Todd Zeile
For some reason, the Mets were not given a travel day before flying almost across the country to play a day game in Coors Field. Anytime a team has to do that, they are at a disadvantage. That is all the more the case as the fatigued players have to deal with the thin air. That thin air is also a great disadvantage for pitchers.
Much like he has most of this season, Mike Hampton struggled in his start in Coors Field. While we can over-focus on that, fact is this is an environment ill-suited for Hampton and really any pitcher who toes the rubber.
With Hampton, it was once again the walks which got him into trouble. In the Rockies six run third, Hampton ignited a powder keg by walking Brian Hunter and Mike Lansing ahead of the heart of the Rockies order, and beginning with a Larry Walker two RBI triple, the Rockies would make him pay.
That Walker triple was the first of five straight Rockies hits. Four of those hits would go for extra bases including a Todd Helton RBI triple. Later in the fifth, Hampton’s last inning, the Mets defense did him no favors with Edgardo Alfonzo making a rare error leading to an unearned run.
That Alfonzo error turned out to be much worse than your typical error leading to an unearned run. On the play, Alfonzo was trying to nail Helton at the plate. His low throw led to Piazza putting down an awkward tag, losing the ball, and having to leave the game with an injured wrist.
Getting back to Hampton, this is Coors Field, but once again, there is question whether he is the ace the Mets thought they were getting. His final line in this game was 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. That’s not exactly awe inspiring, and notably, Pedro Astacio wasn’t having the same issues. To be fair, Astacio has called Coors home for two years now, and he wasn’t exactly great either.
The key difference is Astacio found his way out of jams. In the first, he got Todd Zeile to ground out to get out of a bases loaded jam. In the fifth, the Mets had the bases loaded with no outs, and Astacio was able to limit the damage by getting Jay Payton to hit into a double play. As a result, he exited the fifth with a 7-2 lead.
The Mets got a rally going again in the seventh. Robin Ventura and Zeile hit back-t0-back RBI singles, and Payton hit an RBI double. Astacio would then be relieved by Stan Belinda, and he would receive an ovation for allowing JUST five runs over 6.2 innings. Again, this is Coors Field.
That Mets rally was just too little too late. At that point, the game was out of reach, even by Coors Field standards, as Eric Cammack provided little relief allowing four runs in the sixth. After Rich Rodriguez allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth, the Mets would lose the game 12-5.
In the grand scheme of things, the Mets losing this game isn’t that big of a deal. The bigger issue and potential loss is Piazza. Fortunately, x-rays were negative. However, wrist injuries tend to linger, and no one really knows when Piazza can get back to being Piazza. If Piazza isn’t Piazza, there’s not telling what will happen to this Mets team who just started playing like contenders again.
Game Notes: Masato Yoshii, who the Mets traded to the Rockies in the offseason, is slated to pitch against his former team tomorrow. Notably, that trade not only gave the Mets both Bobby Jones and Bobby Jones, but it also meant Yoshii did not get to return to his native Japan as a Major League player.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
When it comes to the storied past of the Mets turning the corner from losers to World Series contenders, Cleon Jones is as an important figure as nearly any other Mets player on that team. Really, Jones was in the middle of everything which happened on those teams.
For a while, it didn’t seem like that was going to be the case. Even with his finished fourth in the 1966 Rookie of the Year vote, he had not done much to distinguish himself. Then, in 1967, the Mets got a manager in Gil Hodges who believed in him, and at the end of the year, the Mets obtained his close childhood friend Tommie Agee. With them in the fold, Jones would turn the corner in a big way in 1968
In that 1968 season, Jones, now a left fielder, had the type of breakout year you desperately want to see from 25 year old players. He set career highs in nearly every offensive category. Mostly, he made the transition from promising young player to reliable everyday player. He would then have one of the great seasons in Mets history in 1969.
In 1969, Jones would post a 7.0 WAR. At that time, it was easily the Mets single-season record. It was a record which stood for 27 years. Fifty-one years has passed since that season, and with players like David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Gary Carter, that mark has dropped from one to seven. Even if numerically it ranks seventh, Jones’ 1969 season still remains the greatest single-season a Mets position player has ever had.
