Amazin' Date 9/28/1969: Mets Spin Third Straight Shutout Against Phillies

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #160: Sunday, September 28, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies
Connie Mack Stadium

Mets pitchers complete a trifecta of sorts registering their third straight shutout over the Philadelphia Phillies en route to a series sweep at Connie Mack Stadium.

Making the start in center field Jim Gosger drives in a run with a double and starter Gary Gentry drives in a another as part of a two run second inning.  Gentry, Nolan Ryan, and Ron Taylor, take care of the rest.  Rookie Gary Gentry finishes the regular season with a winning 13-12 record and 3.45 ERA.  He allows the Phillies just three hits and no walks with five strikeouts through five innings pitched.  Ryan allows just one hit and fans three through three innings in relief of Gentry.  Ron Taylor closes out the game with a scoreless ninth for his 13th save of the season.

In an effort to get his left fielder more at-bats, manager Hodges bats Cleon Jones lead-off to no avail as Jones goes 0 for 3 at the plate.  In fact, Phillies starter Jerry Johnson and reliever Lowell Palmer limit the Mets to just three hits all game.  Wayne Garrett accounts for two.  Otherwise with just two games left, Jones (.340) remains in close contention with Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente for this season's batting title.

The Mets return home for Monday's annual Mayor's Trophy game versus the New York Yankees, the proceeds of which are dedicated to New York City sandlot baseball.  After which the Mets close out the regular season with two games against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

With Sunday's victory over the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves clinch the N.L. West title.  The first ever National League championship series commences on Saturday, October 4, at Atlanta Stadium.

Amazin' Date 8/6/1969: Johnny Bench Home Run Sinks Mets

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS
50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #106: Wednesday, August 6, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Cincinnati Reds
Crosley Field

The Mets jump out to an early lead but fail to protect it.  Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones kick start a first inning rally with a pair of hits.  With two outs Ed Charles drives home Agee and Ron Swoboda drives in Jones.  Cincinnati gets one back in the bottom half of the frame.  Pete Rose leads-off with a triple and scores on Alex Johnson's sac-fly.  In the third Pete Rose doubles home Chico Ruiz knotting the game at two.  Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Johnny Bench connects on his 14th home run of the season putting the Reds ahead for good.  Cincinnati starter Jim Merritt goes the distance yielding two runs on ten hits and no walks with six strikeouts for his eleventh victory of the season.  Jim McAndrew allows three earned runs on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts through eight innings pitched.  He falls to 3-4 on the season with a 4.85 ERA.  The Mets lose the series to the Reds three games to one and now find themselves nine games out of first place.

• Mets Record: 59-47 (.556)
• N.L. East: 2nd; 9 GB

Amazin' Date 8/4/1969: Mets Whitewashed at Crosley Field

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #103: Monday, August 4, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Cincinnati Reds
Crosley Field

On July 25, Jerry Koosman and Cincinnati's Jim Maloney duel for seven scoreless innings in a game Ron Taylor and the Mets ultimately win at Shea Stadium.  In Monday's rematch at Crosley Field, the Reds manufacture a one run lead in the third courtesy of an Alex Johnson sac-fly to right scoring Pete Rose from third. Jim Maloney takes care of the rest, almost.  He comes one out short of a complete game whitewashing of the Mets.  With two outs in the top of the ninth he walks Cleon Jones.  Manager Dave Bristol wastes no time in bringing in reliever Wayne Granger whom retires Wayne Garrett on a grounder to second base.  Maloney improves to 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA.  Granger earns his 15th save of the season.  Hard luck loser Jerry Koosman yields just one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts through seven innings pitched.  He falls to 8-7 on the season but still boasts a 2.04 ERA.  Tommie Agee and Wayne Garrett account for the Mets only two hits.  They fall to 5-7 over their last twelve games.  While Monday's road trip opening loss drops them 7.5 games behind the first place Cubs, their largest deficit since Independence Day.

• Mets Record: 58-45
• N.L. East: 2nd; 7.5 GB

Amazin' Date 7/27/1969: Misplays Abound in Mets Loss to Reds

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #96: Sunday, July 27, 1969- BR
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

The Cincinnati Reds build a five run lead from which the Mets do not recover.  Cincy jumps all over Mets starter Don Cardwell with haste.  Pete Rose leads off the game with a double to left and eventually scores when Bobby Tolan grounds into a fielder's choice.  With one out and Tolin the runner at first, Tony Perez connects on his 25th home run of the season for a 3-0 Reds lead.  But the Mets true undoing occurs in the fourth.  Two errors by shortstop Al Weis and another by first baseman Donn Clendenon pave the way towards a pair of unearned runs and a five run deficit.  Don Cardwell is done after 3.1 innings having yielded five runs, three earned, on seven hits.  The Mets finally get on the board with two runs in the sixth on a single from Cleon Jones and a sac-fly from Clendenon.  The teams trade runs in the eighth.  Cincy reliever Wayne Granger finalizes the Reds 6-3 victory with his 13th save of the season.

The game marks the sixth time this season attendance exceeds 50,000 at Shea Stadium.  Sunday's announced crowd of 55,391 is their second largest crowd of the season.

• Mets Record: 55-41 (.573)
• N.L. East: 2nd; 5 GB

Amazin' Date 7/25/1969: Mets Take Koosman Off the Hook Against Reds

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #94: Friday, July 25, 1969 - BR

Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets

Shea Stadium

For seven innings Reds starter Jim Maloney and Jerry Koosman duel in game two at Shea Stadium.  Maloney allows just one earned run on five hits and four walks with one strikeout before exiting on the winning side of Friday night's affair.  Koosman on the other hand yields three earned runs on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts through seven, but with a little help from his friends escapes with a no decision.  A two run home run by J.C. Martin and an RBI from Wayne Garrett in the eighth put the Met ahead en route to a 4-3 final.  Ron Taylor gives up just one hit in two innings for the win, improving his record to 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA.  Art Shamsky goes 1 for 2 with a walk, double, and a run batted in.  Pete Rose goes 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Tony Perez clubs his 28th home run and drives in his 72nd run of the season.  The Mets even the series with Cincy and gain a full game on the Cubs whom lost to the Dodgers earlier this afternoon at Wrigley.

• Mets Record: 54-40
• N.L. East: 2nd; 5 GB