Remembering Mets History (1993) Jeromy Burnitz Has A Multi- Four Hit Seven RBI Game

Thursday August 5th 1993: The Mets (38-70) were in seventh place 30.5 games back & going no where. After the disastrous 1992 season where the team lost 100 games for the first time since 1967, things didn't improve much. 

1993 Low Points: In May, manager Jeff Torborg was fired & Dallas Green took over. This was the year Anthony Young lost 13 decisions in a row &  a personal 27 game losing streak dating back to last year. The year  Bret Saberhagen sprayed the media with bleach, Bobby Bonilla physically confronting a reporter & a two weeks earlier Vince Coleman threw an M-80 injuring fans outside Dodger Stadium. It was another dark period in team history with some disturbing players. 

On June 21st, the team brought up Jeromy Burnitz from AAA Norfolk where he had hit eight HRs with 44 RBIs in 65 games, good enough to come up to the low offensive team.

Stade Olympique- Montreal

The Mets went into Montreal to face a good Expo team (58-51) that was in third place under Manager Felipe Alou. After winning the first game, the Mets dropped the next two of the four game set. 

Trivia: The next year (1994) the Expos had the best record in MLB but the Players strike ended the season.

The Mets sent six foot-ten Eric Hillman (1-5) to the mound to face Dennis Martinez (10-7). Martinez had the led the NL in ERA (2.39) two years earlier.

In the top of the 1st inning, Joe Orsulak hit a one out triple & Bobby Bonilla drew a two out walk. Future Hall of Famer Jeff Kent who played with the Mets early in his career, hit a three run HR giving New York the lead. It was Kents 13th HR of the year, he would hit 21 that season.

In the 2nd inning, the Expos put up a run on Larry Walker's sac fly.

In the top of the 5th inning, pitcher Eric Hillman led off with a ground rule doubled. Joe Orsulak then collected his second hit of the game, a base hit to center.  Eddie Murray another future Hall of Famer that spent the later part of his career with the Mets, doubled scoring Hillman. Next Bobby Bonilla was walked intentionally loading the bases. 

Grand Slam: Jeromy Burnitz stepped in & hit a grand slam HR off Martinez into the right field seats of Stade Olympique. It was the first grand slam of the young Burnitz's career & his sixth HR of the year.

Quotes- Dallas Green: "Burnitz has struggled lately & obviously we needed him to come out of it".

The Mets were now ahead 9-1. But the Expos fought back. In the bottom of the 5th, Derrick White led off with a HR. After Eric Hillman walked Sean Berry, Delino DeShields tripled, then Marquis Grissom singled narrowing the Mets lead to 9-4. After Larry Walker singled, Dallas Green relieved Hillman with Pete Schourek. Moises Alou then his a sac fly scoring Grissom making it 9-5.

In the bottom of the 6th, Derrick White & Sean Berry collected back-to-back doubles, making it 9-6. Delino DeShields then reached on an infield single. Dallas Green went to reliever Jeff Innis. But Innis served up double to Mike Landing bringing in two more runs, then an RBI single to Marquis Grissom tying up the game at nine.

Mike Maddux & Dave Telgheder gave the Mets two scoreless innings each. Mike Draper & Anthony Young pitched one scoreless inning each as the game went to extra innings.

In the top of the 13th inning pitcher John Wetteland took the mound for Montreal. Jeff McKnight led of with a base hit to right field. Ryan Thompson attempted a bunt & reached on a throwing error by Wetteland. Joe Orsulak then came through with an RBI single giving the Mets the lead.

Wetteland then struck out Eddie Murray & got Bobby Bonilla to pop out. Jeromy Burnitz came up & completed his big day with a double to right field bringing in Ryan Thompson & Joe Orsulak making it a 12-9 Mets lead. 

Burnitz had a multi-four hit game with a HR two walks & seven RBIs. 

Mets Trivia: The seven RBIs were one short of the franchise record set by Dave Kingman (1976) when he hit three HRs & drove in eight runs. The last Met to have driven in seven runs in a game was Keith Hernandez (1988).

Quotes- Jeromy Burnitz: "I'd rather have been out of here in nine. That was long, my feet were killing me. I had to come in & change my shoes, my spikes hurt so much."

In the bottom of the 13th, Anthony Young closed out the Mets win with his second save. The save came nine days (two appearances) after Young snapped his 27 game losing streak.

Trivia: The 12 runs were a season high that the Mets matched twice that season. In the game the two teams combined for 21 runs, 29 hits, using a total of 39 players & 14 pitchers, seven each. It took four hours & fifty three minutes to play.