During that year, Jones would make the All-Star team, becoming the Mets first left fielder to accomplish the feat. He would hit .340/.422/.482 with 25 2B, four 3B, 12 homers, 75 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, and he led the team in nearly every offensive category. He would then power the Mets in the NLCS. In that three game sweep against the Braves, he ranked second on the team, trailing just his friend Agee, in OPS.
While Jones had a great NLCS, he will forever be remembered for the World Series. It may not be as remembered now, but Jones really struggled in that series against the Orioles great pitching. It wasn’t until Game 5 that he really had an impact. In the famous shoe polish play, Jones was the batter hit by the pitch, and he was the one who began arguing he should go to first.
Jones being awarded first would allow him to score on the Donn Clendenon homer pulling the Mets to within 3-2. They’d tie the score later, and it was Jones with a lead-off double in the sixth which began the series winning rally. In fact, it’s a footnote lost in Mets history, but Jones is the first Mets player to score a World Series winning run. Even if he’s not recognized as such, we all know it was him who caught the final out:
In Mets history, we talk about Art Shamsky and Endy Chavez, but if you really think about it, that might really be the greatest catch in Mets history. Yes, it was a routine fly ball off the bat of Davey Johnson, but it was the catch which secured the final out of what remains the greatest upset in World Series history.
Jones remained a good and productive player for the Mets for a few years, but he would never again be able to repeat his 1969 success. That is even with him having a very good 1971 season where he had a 4.8 WAR. In that year, he set a career high with six triples. However, it would not be until the 1973 season we would see his next truly impactful play in Mets history. It was called the “Ball on the Wall” play.
On September 20, 1973, the Mets were attempting their improbable run to a division title, and they trailed the first place Pittsburgh Pirates by 1.5 games in the standings. Entering this five game series, the Mets had trailed the Pirates by 2.5 games. Even after dropping the first game, they could claim first place by sweeping the remaining games.
The Mets took the next two games, and they rallied to force extra innings in this game. In the top of the 13th, Pirates rookie Dave Augustine hit what looked like a go-ahead two run homer. However, much like Todd Zeile‘s ball in the 2000 World Series, it hit the top of the wall and came back into play.
Jones tracked the play perfectly, and he made a perfect relay throw to Wayne Garrett, who got it there in plenty of time to get Richie Zisk out at the plate. It was about as well executed a relay as you will ever see, and the Mets would win the game on a walk-off single by Ron Hodges. Much like other times in Mets history, Jones’ other contribution was overlooked with his hitting an RBI single which first got the Mets on the board.
The Mets finished off the Pirates in that game and that series. They took first place, and they never looked back. Of note, Jones hit six homers over the course of that final month of the season which saw the Mets go from 5.5 games back to their second ever division title. Again, Jones was good in the NLCS hitting .300/.364/.400 in the Mets five game upset of the Big Red Machine.
Jones saved his best for last. In the winner-take-all Game 5, he was 3-for-5 with a run, double, and two RBI. One interesting fact is after scoring the winning run of the 1969 World Series, Jones would drive in the winning run of the 1973 NLCS meaning he was involved in the winning runs in consecutive series.
Jones was very good in the World Series. In fact, he was second to just Rusty Staub in team OPS. Unfortunately, despite his efforts as well as those from his teammates, the Mets would lose that series in seven games.
Jones had a good 1974 season before things got so bad it was past the point of reconciliation. There was an incident during his rehab from knee surgery, and despite charges being dropped, M. Donald Grant levied the largest ever fine in Mets history against him. Things deteriorated, and after a 1975 altercation with Yogi Berra, he was released.
That wasn’t his first altercation with a manager as he was infamously lifted from a game in 1969 by Hodges, but things only improved from there. For some reason or another, probably Jones’ knee or Grant being Grant, that was it.
When Jones left, he was definitively the best left fielder in Mets history, a title he still holds to this day. He won a World Series and another pennant with the team, and he played a vital role in both. He is prominent in the Mets record books including his having the fourth most hits, 10th most doubles, and fourth most triples. He is in the Mets Hall of Fame, and he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 21.
