SAN FRANCISCO — At the start of the bottom of the ninth, the San Francisco Giants trailed by two runs and were six outs from a Game 7 in New York. By the time Jay Bell’s bat met ball, they were celebrating at home plate, capping a three-run comeback that sent them to the League Championship Series.
The Giants stunned the Mets 11–9 at Candlestick Park, taking the series 4–2 in a wild, seesaw Game 6 that had everything—four home runs apiece, lead changes, defensive miscues, and a back-breaking bullpen collapse by New York.
Delino DeShields, the emotional spark and statistical anchor of the Giants all series, was named Division Series MVP after going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored in the finale. He finished the series with a .391 average, .462 OBP, and 9 runs scored.
A Game of Momentum Swings
The Mets came out hot, grabbing a 2–1 lead in the first behind a Gary Sheffield two-run homer. San Francisco answered with two in the second and one more in the third. But the Mets roared back in the sixth, scoring four on a Bret Boone grand slam, chasing Mark Harkey and taking a 7–4 lead.
They added two more in the seventh, building what looked like a comfortable 9–5 cushion.
Then it unraveled.
San Francisco scored one in the seventh. Then Jose Canseco launched a two-run shot in the eighth to make it 9–8. Mets closer Dan Plesac came on in the ninth and didn’t record an out—surrendering back-to-back hits before Jay Bell crushed a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers to walk it off.
Hero and Heartbreak
“It was a heavyweight fight,” DeShields said afterward. “They hit us hard. We just hit last.”
Bell’s homer was his first of the postseason and capped a five-run rally over the final two innings. Canseco added two hits, including the eighth-inning blast, and Steve Finley had two more, including a solo homer in the third—his third of the series.
The Mets offense, to their credit, came to play. Boone finished with 4 RBIs, Sheffield and Phil Nevin each homered, and Felix Castillo pitched into the seventh. But their bullpen gave up six runs in two innings, and it cost them everything.
What’s Next
The Giants advance to the United League Championship Series, where they’ll face the Washington Senators, fresh off their stunning upset of the 110-win Montreal Expos.
For now, though, it’s celebration in San Francisco.
“This team’s got heart,” said Giants manager. “And you saw all of it tonight.”
Box Score Highlights
New York Mets
- Home Runs: Gary Sheffield (2-run), Phil Nevin (solo), Bret Boone (grand slam)
- RBI Leaders: Boone (4), Sheffield (2), Sosa, Nevin, Colbrunn (1 each)
- Pitching Collapse: Dan Plesac (0 IP, 3 ER, blown save, loss)
San Francisco Giants
- Home Runs: Steve Finley, Jose Canseco, Reggie White, Jay Bell (walk-off)
- MVP: Delino DeShields – 3-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R
- Bullpen Hero: Mark Dewey (1.2 IP, 0 ER) earns the win
Player of the Game: Jay Bell – 2-for-3, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, series-clinching HR
Giants win the series 4–2 and move on to face the Senators for a shot at the United League crown.