This Home Sports Entertainment (HSE) production of the 1986 Game of the Week between the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants was the game that clinched the National League West Division title for the Astros….as Astros ace pitcher Mike Scott to the mound against Giants P Juan Berenguer….as Scott threw a no-hitter to end an incredible season for the Astros ace….which featured legendary Astros broadcaster Gene Elston and sidekick, Bill Worrell…as Elston was the voice of the Astros from their minor league days in 1961 to the end of the 2015 season.
Scott enjoyed his most successful season in 1986….when he posted an 18-10 record with a 2.22 ERA….while striking out a league-leading 306 batters.In addition, on September 25 of that season….”Great” Scott threw a 2-0 no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants at the Astrodome to clinch the National League West division title for the Astros….as seen partially in this video herewith. This game was voted one of the top five games played in the Astrodome after the Astros moved to Enron Field following the 1999 season. Scott led a strong starting rotation consisting of pitchers Bob Knepper, Nolan Ryan, and Jim Deshaies.
Scott’s outstanding form continued into the postseason….when Houston faced the NL Eastern Division champion New York Mets in the 1986 National League Championship Series. The Astros lost the series, 4 games to 2, but those two Astros’ victories were courtesy of Scott’s overwhelming starting pitching performances in Games 1 and 4. So dominating was Scott against the Mets’ batting order in those two games that Game 6 was considered something of a “must win” for the Mets’ pennant hopes….as a Game 6 loss to the Astros would have meant that New York would again face an apparently unbeatable Mike Scott in a deciding Game 7 in the Astrodome. The Mets did win that Game 6 in sixteen innings….averting another Scott start to win the league pennant.
In recognition of his regular season performance….Scott was awarded the 1986 National League Cy Young Award as the league’s best pitcher. Additionally, Scott was voted the NL 1986 NLCS MVP….which was the first time in NLCS history that a member of the losing team was so honored….as a year later, the San Francisco Giants’ Jeffrey Leonard would become the second consecutive NLCS MVP of the losing team.
Simply put, this HSE game of the week was Mike Scott’s crown jewel in the best season of his career….a NO NO to clinch the NL West Division.