Previous
1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
Look, it was one thing to get shut down by Denny Neagle. He’s a very good pitcher who has a few Cy Young caliber seasons under his belt. It is a whole other thing to get shut down by Steve Parris. While Parris is coming off a decent year, he was coming off a start where the Dodgers battered him for five runs over two innings, and he had an 8.47 ERA entering the game.
Before delving into all that went wrong, there should be focus on what went right – Glendon Rusch.
Rusch entered Spring Training having to win a job in the rotation, and even if he was not the sentimental favorite among fans, Rusch did win that spot. He has backed up that Spring Training performance by having a terrific start to the season.
This start against the Reds marked his third straight start where he pitched at least 7.0 innings while allowing two runs or less. One of the big keys is using a quick tempo and not beating himself. So far, over his 22.2 innings this year, he has walked just two batters.
Really, the one thing which is plaguing him right now is the long ball. That issue arose again when Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a solo homer off of him to give the Reds an early 1-0 lead. Fortunately for Rusch, he’d shut down the Reds from there on out, and he would take the no decision. He more than deserved a win (again), but at least he didn’t take the loss.
The reason Rusch didn’t take the loss was because Robin Ventura hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth. The problem for Ventura and the Mets was this was the only run they would score on the day. Really, they have no one to blame but themselves for that as they wasted opportunity after opportunity.
In the first, Ventura hit into an inning ending double play with runners on first and second. Todd Pratt would hit into a double play to end the second ending any chances of a rally getting going. In the third, Edgardo Alfonzo flew out with runners on first and second.
The Mets next chance to score came in the eighth. Derek Bell drew a two out walk, and he advanced to second on a passed ball. After Alfonzo walked, there was yet another situation with runners on first and second. This time, Ventura struck out swinging to end the inning.
As bad as those earlier missed chances were, the ninth would be a bit of a horror show for the Mets.
Todd Zeile would lead-off the inning with a single. This led to Bobby Valentine pegging Rickey Henderson, the all-time stolen base leader as a pinch runner. Henderson, clearly miffed at the throwing over and uncalled balks, took off for second on a 3-2 pitch to Matt Franco.
Not only would Franco swing and miss at what should’ve been ball four, but Henderson, who didn’t get a good break and wasn’t exactly hustling, was thrown out by a VERY wide margin by Benito Santiago. Henderson didn’t even bother getting into a rundown or anything. He just took the tag and walked off the field.
And yet, after that, the Mets still had a chance in the ninth. Pratt drew a walk, and he would be standing on third after a Rey Ordonez double. This led to some very curious decision making by Valentine. With Mike Piazza on the bench, the best hitter on the team, he stuck with Melvin Mora, who drew a walk to load the bases, and then Jon Nunnally, who flew out to end the inning and send the game into extras.
Nothing really happened in extras until the 12th inning when Armando Benitez entered the game and lost the strike zone. Sandwiched between a Boone sacrifice bunt were two walks (one intentional, one not). The Reds then took the lead on a Travis Dawkins RBI single.
In the 12th, the Mets yet again had a chance to win. After Mora grounded out against Scott Sullivan, Nunally drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. That put him in scoring position with less than two outs. After a Derek Bell walk, the Mets once again had first and second, and once again, they did nothing with it.
Alfonzo and Ventura both popped out in the infield to end the game. This put a sour note on an otherwise terrific homestand where they went from puzzling to getting to be the team we expected them to be this year. Overall, whenever you get an 8-2 home stand, you take it no matter how disappointing the home stand ends.
Game Notes: In Mets related news, Darryl Strawberry left rehab earlier than expected without any public explanation available. The Mets are now embarking on a long 13 game road trip taking them to Colorado, San Francisco, Florida, and Pittsburgh.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
Well, the Mets nine game winning streak had to end at some point, and really, when you looked at this game, especially the pitching match-up, aside from the Mets being red-hot, you couldn’t really come up with a reason why the Mets SHOULD win this game.
While the Reds were sending Denny Neagle, a Cy Young caliber pitcher, to the mound, the Mets sent their sixth, seventh, or even eighth starter, Dennis Springer to the mound. While Springer gave the Mets a chance to win in his first start, he looked more like the pitcher who had a 5.17 ERA entering this season.
