September 29, 2019: Dominic Smith unlikely hero in Mets’ wild season finale against Braves
The New York Mets won the franchise’s fifth pennant in 2015 but lost that year’s fall classic to the Kansas City Royals. A season later, they fell in the National League wild-card game to the San Francisco Giants. After this came consecutive losing seasons. By 2019, the Mets had almost completely overhauled their depth chart. Only a handful of players remained from that special campaign just four years earlier.1
In 2015 the Mets and Washington Nationals were the only National League NL East Division teams with winning records. By 2019, however, the division had become much more competitive. The Philadelphia Phillies started strong, though they faltered to a .500 record. The Atlanta Braves led the way from June and claimed the crown at 97-65. The biggest surprise of all was the Nationals, a runner-up, wild-card team that went on to win the World Series.
Under second-year manager Mickey Callaway, who had replaced Terry Collins after the 2017 campaign, the ’19 Mets were 10 games under .500 at the All-Star break, and spent the second half of the season playing catch-up. Their record of 86-76 was good for third in the division.
Despite their shortcomings, 2019 wasn’t all so bad for the franchise based in Queens. First baseman Pete Alonso emerged as one of the game’s premier sluggers, setting a rookie record with 53 home runs, surpassing his crosstown rival, the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, and his 52 from 2017.2 Jacob DeGrom, a holdover from 2015, won his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award in dominant fashion. Jeff McNeil, a late bloomer like deGrom, shined as an All-Star utility player who could hit.
While the season was ultimately another letdown, it ended on quite the high note. The Mets ended up sweeping the Braves at home in a three-game series, with the finale on September 29 culminating in a walk-off home run in extra innings, courtesy of a fan favorite and unsung hero in Dominic Smith.
Smith was a Mets’ first-round draft pick, taken 11th overall out of California’s Junipero Serra High School in 2013. Three years later, the Mets selected Alonso, a Florida Gator, in the second round, 64th overall. Smith and Alonso never crossed paths in the minors but soon competed for the same job. Smith debuted in the majors in 2017, split 2018 between Triple-A Las Vegas and New York, then became a regular with the Mets the next season. To start 2019, the rookie Alonso was named the Opening Day first baseman.
Smith began that year as a part-time player but became the Mets’ go-to left fielder by June and into July. Then, a stress fracture in his left foot seemed likely to end his season prematurely. At first, he played through the pain, which became too much for him, and as a result landed him on the 60-day injured list at the end of July.3 The last two months of the season for the team were hard-fought; an eight-game win streak in early August was the high point of their resurgence. The Mets maintained their winning record through the month of September.
Alonso tied Judge’s record with a solo shot against Atlanta’s Dallas Keuchel on September 27 and broke it a day later with another solo homer off Mike Foltynewicz. All the drama wouldn’t end that day, however. There was still one more game left to play. The regular-season finale on the 29th began around 3:15 P.M., with Noah Syndergaard facing the Braves’ rookie All-Star Mike Soroka.
Syndergaard, nicknamed Thor, had struggled down the stretch and went into the game with a 10-8 record and a 4.30 ERA, just shy of 200 strikeouts.4 The Braves rested Ronald Acuña Jr. (groin strain) and scratched third baseman Josh Donaldson for Adieny Hechavarría, who had signed with Atlanta on August 16, two days after being released by the Mets.5 New York, without McNeil (wrist fracture), as well as Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz out of the bullpen, wore their blue alternates, while the Braves went with their true road grays.
The Braves struck first. Dansby Swanson doubled to start the game, and Hechavarría knocked a single into center to bring him in. The Mets responded in the bottom half. Alonso, batting second, singled and reached third on Michael Conforto’s line-drive single to right. Robinson Canó tied the game with a sacrifice fly, then J.D. Davis followed with a two-run shot, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.
