Amazin' Date 5/4/1969: Mets Sweep Twin Bill at the Friendly Confines

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

There is No Joy in Cubville - the Gamely Mets Win Out

Game #24: Sunday, May 4, 1969 - BR

New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Wrigley Field - TWIN BILL

GAME ONE: We join the action with two outs in the home second.  Facing Mets starter Tom Seaver, Cubs catcher Randy Hundley singles then scores on Al Spangler's triple to straightaway center.  Ed Kranepool, who continues wielding a hot bat entering May, answers back in the fourth inning with a home run off Cubs starter Bill Hands.

Tom Seaver helps his own cause an inning later drawing a one out walk off his counterpart, then scoring on consecutive hits from Rod Gaspar and Ken Boswell.  Ron Swoboda follows with a sac fly to left plating Gaspar from third for a 3-1 Mets lead.  Chicago manages one run in the bottom half of the frame, but Seaver would yield no more.

The Mets ace goes the distance, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.  He improves his record to 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA through seven starts.  Unlike his victorious April 26 complete game performance at Shea Stadium, Bill Hands is off to the showers after five innings, but not before surrendering three earned runs on six hits en route to his third loss of the season.  When in the batters box, both Seaver and Hands even took turns hitting one another with a pitch.

A stir crazy Manager Hodges is relieved after his team bats 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Ed Kranepool goes 2 for 4 with his third home run of the season.  He is now batting .324, with 16 RBI.

Game #25: Sunday, May 4, 1969 - BR

New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Wrigley Field - TWIN BILL

GAME TWO: Manager Hodges tasks Tug McGraw with making his first start of the season on the back end of Sunday's twin bill.  The 24-year old southpaw and returning service veteran does not disappoint.  Making just his sixth appearance of the season, McGraw gives his manager nine complete innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.  He improves his record to a perfect 3-0 on the season.

Each team strikes opening blows straightaway in the first.  The Mets jumped out to 2-0 lead off Chicago starter Dick Selma with an RBI double off the bat of Rod Gaspar, and a follow up run scoring single courtesy Cleon Jones.  The Cubs claw back with two runs on three hits.

From the second through the sixth McGraw would face the minimum, allowing just a hit and a walk, and benefiting from two double-plays in the field behind him.

Dick Selma's undoing came in the seventh.  After issuing a one out walk to Ron Swoboda and a two out single to Al Weiss, Selma unleashes a wild pitch allowing Swoboda to score all the way from second.  And therein lies the Mets final margin of victory thus completing a twin bill sweep of the Cubs.

... a game the Cubs quite literally threw away to the great dismay of the more than 40,000-plus fans in attendance at sun bathed Wrigley Field.  Alas there is no joy in Cubville today.

• METS RECORD:  11-14
• N.L. EAST:  4th; 6 GB