The Reds barrage against him started immediately scoring runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Two batters into the game, it was 2-0 Reds on a Dmitri Young homer. Young struck again in the second with an RBI double. Instead of Young, it was Aaron Boone with an RBI double in the third.
With the way the Mets offense has been humming, a 4-0 deficit in the third would not be expected to be insurmountable. It was today as Neagle was dealing. The Mets would have just two hits against Neagle over his seven innings pitched. The first was a double by Kurt Abbott in the second, and the other was a Mike Piazza double in the sixth.
The Mets were not able to push either run home, and really, they took advantage of none of their opportunities. While Neagle was difficult to hit, he still have the Mets some chances by walking four runners. In fact, while he did pitch seven scoreless, the Mets had base runners in four of the seven innings with a runner in scoring position in three of those innings.
At the end of the day, you have to just tip your cap to Neagle for pitching a great game. With respect to the Mets, you just acknowledge the Reds were a better team today, especially with Young and Ed Taubensee putting on a hitting clinic, each hitting a double and homer and combining to drive in eight of the 12 Reds runs.
While he wasn’t particularly good, Rich Rodriguez deserves some credit for wearing one in this game. The LOOGY threw three innings saving the bullpen. To be honest, the game was all but over when he entered in the seventh inning and the Mets trailing 5-0 and Neagle dominating.
He also wasn’t helped by Todd Zeile making a throwing error to allow Hal Morris to reach and open the flood gates for a four run seventh. It also didn’t help he was on fumes when the Reds put across three more runs in the ninth.
Ultimately, the Mets wore won, and the Reds seemed to get all of their frustration with the 1999 season and the beginning part of this season on the Mets. Realistically speaking, this Mets team was going to have to lose eventually, so you just shake this one off, and you look to the Mets beginning another impressive winning streak.
Game Notes: The Mets were not shut out as Derek Bell hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth after Jon Nunnally hit a lead-off triple. At that time, it made the score 9-1. This appears like it will be Springer’s last start as Bobby Jones has begun his rehab assignment, and Rick Reed‘s palm is making progress.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
The Mets have been winning lately on the strength of their offense by battering opposing teams. During this seven game winning streak, they have been averaging eight runs per game, and they have put up 10+ runs in three separate games. Today, we found out they could win with their pitching and defense.
This was supposed to be Rick Reed‘s start, but he was held out after he took a ball off the palm of his non-pitching hand. In his place was Pat Mahomes, who for the second time this season has stepped up with a very good start. Much like his last emergency start against the Dodgers, he went into the sixth. The difference is in this 5.2 inning start, he allowed no runs.
Unfortunately for Mahomes, he was once again not rewarded with a win. This time, it was because the Mets offense which had recently exploded couldn’t get out of their own way.
In the first, the Mets loaded the bases against Darren Dreifort, but they wouldn’t push a run across as Mike Piazza hit into an inning ending double play. In the third, Piazza came up with runners on second and third with two out, but he would fly out to end the inning. Obviously, this is just presented as a representation of what happened. With how great Piazza has been this month, there is absolutely no need to finger point in his direction.
The problems were deeper than Piazza. There were some base running gaffes too. After Todd Zeile hit a one out double in the fourth, he made the mistake of trying to go to third on a grounder to short. The former Met Kevin Elster made the heads up play getting Zeile out at third effectively killing that rally.
For a moment, it seemed like the inability to come through in the clutch would hinder a well pitched game by first Mahomes. Dennis Cook may have gotten out of the sixth, but he immediately got into trouble issuing a lead-off walk to Eric Karros.
After a Todd Hundley single, Turk Wendell came into the game, and he masterfully navigated his way out of the jam. First, Adrian Beltre laid down a sacrifice moving the runners up to second and third. Wendell then struck out Elster to put the Mets one out away from getting out of it. After walking the pinch hitting Dave Hansen, he got Devon White to keep the game scoreless.
After that, neither the Mets nor the Dodgers threatened in the eighth. Wendell had pitched a clean eighth, and Armando Benitez pitched a scoreless ninth to give the Mets a chance to get the walk-off win.
