Amazin' Date 5/2/1969: Mets Drop Series Opener at Wrigley

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #22:  Friday, May 2, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field

Ron Santo Welcomes Mets to the Friendly Confines

The second leg of the Mets road trip brings them to Chicago for their first visit of the season to Wrigley Field.

Try as he might, Tommie Agee's return to the line-up could not lift the Mets to victory in game one on Friday.

Opposing starting pitchers, Gary Gentry for the Mets and Ken Holtzman for the Cubs, cruised through their respective first three innings of work.  In the fourth, Ron Santo continued his assault this season against Mets pitching.  With two outs, the five time all-star third baseman connected off Gentry for his sixth home run of the season.  Ernie Banks followed with a single, and Randy Hundley drew a walk.  Right fielder Al Spangler then delivered both runners with yet another home run surrendered by Gentry.

The Mets struck back for a pair in the fifth on runs batted in from Tommie Agee and Rod Gaspar.

But with Al Jackson pitching the fifth in relief of Gentry, Ron Santo doubled home Don Kessinger for an insurance run of which the Mets would not recover.  Center fielder Don Young's RBI in the sixth off Jackson gave the Cubs a 6-2 lead.  In the seventh, Tommie Agee singled and scored on Rod Gaspar's sac fly making it a 6-3 game.  Leading off the ninth, Tommie Agee took Cubs reliever Phil Regan deep to get the Mets within two.  But that's as close as the Mets would get.

Phil Regan closed out the game to earn his second save of the season.  Ken Holtzman improved his record to 3-1, with a 2.42 ERA.  Gary Gentry is charged with his first loss of the season.  He allowed four earned runs on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in just four innings of work.

Despite a .220 batting average, Ron Santo has 21 RBI through the Cubs first 24 games of the season.

Back in the lineup after a stint on the disabled list, Tommie Agee was 4 for 4 with a walk, double, home run, two RBI, and one run scored.

• Mets Record:  9-13 (.409)
• N.L. East:  5th; 7 GB