Remembering Mets History (2000) World Series Game #3- Mets Win First Game of Subway Series In Shea Stadium

 Tuesday October 24th, 2000- World Series Game #3- Shea Stadium, NY: 

Tonight's game was the first World Series game back at Shea Stadium since Game #7 of the 1986 World Series when the Mets won their last Championship. centerfieldmaz was in attendance that night as well as on this night. On this night darthmaz, Donna & WFUV DJ Darren Devivo sat in the last seats of the left field upper deck having a blast ranking on the AL NY team fans.

A New York crowd of 55,299 came to Shea Stadium for Game #3 of the Subway Series. 

Bobby Valentine's Mets (94-68) had won the 2000 NL Wild Card spot, then beat the San Francisco
Giants in the NLDS in five games. 

They then defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS in five games, clinching at Shea Stadium a week earlier.

This World Series was the first New York Subway World Series since 1956, when the Brooklyn
Dodgers took on the AL New York team.

The Mets had dropped the first two games of the series, losing a Game #1 classic, 12-inning nail bitter 4-3. 

Game #1: In the top of the 5th inning of that game Timo Perez singled to start the inning. With two outs he watched a Todd Zeile blast to left field he thought was a HR, the ball didn't go over the fence & Perez was thrown out at home plate trying to score.

The Mets did take the lead in the 7th inning, with RBI hits from pinch hitter Bubba Trammell & Edgardo Alfonzo. But Armando Benitez couldn't close out the game, blowing another important save. Turk Wendell took the loss in the 12th inning.

Game #2: In another heartbreaking one run loss (6-5) the Mets were down 6-0 in the 9th inning, then put up five runs falling one run short of a comeback.  That game featured another round of the Mike Piazza- Roger Clemens feud. 

Piazza vs Clemens: In the top of the 2nd inning, Mike Piazza fouled off a pitch & his bat split in two with the barrel flying in the direction of Clemens. In a fit of rage, Clemens threw the broken bat back in Piazza's direction. Piazza walked toward the mound, the umpire Charlie Relaford intervened, although the benches cleared no punches were thrown & no ejections made.

On this night the media hype was at its peak for Game #3 with the Mets down two games to none. Joe Torre sent Orlando Hernandez to the mound with his eight-game post season win streak. Bobby Valentine sent Rick Reed (11-5 / 4.11 ERA / 121 Ks). Reed had taken the Mets only loss in the NLCS losing Game #3 at Shea to the Cardinals giving up five runs in 3.1 innings of work.

In the top of the 1st, Rick Reed struck out Derek Jeter & Bernie Williams.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets were retired in order. In the top of the 2nd, Rick Reed struck out Tino Martinez & Jorge Posada. After a ground rule double, he struck out Scott Brosius to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Robin Ventura put the Mets on the board first leading off the inning with a HR to right center field, almost hitting the famous HR Apple. 

Robin Ventura Trivia: It was just one of three hits Ventura had in the World Series as he batted
just .150 (3-20). Overall, in the 2000 post season Ventura hit three HRs & drove in eight runs but hit just .169.

After the Ventura HR, Orlando Hernandez struck out Todd Zeile, Benny Agbayani & Jay Payton to end the 2nd inning.

In the top of the 3rd, Derek Jeter singled on a liner to leftfield. David Justice followed with a double bringing in Jeter to tie the game. 

In the top of the 4th a leadoff single from Tino Martinez followed by Paul O'Neil's triple gave the A.L. New York team a 2-1 lead. 

Rick Reed then hit Scott Brosius putting two men on with two out. Reed then struck out Jose Vizcaino to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 4th, Robin Ventura collected his second hit with a double but was left stranded on second. In the bottom of the 5th, Mike Bordick singled to center & was sacrificed to second by Rick Reed. Timo Perez drew a walk, but Edgardo Alfonzo struck out to end the threat,

Rick Reed retired six batters in a row going through six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out eight walking one. The eight strike outs were a post season high for Reed.

In the home 6th, Mike Piazza led off with a ground rule double due to fan interference in left field. Next, Robin Ventura got aboard for the third time with a walk. 

Todd Zeile then followed with a double to left field bringing in Mike Piazza to tie the game up at 2-2, much to the delight of the Shea Stadium Mets fans. 