Things got started really well for the Mets when Robin Ventura hit a lead-off double against Terry Adams. With that being the winning run, Bobby Valentine pinch ran Melvin Mora to get the much faster runner out there. For a second, that appeared to be a disastrous move.
After Jon Nunnally walked, Jay Payton again hit a groundball to short. Like he had done earlier when he picked off Zeile, Elster threw over to Beltre. Maybe it was the speed of Mora, or maybe it was an umpiring crew who wanted to get home, but Mora was ruled safe loading the bases.
Davey Johnson was irate, and he got tossed from the game. For his part, Beltre was unsure as to whether he had his foot on the bag on the force play, but he was positive he got the tag down. The umpires felt differently.
Elster would not be denied going home on a Rey Ordonez grounder. That brought up Matt Franco. He hit a comebacker which had the potential to turn into an inning ending 1-2-3 double play. Instead, the ball tipped off of Adams’ glove giving the Mets a walk-off 1-0 victory.
The Mets were far from perfect in this game. Unlike the other games against lesser competition, they were stymied time and again, and the Dodgers made them pay for their mistakes. Still, the combination of the Mets terrific bullpen, and a team with near unmatched resolve pulled this game out to continue their winning streak to eight straight games.
Game Notes: This was a makeup game of the April 6th game which was snowed out. Benitez was credited for the win, his first of the season.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
When Mike Piazza is hot at the plate, the Mets are the best team in baseball. Really, with the way he has been hitting over the past week, he has been ignited this Mets team once mired in controversy and under-performance, and they are now going out there and flat out beating teams.
The Mets got out to a quick 3-0 lead in this one with Edgardo Alfonzo and Piazza going back-to-back against Cubs starter Kevin Tapani. At that point, the Mets appeared well on their way to sweeping the Cubs.
There was a slight hiccup as Mike Hampton would give up the lead, and once again, it was the walks which hurt him. The Cubs first run of the game came from Shane Andrews, who walked ahead of a Joe Girardi second inning RBI double. The following inning there wasn’t a walk, but a two run homer from Sammy Sosa.
At that point, Hampton wasn’t pitching great, and it was reminiscent of those earlier games when he wasn’t giving the Mets much of an opportunity to win. Instead of making this a back-and-forth game, Hampton would settle in, and he would retire eight of the next nine batters he faced. That allowed the Mets to put this game away.
The Mets offense exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning. The rally started with a Robin Ventura lead-off double. It was the first four extra base hits that inning. After a Rey Ordonez double scoring Ventura, Hampton would deliver an RBI single helping his own cause. Later that inning, Derek Bell had the big hit with a three run homer.
This was another example of how great Bell has been early this season with the Mets. In addition to the stellar defense in right with a number of game saving catches, he has been hitting the ball extremely well. After this game, he is hitting .390/.440/.584 on the season. On any other team, this would make hi9m the top hitter, but then again, he is on a team with Piazza.
That seven run fourth culminated with Ruben Quevedo relieving Tapani, and Ventura reaching on an error allowing Piazza to score an unearned run. The Mets would not be done there as they once again went to work against the Cubs pitching in the fifth.
Again, Bell had a big hit with an RBI single, and later that inning Piazza hit a bases loaded two RBI double. It was the second straight inning Piazza doubled, and it was the third straight inning Piazza had an extra base hit. At that point, Bobby Valentine began pulling his starters with his having Todd Pratt pinch run for Piazza. Pratt would score along with Alfonzo on a Todd Zeile RBI single.
At that point, it was 15-2 Mets, and the game was effectively over. The Mets ran out their B or C lineup with Ventura, Alfonzo, Ordonez, and Bell coming out of the game. The Mets probably needed to play this game a bit tighter, but at 15-2, this game was more about getting out of the game without suffering any injuries.
Hampton allowed a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, his final inning of the game. His allowing five runs wasn’t great, nor were his four walks, but you can’t take much issue with three earned over seven innings. You also can’t take issue with an RBI hit or the win.
