RetroSimba

Gary Carter’s most dramatic game against the Cardinals was his first with the Mets. On April 9, 1985, Carter hit a 10th-inning walkoff home run against Neil Allen, lifting the Mets to a 6-5 victory on Opening Day at New York. Boxscore

The Hall of Fame catcher played well against the Cardinals in a big-league career from 1974-92. Carter produced 30 home runs, 127 RBI and a .423 slugging percentage versus the Cardinals.

His two most outstanding games against the Cardinals were at St. Louis while he was with the Expos.

On Sept. 26, 1977, Carter went 3-for-4 with five RBI, scored twice, walked and stole a base in the Expos’ 9-5 victory. It marked the first time Carter, 23, had driven in five runs in a big-league game.

The big blow was Carter’s two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning off starter Eric Rasmussen, snapping a 2-2 tie. In the ninth, after St. Louis had rallied to tie the score 5-5, Carter hit a two-run single to left off Al Hrabosky and scored on a sacrifice fly, keying a four-run Expos uprising. Boxscore

Three years later, May 31, 1980, Carter delivered another five-RBI performance at St. Louis. He was 4-for-4 with two home runs (including an inside-the-park homer) with three runs scored, but the Cardinals won, 8-6.

Batting in the cleanup spot for the first time that season, Carter blooped a ball into left-center field against Bob Forsch in the sixth. As left fielder Dane Iorg and center fielder Tony Scott chased after it, “Iorg threw a cross block on Scott that would have done any football linebacker proud,” the Montreal Gazette reported. “Scott went down in a heap and stayed there. Iorg recovered, but it was shortstop Garry Templeton who eventually tracked the ball down on the warning track as Carter circled the bases.”

It was the second and last inside-the-park home run of Carter’s big-league career.

“We were both looking at the ball,” Iorg said. “I certainly didn’t see Tony and I’m sure he didn’t see me.”

A two-run homer off Pete Vuckovich in the seventh capped Carter’s outstanding evening. Boxscore

Previously: Cardinals were victims of historic homers by Gil Hodges