This day in NY sports history: Oct. 2, 1978

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Monday, Oct. 4, 1999

Leiter pitches Mets to playoffs

In a one-game playoff to determine the NL wild-card winner, Mets lefty Al Leiter threw a complete-game two-hitter to lead the Mets over the Reds in front of 54,621 fans at Cincinnati's Cinergy Field. Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run, first-inning home run off starting pitcher Steve Parris gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. Rickey Henderson would blast a solo home run off Denny Neagle in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-0. Leiter's gem, in which he did not allow a runner to reach scoring position until the ninth inning, clinched the Mets' first playoff berth since 1988. They would beat the Diamondbacks in the NLDS before falling to the Braves in six games in the NLCS.