You can also focus on Rich Rodriguez‘s struggles, but he was a LOOGY being pushed two innings to save the bullpen a bit. In the end, this was a 15-8 victory, and this was the Mets sweeping the Cubs to push their winning streak to seven. They have now won nine of their last 10 and swept consecutive series against an NL Central opponent.
Game Notes: With Rick Reed getting hit on the hand, it appears Pat Mahomes will start in his place with Dennis Springer taking Mahomes’ spot as the long reliever. Jay Payton returned to the lineup after having kidney stones removed.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
If Don Baylor was angry with Bobby Valentine and the Mets for protesting the Cubs Opening Day victory due to Baylor’s lineup snafu, he may be downright livid right now with the Mets sweeping the doubleheader after Friday night’s game was rained out.
In the opener, Glendon Rusch had another terrific outing to start the season. He followed his complete game loss against the Pirates with a seven inning effort picking up the win after allowing just two earned on four hits. One thing which is really standing out with Rusch right now is he not only working fast, but he is also not beating himself by being stingy with his walks.
When the Cubs finally got to him in the seventh with a pair of homers by Mark Grace and Shane Andrews, the Mets already had a 3-2 lead. With the Mets holding onto Mike Piazza to catch the knuckleballer in the second end of the doubleheader, the Mets utilized more of a small ball approach.
In the first inning, Robin Ventura knocked in the first run of the game with an RBI groundout. The Mets expanded the lead with a groundout by Todd Pratt and an RBI single from Matt Franco.
The Mets would then blow the game open in the eighth. After Pratt drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a ground out (not ruled a sacrifice) by Franco, Melvin Mora was intentionally walked. Rey Ordonez responded with an RBI single. After Piazza entered the game as a pinch hitter and was walked, Benny Agbayani and Derek Bell hit back-to-back doubles giving the Mets an 8-2 lead in a game they would eventually win 8-3.
In the second half of the doubleheader, for the first time in team history, they would start a knuckleball pitcher with Dennis Springer taking the mound. Springer would acquit himself well taking the no decision after allowing three runs over 5.1 innings.
Springer was staked with an early lead when Agbayani hit a bases loaded two RBI single to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead. The rally ended there was Todd Zeile committed the mortal sin of making the last out at third after getting caught by Henry Rodriguez in his attempt to go from first to third.
The Cubs first got to Springer in the fifth with a Jeff Huson RBI single. They would then chase Springer in the fifth. After allowing back-to-back doubles to Rodriguez and Jeff Reed, the Cubs took the lead 3-2. After a Roosevelt Brown single, Valentine got Springer.
Dennis Cook made an immediate impact by picking Brown off first. After the intentional walk to Andrews, Cook retired Kyle Farnsworth to get the Mets out of the jam. If Baylor could make that decision again, he would probably pinch hit for Farnsworth.
The Mets would have a big bottom of the sixth starting with a Robin Ventura lead-off homer. The Mets would then load the bases for Ordonez who delivered another big hit with a two RBI single. The big inning continued with a Melvin Mora sacrifice fly. Piazza then reached on a Andrews error, who stayed in the game for defensive purposes, allowing Ordonez to score. This gave the Mets a 7-3 lead.
Rodriguez would do all he could do to try to bring the Cubs back. In the top of the seventh, he hit an RBI double off of Cook to pull the Cubs within 7-4. In the ninth, with Armando Benitez on for the save, he hit a two run homer to pull the Cubs within 7-6.
Benitez rebounded to strike out Tarrik Brock to end the game. With that strikeout, the Mets swept the doubleheader, and the team has now won six straight games.
In the doubleheader, the Mets had a number of players come up big. Derek Bell was 6-for-8 with two doubles. Agbayani was 3-for-4 with a double. The most surprising was Ordonez who was 3-for-7 with a double and three RBI. Ultimately, when the Mets are getting that type of production at the plate from Ordonez, they are unbeatable.
Game 1 Notes: Franco’s single in the sixth broke an 0-for-12 stretch to start the season.
