Remembering Mets History (1971) Mets Have Back-to-Back Walk Off Wins
Things looked good as they won eight of ten games, but a horrible July saw them lose 16 of 19 never able to catch the eventual world champion Pirates.
Saturday June 19th, 1971: Today Tom Seaver took the mound against Rick Wise. Seaver would win his second Cy Young Award that season, leading the league in ERA (1.76) & strike outs (289) winning twenty games (20-10). Rick Wise would win 17 games in his final season in Philadelphia getting traded to the Cardinals for Steve Carlton.
In the bottom of the 5th, Jerry Grote led off with a walk, Tim Foli then grounded into a force play at second. After Wise retired the next two batters, Bud Harrelson doubled into the left center field gap scoring Foli with the Mets first run.
In the top of the 6th, the Phils started out with two lead off singles. Rick Wise grounded into a double play but then Denny Doyle singled & Larry Bowa followed with an RBI single giving Philadelphia a 4-1 lead.
Seaver pitched into the 6th inning, allowing a season high four runs & season high 12 hits. The Mets bullpen came on with Tug McGraw pitching five scoreless innings & Danny Frisella pitching four more innings.
In the top of the 14th, Ken Boswell's error put leadoff man Larry Bowa on first. Danny Frisella retired the next two batters then walked Oscar Gamble intentionally.
The Phils went thru four pitchers, with Billy Wilson on for the bottom of the 14th. With one out, rookie Ken Singleton hit his fourth HR of the season tying the game back up again.
In the top of the 15th, with two outs Larry Bowa & Tim McCarver singled but Frisella struck out Willie Montanez to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 15, Bill Wilson retired the first two Mets, then Donn Clendenon hit a walk off HR to right field giving the Mets the exciting 6-5 win. It was Clendenon's third walk off hit in his Mets career.
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In the first game of this matinee twin bill at Shea, Nolan Ryan faced off against the Phils' Barry Lersch. Ryan came into the game with a 1.78 ERA & 67 strike outs in 70.2 innings, although he had issued 45 walks.
In the top of the 1st inning; Denny Doyle hit a leadoff single then Nolan walked Larry Bowa & Tim McCarver to load the bases. But Ryan then struck out Willie Montanez, Oscar Gamble & Ron Stone to get out of the inning.
Trivia: Willie Montanez aka "the Hot Dog" hit 30 HRs & drove in 99 runs coming in second to the Braves Earl Wilson in the Rookie of the Year voting.
Nolan Ryan Trivia: Ryans control issue was something that drove Gil Hodges crazy. Ryan would issue 116 walks that season in 152 innings. He would go to lead the league in walks eight times in the next 12 years.
In the bottom of the 9th, Phillies reliever Darrell Brandon came on to pitch. The Mets got three straight base hits from Tim Foli, Dave Marshall & Bud Harrelson, loading the bases for Don Hahn. Hahn hit the Mets fourth consecutive base hit scoring Foli bringing the Mets to within a run.
In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets Bud Harrelson led off with a double to left field. Young Mike Jorgensen who had grown up in Queens, then hit a two run HR making it 2-0. It was his third HR of the year.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Jorgensen led off with a base hit to left field, for his second hit of the game. Art Shamsky then connected for his 4th HR of the year, a two-run shot giving the Mets a 4-0 lead.
Nolan Ryan retired eight batters in a row, then walked Ron Stone & Deron Johnson reaching five walks by the 4th inning. John Vukovich popped up to second to end the 4th inning.
In the top of the 6th, Tim McCarver led off with a base hit, then Oscar Gamble & Willie Montanez hit back-to-back HRs putting the Phillies in front 4-3.
Nolan Ryan retired the next two hitters then gave up a single to John Vukovich & walked former Mets player Bobby Pfeil. Denny Doyle followed with an RBI base hit scoring Vukovich to tie the game.
Ryan then issued his seventh walk of the game, giving a free pass to Larry Bowa.
Tim McCarver then came through with a two-run single, his third hit of the game, putting the Phillies ahead 6-4.
When the inning finally ended, 12 Phillies had come to bat, scoring six runs on six hits with three walks. Nolan Ryan left with two outs in the inning, as he gave up six runs struck out seven & walked seven in the game. Ron Taylor came in & kept the Phillies scoreless for 2.1 innings.
In the top of the 9th, Tug McGraw came on to pitch. Oscar Gamble led with a base hit. But Ron Stone hit into a double play & Deron Johnson grounded out to Bud Harrelson to end the inning.
Pinch hitter, Duffy Dyer then came up & delivered a single into left field. Dave Marshall scored the tying run then Bud Harrelson scored the winning run giving the Father's Day crowd a 7-6 come from behind walk off win.
