It was the first professional sporting event in New York after the attacks, and the Mets were hosting the division-rival Braves in the midst of a pennant race. With the his club trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th, Piazza stepped into the box for his fourth and final at-bat of the night and took Atlanta's Steve Karsay deep to left-center for the go-ahead two-run homer.
New York went on to win, cementing the moment in Mets lore and providing a modicum of normalcy for the 41,235 fans in attendance, including many first responders and their families, and the countless others watching at home.