And now… taking in the win for the ages in Atlanta, it’s my duty to announce that we have a new No. 1 for the Greatest Mets Regular Season Win. This list originally appeared in the 2012 book Best Mets. There is no new version of the book and there was no reason to update this list until now, so I also included another game you might recognize from the year the book came out. So here is the update. You can tell the new ones because the others have been trimmed for your protection. Mets fans can sometimes jump the gun, so I am reiterating this is for regular season games only…
1. September 30, 2024
Mets 8, Braves 7
A hurricane, two rainouts, and a three-game losing streak resulted in the Mets and Braves having the same record after 160 games on the Monday after the season ended. Both teams desperately wanted to win that first game and play the second game knowing they’ve locked up a Wild Card spot. Given the Mets’ history of late-season torture in Atlanta, every Mets fan had something lodged in their brain that read: “The Braves will sweep and we’ll be left with nothing.” The Mets did nothing to quell this fear for the first seven innings of the first game as they trailed, 3-0. But Tyrone Taylor climaxed an 11-pitch at bat with a double to chase rookie Mets killer Spencer Schwellenbach. Jose Iglesias tied the game, Mark Vientos gave the Mets the lead, and Brandon Nimmo homered to make it 6-3. The Braves scored four runs in the botttom of the inning and were two outs from winning when Francisco Lindor—who’d missed much of the past two weeks with back issues—launched a home run to give the Mets the lead. Edwin Diaz, rocked an inning earlier, made like Jesse Orosco in October 1986 and pushed the Mets over the finish line. The Mets lost the second game. Who cares? Well, the Diamondbacks for one, who were left home despite having the same record as the Mets and Braves.
2. October 3, 1999
Mets 2, Pirates 1
Before 2024, can you name one other time the Mets actually won on the final day of the year when they needed to. (Give up? 1973, a year represented later on this list.) All seemed lost just two days before, but the Mets made up two games the final weekend and booked a one-day, one-way trip trip to Cincinnati.
3. October 4, 1999
Mets 5, Reds 0
Game 163 is considered a regular season game, and the Mets have had few bigger. Edgardo Alfonzo snaring a liner on Leiter’s 135th pitch ended the game and put the Mets in the postseason for the first time since 1988.
4. September 21, 2001
Mets 3, Braves 2
This game belongs in its own category, but it would be improper to omit the most emotional game in Mets history. In the first outdoor sporting event in New York following the September 11 tragedy, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Mike Piazza hit the game-winning home run in what truly was more than a game.
5. September 20, 1973
Mets 4, Pirates 3
The Mets ended August in last place and began October celebrating the division title. Winning on the last day got them in, Willie Mays Night made ‘em cry, but ’73 wouldn’t have happened without “The Ball on the Wall” play.
6. July 9, 1969
Mets 4, Cubs 0
Of Tom Seaver’s 25 wins in ’69, none was as dominating as his “Imperfect Game.” This game was better than the no-hitters eventually got… 40-plus years later.
7. September 15, 1969
Mets 4, Cardinals 3
The night belonged to Ron Swoboda, whose two homers ruined Steve Carlton’s night at Busch Stadium. Lefty became the first pitcher in history with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game—and the first to fan 19 and lose. The victory also increased the Miracle Mets’ lead to 4 ½ games.
8. September 24, 1969
Mets 6, Cardinals 0
Rarely has wanton destruction of public property felt so right. After striking out 19 Mets his last time facing them, Steve Carlton didn’t make it out of the first inning. Gary Gentry went the distance and the Mets clinched the first NL East title in history.
9. April 22, 1970
Mets 2, Padres 1
Tom Seaver tied Steve Carlton’s record of 19 strikeouts the hard way—by setting a new mark with 10 consecutive strikeouts—to end the game, no less. Seaver had been given his 1969 Cy Young earlier in the day—it would not be his last.
10. June 1, 2012
Mets 8, Cardinals 0
The No-han occurred weeks after Best Mets was published, so this is also new to the list. Never mind that replay challenge system (not instituted until 2014) would have overturned the ball hit down the line by ex-Met Carlos Beltran, this goes does as a no-hitter because the foul call stood. Johan Santana stayed on the mound for 134 pitches and finished the job against the defending world champions. He finally tossed the first no-hitter in Mets history despite many other pitchers—both great and obscure—who came close but could not climb Mount No No. Props to Long Island’s Mike Baxter, who threw his shoulder—and his career—into the left field wall to keep the no-hitter intact. Santana, who had missed all of 2011 with shoulder surgery, never pitched again in the majors due to injury after 2012.