Remembering Mets History: (1970) Nolan Ryan Ks 13 In A Three Hit Shut Out

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Tuesday August 4th, 1970: Gil Hodges Mets were the reigning World Champions. New York (57-49) were in second place one game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they hosted Leo Durocher's Chicago Cubs (55-52) who were two games behind the Mets in third place.

 The Mets Cubs rivalry which had carried over from last year's 1969 season.

 Leo sent the Cubs Joe Decker (2-5) to the mound against the Mets' young fire ball throwing, Nolan Ryan (5-6). 42,786 came out for this Tuesday matinee at Shea.

 Even this early in Nolan Ryan's Hall of Fame career, which started with the Mets, there were some fine pitching moments, today was one of them.




After getting three ground outs in the 1st inning, Ryan walked Jim Hickman in the 2nd, but
struck out Ron Santo, Joe Pepitone & Johnny Callison, for his first three K's.

 He started the 3rd inning striking out Randy Hundley & Joe Decker for five strike outs.  In the 4th, he got Hickman looking for K number six.

 He would come up with a pair of strike outs in the 5th, getting Hundley & the pitcher Decker for the second time each. In the 6th, Billy Williams reached on a one out double. Ryan then struck out Santo & Hickman to end the inning. He reached double figures in strike outs for the third time this season, he would do it five times in 1970.

In the 7th he got Joe Pepitone again & then struck out pinch hitter Willie Smith for #12 on the afternoon.

In the 8th, Ryan walked Don Kessinger to start out the inning. Glenn Beckert grounded out & two pop flies ended that inning. In the 9th, Ryan fanned Pepitone for the third time, getting to 13 strike outs. 

Ryan shut out the Cubs out on a three hitter, while walking five. The only hits were to Billy Williams, Joe Pepitone & Johnny Callison.

Ryan's run support came mainly from outfielder Dave Marshall. Dave Marshall had come over to the Mets that season from the Giants along with Ray Sadecki. The Mets sent Jim Gosger & Bobby Heise to San Francisco in the deal. Marshall would spend three seasons with the Mets & play in 264 games bating .243. 

On this afternoon he went 2-3 with both hits being doubles driving in three of the Mets four runs.

In the bottom of the 1st, Bud Harrelson singled, stole second & went to third on an Art Shamsky base hit. Dave Marshall doubled driving in both Harrelson & Shamsky, making it 2-0 Mets.

Later in the 6th inning, Cleon Jones walked & scored on Marshall's second double of the day, making it 3-0 Mets.

 In the home 7th, Tommie Agee singled & stole second. Agee advanced to third & then scored when Cleon Jones grounded out, completing the 4-0 Mets scoring.

Trivia: In Ryan's next start, he would take a loss at Pittsburgh but strike out another ten batters. He would match the 13 strike outs, again on September 9th, in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. On April 18th he struck out his season high 15 batters.  

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