Remembering Mets History (1965): Johnny Lewis Spoils Jim Maloney's No Hitter

Monday June 14, 1965: On this evening Casey Stengel's New York Mets (21-39) were obviously struggling to find ways to win, tonight they visited Crosley Field in Cincinnati, to face Dick Sisler's Reds (31-26) who were tied for third place in the NL. 

A small crowd of just 5,989 showed up to see the Mets, Frank Lary go up
against the Reds ace Jim Maloney. 

Jim Maloney was one of the hardest throwing pitchers of his era. He would throw two official no-hitters & this one tonight, which at that time was considered a no-hitter until the rule change. He had won 23 games in 1963 (23-7) and would win 15 games or more for six straight seasons. 

In 1965 Maloney was an All Star, a twenty-game winner with a 20-9 record. He was second on the Reds staff to Sammy Ellis who won 22 games. Tonight would be a record setting day for Maloney, as he set down the Mets with a no hitter through nine innings.

Starting Lineups

Mets

1	Billy Cowan	CF
2	Chuck Hiller	2B
3	Charley Smith	3B
4	Ed Kranepool	1B
5	Johnny Lewis	RF
6	Ron Swoboda	LF
7	Roy McMillan	SS
8	Chris Cannizzaro	C
9	Frank Lary	P

Reds

1	Tommy Harper	LF
2	Pete Rose	2B
3	Vada Pinson	CF
4	Frank Robinson	RF
5	Gordy Coleman	1B
6	Deron Johnson	3B
7	Johnny Edwards	C
8	Leo Cardenas	SS
9	Jim Maloney	P

In the 2nd inning, Maloney walked the Mets Ed Kranepool, the only base runner the Mets would have thru the first nine innings of play. In this incredible performance, Maloney would strike out 18 Mets batters, 17 of them through the first nine innings. 

Trivia: Maloney is one of seven pitchers to strike out 18 batters in an extra inning game, with Nolan Ryan doing it three times.

With the exception of the 6th inning, Maloney had at least one strike out in every inning. He struck out the side in both the 3rd & the 8th innings. Mets batters Billy Cowan, Charley Smith, Ron Swoboda & Johnny Lewis would all so down on strikes three times each.

The Mets pitcher, Frank Lary did a good job himself. Lary shut out the Reds through eight innings, allowing just five hits, with three strike outs & a walk. 

Trivia: Lary was a former veteran of the American League, was known as "the AL New York team killer". He would go 27-1o against them from 1955 to 1961 while pitching eleven years with the Detroit Tigers (In Detroit he went an overall 123-110). He was a two time twenty game winner & won 15 or more games, five times.

Frank Lary came to the Mets in 1964, he went 2-3 then was traded to the Milwaukee Braves for Denis Ribrant. His contract was then purchased by the Mets again, for 1965.

Mets pitcher, Larry Bearnarth came on for the Mets, in the 9th inning. He would pitch three scoreless innings himself, allowing two hits with a strike out & a walk.

In the top of the 11th inning, the Mets Johnny Lewis led off with a HR, spoiling the no hitter & the shut out as well, it was 1-0 Mets. Maloney did allow one more hit in the inning to short stop Roy McMillan. 

Bearnarth got the first two outs of the home 11th, then allowed a single to Frank Robinson. But he then got Gordy Coleman to ground out to McMillan at short to end the game, as he earned the 1-0 win. Maloney taking a heartbreaking loss.

Trivia: Maloney would pitch a no hitter in 1969 against the Houston Astros. The next dat The Astros Don Wilson would toss a no hitter against Maloney's Reds.

Johnny Lewis spent three years with the Mets, with 1965 being is best year, 15 HRs 15 doubles 45 RBIs while batting .245.