Amazin' Date 4/25/1969: Fergie Jenkins Shows Mets Who's Number One

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #15: Friday, April 25, 1969 - BR
Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets
Shea Stadium

Cubs Take Bite Out of Seaver; Mets Drop Series Opener to First Place Chicago.

Leo the Lip has entered the building.  The familiar Mr. Durocher and his National League East leading Chicago Cubs arrived in New York last night after dropping their series finale to the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

Making his fourth start of the season, Tom Seaver was tasked with reducing the Cubs four game division lead over the Mets, but was ultimately thwarted by the arm and bat of Chicago's back-to-back twenty game winner Fergie Jenkins in Friday's series opener.

FINAL

Cubs   3

Mets   1

With two outs in the top of the third, Cubs shortstop Don Kessinger, in a very rare display of power, hit his first home run of the season and only the third of his six year career.  Tom Seaver yielded his second home run of the game this time off the bat of third baseman Ron Santo leading off the fourth.  The final blow came with one out in the fifth, when Fergie Jengkins took his turn connecting on yet another home run surrendered by Seaver.

Ron Swoboda broke up the shutout in the sixth with his first home run of the season.  But that's all the Mets would muster.  Fergie would retire his final ten batters en route to a complete game victory.  Jenkins allowed the lone run on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts for his third win of the young season against just one loss.

Seaver pitched through the seventh before being lifted for a pinch hitter.  He exited on the losing side of a 3-0 game after surrendering three home runs, and five total hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts.  Ron Taylor pitched two scoreless innings in relief, surrendering one hit and fanning three.

Tommie Agee remains out of the lineup.  He missed his fifth straight game.  In his place Amos Otis, who still qualifies as a rookie, has two hits, both doubles, in 21 at-bats.

• Mets Record:  6-9 (.400)
• N.L. East:  4th; 5 GB