Remembering Mets History: (2003) Steve Trachsel Tosses A One Hitter & Jose Reyes Hits 1st Career HR

Sunday June 15th, 2003: Art Howe's New York Mets were in fifth place (31-36) five games under .500.

The Mets were hoping to rebound after a disastrous 2002 where Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn & Jeromy Burnitz all failed as high-priced free agents.  In 2003 they brought in Tom Glavine & Cliff Floyd but still finished fifth.

Tonight, they visited the beautiful "Big A" now known as Edison Field in Anaheim, California.

A big crowd of 43,721 came to see the Mets play against Mike Scioscia's reigning World Champion Anaheim Angels (34-32). The Mets sent Steve Trachsel (4-4) to the mound against the Halos, Jarrod Washburn (6-6).

First the offense: In the 2nd inning, Cliff Floyd struck out to start the inning. Next Jason Phillips walked. Jeromy Burnitz went down on strikes for the second out. Then Vance Wilson singled & Tsuyoshi Shinjo walked, loading up the bases.

 

Next the Mets highly touted rookie Jose Reyes, playing in just his sixth career game, came to bat. Reyes had made his debut five days earlier on June 10th in Texas. Up to that pint he was 3-20 with an RBI. Here, Reyes blasted a grand slam HR. His first career HR was certainly a memorable one.

In the 4th, Jeromy Burnitz hit a solo HR to make it 5-0 Mets. Burnitz hit another HR in the 6th, a two-run shot giving New York a 7-0 lead. as 

Now the Pitching: But this night belonged to the quirky Mets starter, Steve Trachsel. 

Trachsel spent six years with the Mets, winning 15 or more games twice. He also threw two one hitters; his end came in the 2006 post season when he took himself out of Game #3 of the NLCS after being hit on the leg. His team felt he gave up & he became an outcast; he was gone the next year.

In the 1st inning, Trachsel walked two but got Garret Anderson to ground into a double play. He retired the next 14 batters in a row & was quietly rolling along with a no hitter into the 6th.

In the bottom of the 6th, he got Bengie Molina & Adam Kennedy to both ground out. But then the pesky, David Eckstein lined a base hit to short right field, breaking up the no hit bid. 

Quotes- Steve Trachsel: "The pitch was supposed to be in the dirt, and I didn't get it down. But it was a good piece of hitting. This team doesn't strike out, so I was really concentrating on trying to get them to hit my pitches."

An outfield error by Roger Cedeno had Eckstein advance all the way to third base. But Trachsel
got the next batter, Jeff DaVanon to pop out to first base, ending the inning. 

Trachsel would not allow another hit the rest of the way, although he walked his fourth batter on the night. He pitched the complete game shutout, registering the 20th one hitter in Mets history. Trachsel would strike out just one batter along the way. 

Trachsel who was known as "the Human Rain Delay" pitched one of his quickest games, wrapping it up in two hours & thirty-eight minutes. He tossed 119 pitches & it was the first complete game for New York that season.

Quotes: Steve Trachsel- "The biggest difference today was that the ball was down in the zone, and I pretty much had an idea where it was going."

Trachsel led the Mets staff in wins that season (16) fifth most in the NL. He posted the staff's best ERA at 3.78 & tossed the most innings (204).