The Mets had fallen just under the .500 mark the night before, two games out of first place.
The Mets southpaw, Jon Matlack (2-5) took the mound against Atlanta's Ron Reed (1-4).
Starting Lineups
Atlanta Braves | New York Mets | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oscar Brown | RF | 1 | Ted Martinez | CF | |
2 | Marty Perez | SS | 2 | Felix Millan | 2B | |
3 | Hank Aaron | LF | 3 | Wayne Garrett | 3B | |
4 | Davey Johnson | 2B | 4 | Rusty Staub | RF | |
5 | Dusty Baker | CF | 5 | Ed Kranepool | 1B | |
6 | Darrell Evans | 3B | 6 | Jim Gosger | LF | |
7 | Dick Dietz | 1B | 7 | Jerry Grote | C | |
8 | Paul Casanova | C | 8 | Bud Harrelson | SS | |
9 | Ron Reed | P | 9 | Jon Matlack | P |
In the home 3rd inning, the Mets Teddy Martines singled & scored on Felix Millan's double. The Braves answered with a solo HR from future Met manager; Davey Johnson, it was the first of two HRs he'd hit on the night.
In the Mets 5th, Felix Millan & Wayne Garrett both singled. Then clean up hitter, Rusty Staub singled home another run putting the Mets up 2-1.
The game rolled along with Matlack pitching well into the 7th inning. With one out he walked catcher Dick Dietz, the gave up base hits to Paul Cassanova & Rod Gilbreath.

Quotes - Jon Matlack: "They came out and checked me on the mound. I thought I got hit in the mouth because it really hurts. I’m reaching to see if I’ve got any teeth left and (catcher) Jerry Grote grabs my hand and says, ‘Wait for the trainer.’ As I’m looking up, I could see my forehead. That’s when I realized I got hit there, because it’s swollen.”

Matlack was carried off the field on a stretcher & taken to Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. Matlack remembers he had to guide the ambulance driver how to get out of Shea & onto the Grand Central Parkway.

Amazingly, Matlack would recover well enough to be back on the mound in just eleven days. On May 19th he took the mound at Shea Stadium pitching six scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out six, walked just one & allowed nine hits taking no decision in the loss.
In the 1973 season Matlack who was the 1972 Rookie of the Year, went 14-16 with a 3.20 ERA striking out 205 batters (third most in the NL) while walking 99 in 242 innings pitched. He threw 14 complete games (5th most in the NL) & tossed three shut outs (7th in the NL).
Trivia: As for the rest of that May 7th 1973 game, Phil Hennigan came in to relieve Matlack. He intentionally walked Hank Aaron then served up a grand slam to non other than Davey Johnson. The Braves went on to a 10-6 win.
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