In the second, Syndergaard retired the Braves in order. Soroka pitched a scoreless inning, aided by Nick Markakis’s great throw from left to nail Todd Frazier at home, which stood after review. In the third, Atlanta’s star first baseman. Freddie Freeman, came out of the game after reaching base and was relieved by rookie Austin Riley. Soroka had a one-two-three inning, and the Braves came back in the next frame. The light-hitting Rafael Ortega silenced the crowd with a game-tying two-run homer.6
Syndergaard regained his composure, tossing two more scoreless innings. Soroka was finished after the fifth on a pitch count of 85, with a line of three runs, seven K’s and two walks. He was replaced by Darren O’Day, who then sent the Mets down in order. Thor came out for the seventh, issued a base on balls, then struck out the next three. His day was done, at three runs, nine strikeouts, and two walks. Luke Jackson and Sean Newcomb kept the Mets’ bats cold in the seventh, as did Paul Sewald to the Braves in the eighth.
Things took a turn when New York’s Joe Panik, a Giants cast-off who was subbed in for Canó at second in the sixth, drove a Shane Greene breaking ball deep into the second deck in right for a go-ahead solo shot with two outs in the bottom half of the eighth.7 The suspense continued into the ninth, with the Mets up 4-3.
Facing Sewald, Hechavarría tied the game with a leadoff line-drive home run, just clearing the left-field wall, that took the life out of Citi Field. Sewald stayed in and retired Adam Duvall. Daniel Zamora, a southpaw, came in and got the next two outs. Mark Melancon, a trade deadline acquisition, had closed out the eighth for Atlanta and was back out there in the ninth. The game went into extra innings after Jed Lowrie lined out to third baseman Hechavarría.
In the top half of the 10th, Tyler Bashlor kept the Braves scoreless, striking out two. The Mets threatened in the bottom half, with Conforto just 90 feet away from victory after singling off Josh Tomlin and advancing on Panik’s second hit of the night. They’d keep going, after Rajai Davis struck out and Amed Rosario popped up to third.8
Walker Lockett, who had surrendered four homers in eight appearances, was out to pitch the 11th. The speedy Billy Hamilton reached on a weak fly ball to right. Dom Smith finally entered the game as a defensive substitution at first, allowing Alonso a well-deserved standing ovation. Smith had worked hard rehabbing for several weeks to get back on the field. Initially, team doctors suspected he would be out for the remainder of the season.9 His moment of glory was soon to come.
Hamilton was caught stealing on a pitchout to Hechavarría and a strong throw from catcher Tomás Nido. But Hechavarría and Duvall then went back-to-back with solo shots to give the Braves a two-run lead. Matt Joyce and Ortega made it five straight hits for Atlanta. Chris Mazza was brought in and induced a 5-4-3 double play to bring the Mets up to bat.
Jerry Blevins, another former Met, took the mound for the Braves in the bottom of the 11th. Luis Guillorme got the rally started with a single on a full count. Nido struck out and Anthony Swarzak came in to pitch for Atlanta. Wilson Ramos, the Mets’ regular backstop, came off the bench and shot one off Swanson’s glove into left to advance the runner. René Rivera struck out swinging. Juan Lagares took Ramos’s place at first. The Mets were down to their last out. Lefty Grant Dayton entered the game. Dom Smith dug in at the plate.
On the second pitch he saw, Smith, in his first at bat in two months, cracked a three-run, game-winning home run to right-center. The final score, 7-6 Mets. Smith slowly rounded the bases as his teammates cleared the dugout and waited for him. Rounding third, he flung his helmet and strolled into home, where his jersey was ripped off in the ensuing mob.
“I couldn’t have dreamed of anything like this,” Smith said. “I can’t even wrap my head around everything right now.”10
“He’s one of those guys, the heart and soul of this team,” J.D. Davis later said.11
The Mets’ 46-26 record after the All-Star break was the best for the NL East, but it wasn’t enough to save Callaway’s job. He was let go after the season and replaced by former Mets great Carlos Beltrán. This reunion wouldn’t last, as Beltrán was passed over once his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal became apparent.12
Smith’s future in New York remained uncertain, with Alonso seemingly entrenched at first base and competition in the outfield a guarantee. His best overall campaign with the Mets came during the pandemic-shortened 2020, in which he batted .316/.377/.616 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs in 50 games. Still, the Mets finished fourth in the division at 26-34 that year under new manager Luis Rojas.
