Remembering the 1973 Mets: Tom Seaver K's 13 Reds In A Losing Effort

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This is another post honoring the 40th Anniversary of the 1973 N.L. Champion New York Mets team.



On Wednesday May 2nd, 1973; the New York Mets hosted the Cincinnati Reds in what was an early preview of that seasons NLCS showdown. As so many other things early on for the New York Mets today did not go well, although Tom Seaver did go to the mound & struck out 13 Reds.
 
In the top of the 4th inning, Seaver already had five strike outs including Pete Rose & Dave Concepcion looking. But in this inning Concepcion doubled to centerfield scoring Tony Perez for the first run.

Seaver returned to strike out the side in the 5th & 6th innings, although he did serve up a HR to the light hitting Concepcion. (Concepcion had eight HRs on the '73 season).


With the exception of that HR, Seaver had managed to strike out eight batters in a row. But in the 7th, he gave up a single to the pitcher Ross Grimsley & then a two run HR to Pete Rose. Seaver would take the loss, even though he had struck out 13 batters through seven innings.

As the Mets would only score one run against Grimsley & reliever Pedro Borbon who came on in the 8th. The lone Mets run was driven in by Teddy Martinez (usually an infielder) who was playing left field on this day.

Seaver finished the night at 2-3 with a 1.71 ERA with 43 strike outs through six starts (47 innings). Of course Seaver was on his way to his second Cy Young that season, leading his Mets to the World Series. 

Grimsley was 4-1 amongst the NL leaders in victories at that point, he would finish at 13-10.

It would be his last year as a Red as he would go onto win 18 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 1974. It would also be early in his career when he had short hair before letting his locks grow to one of the best hair do's of the decade. In 1978 he would be a twenty game winner for the Montreal Expos (20-11).

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