Dallas Green's New York Mets (15-19) hosted Jim Riggleman's Chicago Cubs (16-20) in what turned out to be a wild brawling afternoon.
Starting Lineups
Chicago Cubs | New York Mets | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian McRae | CF | 1 | Lance Johnson | CF | |
2 | Ryne Sandberg | 2B | 2 | Jose Vizcaino | 2B | |
3 | Mark Grace | 1B | 3 | Bernard Gilkey | LF | |
4 | Sammy Sosa | RF | 4 | Todd Hundley | C | |
5 | Luis Gonzalez | LF | 5 | Rico Brogna | 1B | |
6 | Scott Servais | C | 6 | Jeff Kent | 3B | |
7 | Leo Gomez | 3B | 7 | Butch Huskey | RF | |
8 | Rey Sanchez | SS | 8 | Rey Ordonez | SS | |
9 | Kevin Foster | P | 9 | Pete Harnisch | P |

The next inning with two outs & no one on, Harnisch drilled Kevin Foster when he came to bat. The pitch hit him on his left elbow in front of his left side. When asked later if it was intentional, Harnisch relied "I'd rather not answer that". No warnings were issued by the umpires.
By the bottom of the 2nd everyone was expecting trouble when Harnisch was due up. But in a 2-2 tie, Butch Huskey walked & Rey Ordonez singled putting two on with no one out as Harnisch stepped in. Foster could not retaliate, but that didn't stop Cubs' catcher Scott Servais & Harnisch having words.
The Mets took a 4-2 lead after a two run single by Bernard Gilkey

All hell broke loose in the 5th inning, Harnisch stepped in with two outs & nobody on. Cubs pitcher Terry Adams first pitch aimed at Harnisch's knee went behind him. The umpire warned Adams but it was too late.
Harnisch swung his bat at the Cubs catcher Scott Servais, both benches emptied and a brawl broke out swirling around the home plate area like a tornado. The fight even spilled over toward the Cubs dugout & down the steps. There Rico Brogna was pinned to the wall & caught a shot to his cheek.
The bullpens emptied out as well, Mets reliever, the honoree of the day John Franco was caught up in it as well. He had a gash on his face & claimed he never threw a punch, but the umps saw it differently as he was ejected from the game.

There were nine ejections including Harnisch & Servais who were good friends from their time Houston together.
Order was eventually restored, there were caps, gloves all over the infield & the Shea crowd screamed with a standing ovation.

Without Franco in the bullpen, relievers Dave Mlicki & Doug Henry gave up three runs to tie the game at six. In the bottom of the 9th Rico Brogna came to the rescue blasting a walk off HR to win it. It was his second of the game & his fourth of the year.
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