Smith was respectable as their primary left fielder in 2021 but saw reduced playing time the following season after Mark Canha and Starling Marte were brought in. He was eventually demoted to Triple-A Syracuse, though he was later recalled.13 The Mets went on to win 101 games, as did the Braves, who edged them out head-to-head to punch their ticket to the
Division Series. In its first postseason appearance since 2016, New York lost its wild-card series to the San Diego Padres in three games.14 That year, Pete Alonso hit 40 home runs and led the majors with 131 RBIs.
The Mets declined to offer Smith a contract after the 2022 season and he became a free agent.15 Though Alonso’s and Smith’s careers diverged, the spotlight shifted from a rookie phenom to an unsung Mets hero for one unforgettable night in Flushing, Queens, on September 29, 2019.
Author’s Note
A detailed, play-by-play account of this game is included in a chapter of the author’s novel, New York with You.
Acknowledgments
This article was fact-checked by Thomas J. Brown Jr. and copy-edited by Len Levin.
Photo credit: Dominic Smith, Trading Card Database.
Sources
In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org for pertinent information, including the box score and play-by-play. He also reviewed video footage of the game from MLB.com.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN201909290.shtml
https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2019/B09290NYN2019.htm
Notes
1 The only position players to appear in games for the Mets in both 2015 and 2019 were catcher Travis d’Arnaud, infielder Rubén Tejada, and outfielders Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares. Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Jeurys Familia, and Steven Matz pitched for the Mets in both seasons.
2 Anthony DiComo, “Alonso Sets Rookie HR Record with No. 53,” MLB.com, September 29, 2019, https://www.mlb.com/news/pete-alonso-rookie-home-run-record.
3 Anthony DiComo, “Dominic Smith (Foot) Heads to Injured list,” MLB.com, July 27, 2019, https://www.mlb.com/news/dominic-smith-to-injured-list-with-stress-reaction-in-foot.
4 Unfortunately for Syndergaard, his next major-league appearance wouldn’t come for nearly two years. Amid spring training and the early days of the pandemic, he underwent Tommy John surgery, missed all of the shortened season and most of 2021, not returning until a start against the Miami Marlins on September 28.
5 Mike Fitzpatrick (Associated Press), “Braves Limp into Playoffs with 11-Inning Loss to Mets,” September 29, 2019.
6 For Ortega, who came into the game batting .193, it was just the third round-tripper of his career through 143 games.
7 The Mets DFA’d Hechavarría that August to make room for Panik. Sarah Langs, “Mets Make It Official with Panik, DFA Hechavarria,” MLB.com, August 9, 2019, https://www.mlb.com/news/joe-panik-signs-with-mets.
8 It was the final game of Davis’s 14-season major-league career.
9 Anthony DiComo, “First AB in 2 Months? Smith Belts Walk-Off HR,” MLB.com, September 29, 2019, https://www.mlb.com/news/dominic-smith-wins-mets-season-finale-with-homer.
10 DiComo, “First AB in 2 Months? Smith Belts Walk-Off HR,”
11 DiComo, “First AB in 2 Months? Smith Belts Walk-Off HR.”
12 David Waldstein, “Carlos Beltran Out as Mets Manager After Cheating Scandal,” New York Times, January 16, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/sports/baseball/carlos-beltran-mets-resigns.html.
13 Steve Adams, “Mets Recall Dominic Smith,” MLBTradeRumors.com, June 20, 2019, https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/06/mets-recall-dominic-smith.html.
14 The 2022 season was the first year for the wild-card series playoff format.
15 Smith signed with the Nationals for 2023. As of 2025, he had also played for the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants.
Additional Stats
New York Mets 7
Atlanta Braves 6
Citi Field
New York, NY
Box Score + PBP:
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