Game 2 Notes: Piazza had previously caught Springer in the minor leagues, which was one of the reasons why he caught him in the second game.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
If Bobby Valentine wasn’t happy with the Mets acquiring Derek Bell in the offseason, watching him play, especially defense, Valentine surely must be reassessing his original opinion. Once again, it was Bell who was a key contributor for the Mets.
Heading into the seventh, the Mets were trailing 4-1 to the Brewers with the Mets lone run coming when Mike Piazza cleared the picnic area to lead-off the second inning. That homer had tied the score at 1-1. They would soon fall behind the Brewers.
For the first time this year, Al Leiter wasn’t sharp. In fact, he’d walk three and allow two homers. The first was a two run shot by James Mouton in the third. Charlie Hayes would hit a solo shot in the sixth giving the Brewers a 4-1 lead. For a while, that seemed like it would end the Mets winning streak.
Brewers starter Steve Woodard was sharp with the Piazza homer being one of just three hits he allowed over six innings. In fact, after that Piazza homer, Woodard retired the next 15 Mets who would face him. Then, Bell would coe to the plate to lead-off the seventh, and he would launch a homer to pull the Mets to within 4-2.
That homer seemed to ignite the Mets. Edgardo Alfonzo singled, and then Piazza walked. That chased Woodard from the game. The LOOGY Valerio De Los Santos did his job getting Robin Ventura to hit into a fielder’s choice with Piazza being forced out at second.
The Brewers then went to David Weathers to face Todd Zeile. Zeile greeted Weathers with an opposite field RBI single. On the play, Ventura tried to go first to third, and Jeromy Burnitz unleashed a throw which went into the stands allowing Ventura to score on the play to tie the game a 4-4.
That’s when the Mets bullpen, who had been home run happy to start the season, stepped up pitching four scoreless innings. The first two came from Pat Mahomes, who got some help from Bell making a sliding catch deep in the right field corner to rob Marquis Grissom of a hit. Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell walked a tightrope in their scoreless innings.
Cook beaned Burnitz, who stole second with two outs, but he would be stranded there. Wendell hit Ronnie Belliard to start off the 10th, and after a passed ball by Todd Pratt, who came into the game after the Mets pinch ran for Piazza in the ninth, Belliard was in scoring position with one out. Wendell settled in, and he kept Belliard there putting him in line for the win.
After missing an opportunity to score in the ninth and with one out in the 10th, Melvin Mora homered off the first pitch he saw from Curtis Leskanic to win the game. It was the Mets first walk-off win of 2000, and that homer completed the Mets first sweep of the season. Suddenly, this is a team getting key hits and are now two games over .500.
Game Notes: Darryl Hamilton will not be coming off the DL tomorrow meaning Benny Agbayani will stay with the ballclub. At the moment, no one has any idea when, or maybe if, Hamilton can play again this year. Rey Ordonez returned to the lineup. He was 0-for-4 at the plate.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
Don’t let the pitching line deceive you. This is exactly what the Mets thought they were getting with Mike Hampton. For this first time since putting on a Mets uniform, Hampton pitched like an ace, and he came away with his first win as a member of the Mets.
The Mets gave him some early breathing room in this game with a four run first. That inning featured an RBI double from Edgardo Alfonzo, RBI singles from Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile, and a sacrifice fly from Jay Payton. The Mets bats clearly came alive in Pittsburgh, and it appears they came along with the ride back home.
The Brewers did get two back in the second on a Raul Casanova RBI single, but Hampton would shut down the Brewers over the next five innings. Hampton was doing it all facing the minimum over those five innings as well as going 2-for-2 at the plate with a run and two walks.
The players around him was matching his pitching effort with an offensive onslaught. Alonzo had another RBI double, and Robin Ventura hit another grand salm. Jon Nunnally, who has been terrific in place of Rickey Henderson/Darryl Hamilton, had a sacrifice fly. Entering the top of the eighth, the Mets had a 10-2 lead.
At that point, Hampton’s pitch count was at a manageable 89, and he would get two quick outs to start the inning. Things started to turn against him with Marquis Grissom getting a single after a six pitch at-bat. Hampton at that point labored loading the bases, and he couldn’t quite get that last out.
