ATLANTA — Chipper Jones had seen something like it before, almost a dozen years earlier. On that occasion he was streaming out of the dugout to join a wild celebration. This time he was in the trainer’s room getting a shot to relieve a strained muscle in his leg.
But when a game between the Mets and the Braves at Turner Field is decided in extra innings with a Braves player jogging home as teammates race out of the dugout to mob him, it evokes memories of one the most famous moments in this rivalry.
It was the 11th inning of Game 6 of the 1999 National League Championship Series here when the Mets’ Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones on a bases-loaded, 3-2 pitch and Gerald Williams trotted home with the pennant-winning run.
This time, it was Diory Hernandez trotting home from third base in the 10th inning after D. J. Carrasco balked, giving the Braves a 9-8 victory.
The difference between October and June is obvious, but the scene was striking.(braves, yankees, phillies, cubs, brewers )
“Yeah, I could see that,” Jones said. “A walk and a balk. The difference is that one ended a season.”
Twelve years ago, Jones batted third in that playoff game, just as he did on Thursday, and even at 39 he is dangerous. He swatted a three-run homer — his 47th against the Mets — and matched his career high with five runs batted in before he was removed with a strained adductor muscle in his upper right leg.
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