Remembering Mets History (1969) Tommie Agee's 14th Inning Walk Off HR - Beats Juan Marichal 1-0

Tuesday August 19th, 1969: The Summer pennant race was starting to heat up in New York, as Gil Hodges Mets (67-51) were riding a four-game win streak that spanned two double header sweeps over the Woodstock weekend. 

On this night 48,968 paid came to Shea Stadium, as the former New York Giants (64-56) now the San Francisco Giants came to town.

The Giants, led by Clyde King, were 2.5 games behind the first place Dodgers & Reds. They were in a three-way tie with the Houston Astros & Atlanta Braves in second place in a tight NL West. The Giants would finish three games behind the Braves at the end of the season.

The Mets sent young Gary Gentry to the mound tonight. Gentry had not had credit for a win in over a month with his last win being om July 15th. In that time, he was 0-3 with three no decisions. For the Giants it was longtime Mets nemesis & future Hall of Famer, Juan Marichal.

Mets Killer: From April 1962-July 4th 1967 the high leg  kicking Marichal won his first 18 decisions against the Mets going 18-0 before taking an Independence Day loss at Shea in 1967. 

In his career Marichal would go 26-8 against the Mets posting a 2.13 ERA. In the Mets first two years at the Polo Grounds, he was 4-0 then at Shea he would go 11-5 until his retirement in 1975.

In the top of the 1st, Gary Gentry retired the side in order striking out Willie Mays to end the inning.

In the 2nd inning, with two outs Gentry walked Bobby Etheridge. He then gave up a base hit to Bob Barton but then struck out Hal Lanier to end the inning. 

In the top of the 4th, Gentry issued a two out walk to Bob Burda but got Bobby Etheridge to ground out to end the inning. 

In the top of the 5th, Hal Lanier singled for the Giants second hit. He then advanced on Juan Marichal's sac bunt. With two men on with two outs, Gentry got former Met, Ron Hunt to ground out to end the threat.

Gary Gentry retired 13 of the next 14 batters keeping the Giants off the board. 

In the top of the 7th, Hal Lanier got his second hit & just the Giants third hit of the game, but he was left stranded at third when Marichal popped up. 

In the top of the 9th inning, Willie McCovey led off with a walk. With two outs (future Met) Dave Marshall came in to pinch hit & was intentionally walked. Another pinch hitter, Jim Davenport was sent up to hit for Hal Lanier & grounded out back to Gentry to end the inning. The fans gave Gentry a big ovation on his way to the dugout.

Juan Marichal shut the Mets out thru the first nine innings as well, giving up just two hits & having retired 16 in a row getting thru nine innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, Gil Hodges sent Gentry back to the mound. Juan Marichal, led off with a single to center field but Gentry retired the next three batters. 

On the evening Gentry pitched ten shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five & walking four while throwing 157 pitches. 

In the top of the 11th inning Tug McGraw came on to pitch. He got Willie McCovey to ground out to Ed Kranepool to start the inning out. Bob Burba drove a single to left field, but he was thrown out at second base by Cleon Jones, trying to stretch it into a double. Tug McGraw then walked Jack Hiatt but retired Don Mason on a pop fly to end the 11th inning. 

Tug McGraw rolled through the next three innings, retiring nine straight batters. In four innings of shutout work, Tug allowed just one hit & one walk.

Cleon Out at Home: In the bottom of the 12th, Cleon Jones reached on an infield single. Tug McGraw dropped a bunt in front of the plate. Juam Marichal picked it up threw to first & as the ball got to Ron Hunt's glove Tug McGraw arrived knocking the ball loose. As it rolled away, Jones attempted to score from third but Hunt threw to catcher Jack Hiatt who tagged Jones out in a collision at home plate.

In the top of the 13th, Gil Hodges came for a conference on the mound with two outs & Willie McCovey at bat. He placed his fielders into a four outfield shift & everyone else on the right side of the infield. McCovey blasted a pitch to the 371 numbers on the left field wall where Cleon Jones leaped up, made the grab & fell to dirt with the ball in his glove for the out.

Juan Marichal had always been tough on the Mets throughout the sixties. Tonight, he shut them out for 13 innings, extending his scoreless innings streak to 22 innings. Tonight he allowed just five hits, with one walk while striking out 13 batters getting to the bottom of the 14th inning.

In the bottom of the 14th Rod Gaspar led off the inning & grounded out to Marichal for the first out.

Next, the Mets leading HR hitter Tommie Agee stepped in. That night Agee had struck out three times & had not hit the ball out of the infield. Marichal's first pitch was a ball, it was the 150th pitch he threw on the night. 

On the next pitch, Agee hit it over the left field fence past the Giants bullpen. The Mets won the game with the walk off HR ending the three hour, forty four minute, 14 inning game.

Trivia: One year earlier on August 19th, 1968 the Mets & Giants played a 17 inning game where the Giants won it 1-0.

Agee Trivia: For Agee it was the 500th hit of his career. It was also his team leading 21st HR. This was Agee's first Mets Walk off HR & the second walk off hit in his Mets career.

Tug McGraw earned his sixth win of the year to get to 6-2 with a 2.69 ERA. 

Juan Marichal Trivia: Marichal took his ninth loss of the year (14-9) still posting a 2.30 ERA. Marichal would win twenty games for the second straight year, the sixth time in seven years he had done so. This was the 34-year old's last twenty-win season.