After a bases loaded walk to Charlie Hayes and a two RBI single from Jose Hernandez, Bobby Valentine got his ace from the game. Rich Rodriguez got the Mets out of that jam. He’d get into some trouble in the ninth necessitating Armando Benitez come into the game to bail him out and record the save.
Overall, it was a 10-7 win for a Mets team now starting to get hot. The team who has struggled and played sloppy baseball has now won four of their last five, and they are back at .500. If they continue to hit like this and get starting pitching like this, they should get well past this mark in the very near future.
Game Notes: Rey Ordonez and Henderson were held out of this game due to injury concerns stemming from plays in Pittsburgh. Ventura is the active grand slam leader with 14.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.
The bad news is this game encapsulated everything which has gone wrong for the Mets early on this season. The good news is despite everything which had gone wrong, the Mets were somehow able to pull out a victory.
With Mike Piazza back in the lineup, the Mets offense shut down by Jimmy Anderson came alive against Kris Benson. Before the Pirates could even come to the plate, the Mets had a 3-0 lead courtesy of Robin Ventura‘s three run homer. What is startling for Ventura is the 1999 Gold Glove winner has more errors (3) than homers (1) so far this season. More on that later.
The Mets 3-0 lead was extremely short lived as Bobby Jones didn’t even record an out in the game. Two batters into the game, he had a strained calf, and he had to come out of the game. This was the third straight start he couldn’t even pitch past four innings. As if his performance wasn’t enough of an issue, his now being injured could force the issue.
Jones wasn’t the only one dealing with an injury issue. Rickey Henderson was lifted for Jon Nunnally after getting hit by a pitch while leading off the game.
Pat Mahomes came into the game, and he didn’t appear quite ready to go. He was greeted by Brian Giles hitting an RBI double, and he’d be hit hard allowing four first inning runs (including the two he inherited) putting the Mets behind 4-3.
After that first inning, Mahomes would settle in a bit, and the Mets offesne would grab him a lead. First, it was a Nunnally two run homer in the second, and then it was a Todd Zeile two RBI double in the third. The Zeile double chased Benson from the game.
The Mets had a 6-4 lead, and that’s when the sloppiness started. With two outs in the third, Rey Ordonez would boot a ground ball leading to two unearned runs. The first came off a Jason Kendall RBI single, and the second was off Giles’ second double of the game. With that the Mets 6-4 lead became a 7-6 deficit.
Fortunately, the Mets offense was still humming. They came right back and retook the lead. Once again, it was Nunnally. He hit a one out single, and he stole second. He then scored on a Derek Bell RBI single. After an Edgardo Alfonzo double, and Ventura RBI single, the Mets were back on top 9-7. They would not fall behind again.
One of the reasons was while the Mets were playing sloppy defense, Bell continued his terrific early defense. With John Vander Wal on second with two outs, Aramis Ramirez hit a ball to deep right which seemed destined for extra bases. Bell would leap and rob Ramirez of a hit preserving the Mets two run lead and sending the game into the fifth.
The Mets would then build on their lead. After loading the bases with three straight singles to start the sixth, Ventura would hit a sacrifice fly. Later on in the inning, Jay Payton hit a bases clearing double expanding the Mets lead to 11-7.
The Pirates would again pull closer after Giles and Wil Cordero hit a pair of solo shots off of Turk Wendell in the sixth. Still, the Mets would maintain their lead, and that lead would grow to 12-7 when Ventura hit an RBI double in the eighth.
Overall, the Mets were extremely sloppy in this game, including Zeile getting mixed up on who should cover first along with three errors. Still, they were hitting, and when they hit, this team can win any game. Bell, Piazza, and Ventura each had three hit games, and Ventura drove in half of the team’s runs with six RBI.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, and for the first time this season, the Mets have won a series. It wasn’t pretty, and it came against a bad team, but it is a start.
Game Notes: This was Ventura’s first two error game since 1998. Ordonez now has four errors, which matches his total for all of last year.
Editor’s Note: With there being no games to begin the season, this site will follow the 2000 season and post recaps as if those games happened in real time. If nothing else, it is better to remember this pennant winning season and revisit some of the overlooked games than it is to dwell on the complete lack of baseball.