But the Mets had different ideas, and again it started with their leader Carter, who stroked a two-out single to left. Mitchell was quickly dragged out of the clubhouse and into the game to bat for pitcher Rick Aguilera, and he promptly responded with a hit. Then Ray Knight, down to his final strike, lofted a jam shot just past second base to score Carter from second.
“The Mets refuse to go down quietly,” said Ford C. Frick Award winner Vin Scully on the NBC broadcast, “and here comes John McNamara to the mound.”
The Shea Stadium crowd, deflated after Henderson’s homer in the top of the frame, was alive and on its feet once again. McNamara replaced Schiraldi with reliever Bob Stanley, but the bleeding could not be stopped. Stanley tossed a wild pitch to the backstop, plating Mitchell to tie the game at five.
“And it’s going to go to the backstop,” said Scully, his voice rising, “here comes Mitchell to score the tying run! And Ray Knight is at second base!”
Then, on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, Mookie Wilson tapped a grounder toward first base to set one of baseball’s most famous plays in motion.