Todd Zeile Trivia: In the World Series Todd Zeile led the Mets batting .400 (tied with Bubba Trammell) collecting the most hits going 8-20.

 Of Zeile's eight hits this was his only extra base hit & only RBI. In the 2000 post season, Zeile hit six doubles & drove in nine runs. In his post season career, Zeile batted .292 with 4 HRs & 14 RBIs in 29 games.

Benny Agbayani then drew a walk but with the bases loaded the Mets failed to score, as Jay Payton & Mike Bordick both went down on strikes.

In the top of the 7th, Turk Wendell came on in relief for the Mets & struck out the first two batter. He then walked Derek Jeter & was relieved by Dennis Cook. 

Dennis Cook hit David Justice with a pitch, the first batter he faced putting two men on. Cook then struck out Bernie Williams to end the threat. The Mets fans went wild at Shea.

Dennis Cook Trivia: In the 2000 post season, Cook did not allow a run in six appearances, in three full innings. In his two post seasons with New York, he made ten appearances pitching six scoreless innings with six strike outs.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Mets were retired in order by Orlando Hernandez.

In the top of the 8th, Dennis Cook started the inning, but he walked Tino Martinez & was relieved by John Franco making his second post season appearance. 

Franco got Jorge Posada to ground into a double play, Robin Ventura to Edgardo Alfonzo to Todd Zeile. After a base hit to Paul O'Neil, Franco retired pinch hitter Glen Allen Hill on a fly ball to Timo Perez in right field to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 8th, after Robin Ventura struck out, Todd Zeile collected his second hit of the game as he singled to center field. 

Benny Agbayani doubled to left field scoring Zeile putting the Mets ahead 3-2 as Shea Stadium went berserk. 

Benny Trivia: In the 2000 post season Agbayani hit safely in 12 straight games, he would bat .320 collecting 16 hits with five doubles a HR & seven RBIs. He drew ten walks & posted an overall .433 on base %.

Joe McEwing was brought in to run for Agbayani as he exited to a huge ovation. Jay Payton followed with an infield hit on a weak grounder to second base, advancing McEwing to third base as well. 

Manager Joe Torre removed Orlando Hernandez & brought in reliever Mike Stanton. On the night Hernandez gave up four runs on nine hits, walked three & struck out 12.

El Duque Trivia: Tonight, he would be the losing pitcher of record, as the Mets ended his streak of eight straight career post season wins dating back to 1998. 

Mets manager Bobby Valentine brought in his hot hitting pinch hitter Bubba Trammell. Trammell delivered with a sac fly to centerfield scoring Joe McEwing with the Mets fourth run. 

Bubba Trammell Trivia: Trammell led the Mets hitters along with Todd Zeile batting .400 in the World Series. Trammell only had five at bats going 2-5 driving in three runs in the Subway Series. 

Next, Kurt Abbott came on to pinch hit & struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Kurt Abbott stayed in the game to play short stop. Joe McEwing also stayed in the game to play left field. 

Armando Benitez came on to pitch, giving up a leadoff single to Chuck Knoblauch. Benitez then got Luis Polonia to fly out to center field & struck out Derek Jeter looking at a third strike.

Next was a strange play involving defensive interference which put Knoblauch on second base. 

Armando Benitez got David Justice to pop up to second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo to close out the game with the Mets first & only victory of the Series.

John Franco Trivia: John Franco was credited with the win pitching a scoreless 8th inning. In four World Series appearances, he pitcher 2.1 scoreless innings allowing three hits with a strike out. Overall, in the 2000 post season, Franco made nine appearances, going 1-0 with a save & three holds posting a 2.25 ERA.

In his 21-year career, Franco the all-time save leader for left handers pitched in two post seasons, both with the Mets. He was 2-0 with a save posting a 1.88 ERA with ten strike outs in 14.1 innings in 15 games.

2000 Subway Series Trivia: Mike Piazza led the Mets in HRs (2) & RBIs (4) in the Series.

Piazza, Todd Zeile & Benny Agbayani all collected two doubles each. Todd Zeile led the team with eight hits with Jay Payton collecting seven hits & Mike Piazza six hits. 

The Mets did not steal a base in the five games.