround. Things looked bleak with Dwight Gooden cruising and the Mets leading 4-2 in the ninth. But Mike Scioscia came through with a stunning two-run homer to tie it. Kirk Gibson, struggling throughout the series, then hit a clutch home run in the 12th to give the Dodgers the lead. “It was surreal [how] the place got that quiet,” Scioscia recalled about the stunned crowd at Shea Stadium after his game-tying blast. The moment wasn’t lost on Lasorda, who later said, “Scioscia’s home run was, I think, more important to our club than Gibson’s home run in the World Series.”When Orel Hershiser came in to close the game on just one day’s rest, fans were on the edge of their seats. His calm under pressure helped seal the win, and suddenly, the series was tied 2-2. The victory restored hope, with fans believing the team’s resilience was a sign of things to come.
Game 5: Dodgers 7, Mets 4 – October 10, 1988, Shea Stadium
Game 5 was a pivotal moment. With a quick turnaround after the extra-innings battle, the Dodgers jumped out to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by Kirk Gibson’s three-run homer. But when the Mets started to rally, fans could feel the anxiety creeping in. A lucky break in the eighth inning—when Gregg Jefferies was ruled out for being hit by a batted ball—helped the Dodgers escape a jam. Brian Holton recorded the final outs to secure the win, and the Dodgers took a 3-2 series lead back to Los Angeles, filling fans with optimism. Reflecting on that game years later, Mets pitcher Ron Darling admitted that changes in their approach to Gibson played a role in the loss: “For whatever reason, we got away from that [strategy] a couple times, and it really cost us.” Gibson’s hamstring injury during the game foreshadowed the challenges he would face in the World Series.
Game 6: Mets 5, Dodgers 1 – October 11, 1988, Dodger Stadium
Dodgers fans hoped to close out the series at home, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Mets jumped on Tim Leary, and the Dodgers’ bats fell silent against David Cone, who bounced back with a stellar performance. a decisive 5-1 win in Game 6, led by Cone’s complete-game effort. “He ended up in a lot of hot water [in the second inning], pitched out of it, and then pitched a fantastic game,” Darling recalled, as Cone redeemed himself after his rough Game 2.The 5-1 loss forced a decisive Game 7, and anxiety was at an all-time high as the Mets once again seemed to have the upper hand.
Game 7: Dodgers 6, Mets 0 – October 12, 1988, Dodger Stadium
Game 7 was a do-or-die moment, and Dodgers fans needed a hero. Orel Hershiser answered the call, pitching a complete game shutout. The Dodgers seized control early, with Mike Marshall and Mickey Hatcher driving in runs. Hershiser’s dominant performance kept the Mets’ bats quiet all night. When the final out was made, fans erupted in joy, knowing the Dodgers were headed to the World Series for the first time since 1981. Catcher Mike Scioscia summed it up best: “It was one of the best games I’ve ever been part of.”
The Aftermath
The 1988 NLCS is remembered as one of the most dramatic in Dodgers history. Orel Hershiser’s MVP performance and clutch moments from Scioscia and Gibson gave the Dodgers the edge. For fans, the series was a whirlwind of emotions—disappointment, hope, anxiety, and finally, jubilation. It set the stage for an unforgettable World Series, where the underdog Dodgers would go on to defeat the heavily favored Oakland Athletics, cementing their place in baseball lore.
*NOTE: The quotes used in this piece are taken from MLB.com’s great article from 2015, “Oral history of epic Mets-Dodgers 1988 NLCS,” which the site has just republished.
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