You’d never know it, but the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers have had a quiet playoff rivalry for over three decades. Though irregular, each matchup manages to bring something special.
It started in 1988, when the powerfully balanced 100-win Mets took on the pitching-dominant Dodgers. Sure enough, it was a battle back and forth until the Mets ran head-first into Orel Hershiser in Game 7. This was something of a shock, especially since LA’s 2.96 staff ERA finished second to the Mets’ 2.91, plus the Dodgers only hit 99 home runs all season.
It’d be almost two decades before the two squared off in October again, this time in the 2006 NLDS.