The Mets and Dodgers, a postseason history: 1988 NLCS

The Mets, making their eighth postseason appearance, have played in 14 postseason series since their first appearance back in 1969, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will become the first team they've played three times, breaking a tie with the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.

The first Mets-Dodgers October clash came in the 1988 National League Championship Series. The Eastern Division champion Mets, who had won 100 games for the second time in three years, led the league in runs, home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, while their pitching staff led the league in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.

While the Mets had the best team, the Dodgers had, in the minds of voters, the two best players: Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson, who won the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards, respectively.

With all the star power in the series,  the defining moment of the series came from Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia, who had just three home runs in 408 regular season at-bats but launched a game-tying ninth-inning homer in Game 4 at Shea Stadium, which the Dodgers won in 12 innings to even the series at two games apiece.

Hershiser wound up winning series MVP honors, posting a 1.09 ERA in four appearances, which included a five-hit shutout in Game 7 and a save in that series-swinging Game 4.

Might this year's Division Series battle provide us another Mike Scioscia-esque moment, and who will provide it? Will any of the star pitchers on either team channel Hershiser's magical series? And should pine tar be on the minds of the series's umpires?