1969 Mets: World Series Game #2: Koosman Takes No Hitter To The 7th Inning
The O's felt they were right where they were suppose to be. Baltimore & rest of the world believed that the Mets ran out of steam & had finally met their match.
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| Pre Game Mets Starting Line Up Introductions |
On this day in Baltimore, on national TV in front of all of America, it showed.
Starting Lineups
| New York Mets | Baltimore Orioles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommie Agee | CF | 1 | Don Buford | LF | |
| 2 | Bud Harrelson | SS | 2 | Paul Blair | CF | |
| 3 | Cleon Jones | LF | 3 | Frank Robinson | RF | |
| 4 | Donn Clendenon | 1B | 4 | Boog Powell | 1B | |
| 5 | Ron Swoboda | RF | 5 | Brooks Robinson | 3B | |
| 6 | Ed Charles | 3B | 6 | Davey Johnson | 2B | |
| 7 | Jerry Grote | C | 7 | Andy Etchebarren | C | |
| 8 | Al Weis | 2B | 8 | Mark Belanger | SS | |
| 9 | Jerry Koosman | P | 9 | Dave McNally | P |
Mets Lefthander Jerry Koosman (17-9 / 2.28 ERA / 180 Ks) took the mound against Dave McNally (20-7 / 3.22 ERA / 166 K's). But this was Koosmans day as he shined in the national spotlight, taking a no hitter into the 7th inning. Jerry Koosman struck out Orioles lead off batter Don Buford, in the 1st inning to set the tone for his game. Two fly ball outs ended the inning quickly.
In the 2nd inning he struck out slugger Boog Powell to start the inning. With one out he walked Davey Johnson but got Buford to line out to end the inning.In the top of the 4th inning, Donn Clendenon led off the inning with a solo HR off Dave McNally, it was his first of three World Series HRs that year for the soon to be named Series MVP.
Ron Swoboda then struck out & McNally retired Ed Charles & Jerry Grote to keep it at 1-0 Mets.In the 5th & 6th innings, Koosman retired the sides in order, setting down seven straight Oriole batters. Up to that point he had himself a no hitter through the first six innings.
In the 7th, Paul Blair led off with a single, ruining the no hit bid. Koosman got Frank Robinson to line out to Agee in center & Boog Powell to pop out to Bud Harrelson.
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An excited Mets dugout congratulates Donn Clendenon on HR
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With Brooks Robinson up, Blair stole second base. Then Brooks singled to centerfield scoring Blair with the first run of the game. The next batter Davey Johnson, grounded out finishing off the inning.
The Mets went down in order in the top of the 8th as McNally was cruising along very nicely himself, he had only allowed one hit since the Clendenon HR, a double to Ed Charles in the 7th.
Koosman came out for the 8th inning, he got Andy Etchebarren to line out, struck out Mark Belanger looking & got the pitcher McNally to fly out.
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| "The Glider" Ed Charles singles & slides safely into second base after Jerry Grote's basehit |
With two outs, "The Glider" Ed Charles got his second hit of the day, a single to left field. Jerry Grote followed up with a base hit of his own, putting two men on for New York.
Next up Al Weis, a .215 hitter during the regular season, who already had a hit on the day, came through big time.
The "mighty might" as broadcaster Lindsey Nelson would name him, singled to left field, as the Glider came home, putting the Mets up 2-1. Weis would bat .455 (5-11) in the World Series.
Gil Hodges stuck with Koosman, Jerry came up to bat with runners on first & third but grounded out to Belanger at short to end the inning.Koosman came on to pitch the 9th inning. He got Don Buford to fly out to Swoboda in right field for the first out. He then got Paul Bair to ground out to Bud Harrelson for the second out.
But with two outs, Koos walked Frank Robinson & then pinch hitter Merv Rettmund. Mets Manager Gil Hodges, had now seen enough. He went to the mound & took the ball from Koosman, calling for his reliever; Ron Taylor to get the last out. 
As he exited after an outstanding pitching performance, Koosman even got an ovation from the Baltimore fans as he walked to the dug out. The Mets top reliever in 1969, Ron Taylor got Brooks Robinson to ground out to Ed Charles at third base. The Mets had won their first World Series game in their history and were coming to New York tied at one game each.
Jerry Koosman pitched 8.2 innings, allowing one run on just two hits with three walks, while striking out four, to earn the victory.For Baltimore, McNally pitched himself a good game as well, he threw all nine innings, allowing two runs on six hits, with three walks & seven strike outs, taking the loss.
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