At the end of the year, 2007 was a season to forget. But there were many games that made a Mets fan proud. Here are my seven favorites.

7) A Bad Day for Darrell Rasner: May 19 vs. New York Yankees

In this FOX-broadcast game, Darrell Rasner gave up a single to Jose Reyes before Endy Chavez, batting second, hit him on the hand with a batted ball and knocked him out of the game. His line: L, 0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER. David Wright hit two home runs off Mike Myers, the second of which bounced off of Johnny Damon’s mitt before heading over the wall. The Mets stole five bases and turned three double plays as they went on to win, 10-7. It was the team’s fourth win in a row and it guaranteed a series win against their cross-town rivals. The Mets were 28-14, the Yankees were 18-23, and all was right with the world.

6) Green’s Walk-Off: June 25 vs. St. Louis

Jorge Sosa, he of the 6-3 record and 4.05 ERA, took the mound for the Mets, who took a 1-0 lead on Carlos Gomez’s second career homer in the third. Sosa pitched well, giving up just one run in the sixth inning. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the 11th, when Shawn Green worked the count full before—well, why don’t I let Gary Cohen tell you: “Hit to deep right field, forget it! That ball’s outta here! And the Mets win it! Shawn Green off the scoreboard!” The ball had barely bounced once before the opening screech of The Who’s “Don’t Get Fooled Again” reminded us of what could have been, just before the music faded into the pleasant dorkiness of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Takin’ Care of Business.” Even a bitter man like me, hardened against Green from two months of watching him stumble from his unnatural April heights, could only grin in elation as the classy veteran subtly pumped his fist and jogged around the bases to meet the Jose Reyes-led mob at home plate.

5) Balk-Off Homer: May 29 vs. San Francisco

“Daddy, what’s a balk?”

“That’s a good question, son. As far as I can tell, it’s when Bob Davidson has a problem with you.”

But before all that drama, there was a good pitching match-up between the rookie phenom Tim Lincecum and the always interesting Oliver Perez, each of whom threw seven innings, giving up three runs while striking out eight. Carlos Delgado had a fourth inning two-run homer, while the Giants tallied three solo shots against Perez. The game was tied at three until the 12th, when Joe Smith came in and made everything ugly. A walk, wild pitch, sacrifice bunt, hit batter, RBI groundout and strikeout later, the Mets were going to the bottom half of the inning trailing by one. Somehow, though, all those watching knew it would be okay, because Armando Benitez was coming into pitch. Our old friend threw three wild balls to Reyes, threw two straight strikes, and then walked him. Promptly, he balked. Chavez bunted Reyes to third, and then Beltran grounded out with Reyes holding at third. As confident as I had been, now I was worried, hoping for a little flare, a wild pitch, anything. Reyes danced down the line. Benitez looked in, started to pitch, and then stopped. Tie game. After that, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Delgado would take it deep.

4) The Hill Catch: July 7 @ Houston

What is it with the Mets and long games in Houston? In the bottom of the seventh inning, David Wright smashed a Woody Williams pinball into Minute Maid Park’s left field mushroom bumper bunker to tie the game at three. Not another run scored until the top of the 17th. Much of it thanks to The Hill Catch. With two outs in the bottom of the 14th, the winning run led off third base when Luke Scott smashed a Joe Smith offering into the deepest part of deep center field. Carlos Beltran retreated swiftly, climbed Tal’s Hill and caught the ball over his shoulder, turning to his right and tucking it into his glove as he fell to his left against the hill. Beltran came up in the top of the 17th and delivered the 7/7/7 game winning hit.

#3: Cub Clubbing: May 17 vs. Chicago

While Met regulars rode the pine, good pitching and a pair of two-run home runs in the sixth from Angel Pagan and Aramis Ramirez had the Cubs up 5-1 going into the bottom of the ninth, leaving Ryan Dempster to close it out. David Newhan singled, Ramon Castro lined out, and the Mets began to play a video game, saving and reloading to obtain these results: Carlos Gomez singled, Carlos Beltran walked, and Endy Chavez walked to score Newhan. Ruben Gotay then went the other way on an 0-2 pitch, scoring another run. David Wright, pinch-hitting, singled to center off Scott Eyre, making it 5-4. With the bases still loaded, Carlos Delgado hit a fifteen-hopper past second baseman Ryan Theriot to score two, giving the Mets an unlikely come-from-behind victory.

#2 The Greatest Bunt-Off Ever: April 24 vs. Colorado

Zeroes abounded as Orlando Hernandez “duqued” it out with Aaron Cook over seven innings. Billy Wagner blinked first in the 10th, surrendering two-out doubles and triples to Yorvit Torrealba and Troy Tulowitzki. It had been a frustrating night all through; the Mets had wasted numerous opportunities, as the Rockies’ defense ate them up, and Shawn Green had likely distracted Beltran from a game-saving catch. Green and Valentin were unequal to the task of Brian Fuentes, and pinch-hitter Damion Easley was the last hope for the Mets. Down by one with two outs in the bottom of the tenth, on a 2-2 count, Easley launched the ball into deep left-center field. It was, in the words of Gary Cohen, “like a bolt from the blue. The Mets are rescued from the brink.” From the front of the dugout, an elated Willie Randolph shook his upright fist vigorously in triumph. But the most dramatic act of this play was yet to come. In the bottom of the 12th with a runner on third base, the Rockies intentionally walked Jose Reyes in order to pitch to Endy Chavez. Endy took a strike as Reyes took second and then, surprising everyone, he laid down a perfect drag bunt past the pitcher, between first and second base. Ryan Speier dove, trying to shovel the ball over to first base, but it was too late; Endy was already flashing across the bag, arms raised airplane-style. The legend grows.

#1 So Close: September 29 vs. Florida

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was almost amazin’. The Mets were losing to the likes of Matt Chico, Joel Pineiro and Byung-Hyun Kim, dropping five in a row to fall one game behind Philadelphia with just two to play. This was a must-win for the Mets, and they delivered. The offense scored 13 runs, including two home runs from Lastings Milledge. There was a near brawl, possibly instigated by a taunting Jose Reyes. Meanwhile, John Maine struck out fourteen and took a no-hitter to the last out of the 8th inning, when Paul Hoover unleashed the humblest and meekest of weak-swinging bunts to break up the bid. The best game of the year, or the worst? The Phillies lost, and the Mets moved into a tie for first place with one game left to play.