Amazin' Date 6/1/1969: Mets Walk Away With Sweep Over Giants

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #45: Sunday, June 1, 1969- BR
San Francisco Giants @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

The Mets complete a weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants; Extend winning streak to a season best four games.

Each of Sunday afternoon's starting pitchers found themselves taking unexpectedly early showers.  Jim McAndrew for the Mets was lifted after just 1.2 innings pitched, while Giants starter Bobby Bolin tossed 4.2 innings before likewise yielding to the pen.

The Giants scored single runs in each of the first two innings.  A rare error by Bud Harrelson led to an unearned run in the first, while a wild pitch unleashed by Don Cardwell pitching in relief of McAndrew in the second helped the Giants gain a 2-0 advantage.  The Mets struck right back.  With one out in the bottom half of the second both Ron Swoboda and Ed Charles singled putting runners on the corners.  Next up, Jerry Grote drove them both home with a triple into the right/center gap.  However, Willie McCovey put the Giants ahead again in the fifth with his 16th home run of the season.  Undaunted, the Mets chased Bolin from the mound in the bottom half of the frame with two runs on four hits and two walks.  But in their very next at-bat, San Francisco knotted the game again at four apiece courtesy of a two-out RBI hit from third baseman Jim Davenport.

Facing Giants reliever Joe Gibbon, Bud Harrelson led-off the bottom of the ninth drawing a four pitch walk.  After Tommy Agee successfully bunted Harrelson over to second, Wayne Garrett grounded third to first advancing Harrelson to third.  Gibbon then issued Cleon Jones an intentional walk, then perhaps pitch around Amos Otis and walked him as well.  With the bases loaded, Ron Swoboda stepped in against Joe Gibbon whom issued yet another walk thus forcing home Buddy Harrelson with the game winning run.

Jim McAndrew allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks in 1.2 innings of work.  Forced into long relief duty Don Cardwell yielded two earned runs on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.  Ron Taylor earned the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

The Mets exceeded 125,000 in attendance over the three game series against the Giants.  They'll next host that other California team from Los Angeles.

• Mets Record:  22-23 (.400)
• N.L. East:  3rd; 9 GB