Remembering Mets History: (1999) Mike Piazza's Ties Club Record With a 24 Game Hit Streak
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Tonight's game would start a personal 24 game hit streak for Mike Piazza.
In the 4th inning, with the Mets ahead 1-0 Mike Piazza hit his 9th HR of the year, a solo HR off Kris Benson. Piazza would have a big night with three hits, including a double & drive in three runs on the day.
In the 4th inning, with the Mets ahead 1-0 Mike Piazza hit his 9th HR of the year, a solo HR off Kris Benson. Piazza would have a big night with three hits, including a double & drive in three runs on the day.
Piazza had come into this game already batting .302 as the hit streak began.
The next night Piazza got one hit in the 5-2 win over the Pirates. Benny Agbayani homered & Jon Olerud drove in two runs.
Trivia: This was the worst stretch of the year for the '99 Wild Card Mets team, as they would lose eight in a row, all six games on this home stand, two of three in the subway series at the Bronx.
Piazza remained steady he would have three straight games, where he collected two hits, against Arizona. In the first game, the Mets lost a heart breaker 2-1 as Omar Daal edged out Rick Reed. The next game Piazza drove in two runs & collected a pair of hits. As the D-backs swept the series, in a 10-1 loss Piazza collected two more hits, extending a five-game hit streak.
Sunday June 6th, the Mets finally broke out of their slump. They shelled the A.L. New York club's Roger Clemens in the Sunday Night Baseball subway series finale'. In the 3rd inning already ahead 4-0, Piazza blasted a long two run HR off Clemens, his tenth of the season. The Mets rolled on to a 7-2 win behind Al Leiter. The Mets went on to win 12 of their next 14, with a stretch of six straight mixed in as well.
June 7th - June 9th, 1999: The next night Piazza drove in two runs & hit a solo HR off the Blue Jays Roy Halladay, in an inter league game with the Blue Jays at Citi Field. The Mets won the game 8-2.The next night Piazza had two hits, including an RBI single off Pat Hentgen in the 5th inning. The Mets went on to a 11-3 win.
The Mets swept the Blue Jays, with Piazza collecting another two hits in the final game. The Mets won it 4-3 on Rey Ordonez walk off base hit scoring Luis Lopez.
Al Leiter came back to win it the next day 4-2, with Piazza going 1-4. On Sunday, Orel Hershiser,
allowed four runs but earned the win in the 5-4 victory. Piazza doubled his 11th & also struck out twice. Brian McRae supplied a two run 6th inning HR.
June 17th- 20th, 1999: The Mets opened up a four game set at Busch Stadium, facing Mark McGwire & the Cardinals. Piazza would collect a pair of hits & score two runs in Al Leiter's opening win. His hit streak was now extended to 20 games.
In Sunday's game, Piazza had two more hits, getting his average up to .327 as he also collected his 43rd RBI of the year.
Tuesday, June 22nd, 1999: Bobby Valentine's second place Mets (39-31) hosted the fifth place Florida Marlins for a three game set. The Marlin pitcher Dennis Springer, held Piazza down without a hit until the 8th inning.
June 23rd, 1999: Piazza was held hitless by Brian Meadows & Mike Mantei. The Marlins shut him down for an 0-4 night, in a 6-3 Mets win, The streak officially ended at 24 games. The record still stands today. In 2007 David Wright joined Piazza & Hubie Brooks with a 24-game hit streak of his own.
During the hit streak Mike Piazza collected 37 hits, raising his average to .326. He hit eight HRs & drove in 18 runs. The Mets as a team went 14-10.
June 11th -13th, 1999: The next series brought the Boston Red Sox to Shea Stadium. Boston snapped the Mets four game win streak. Mike Piazza provided all the Mets runs with a two run HR off Tom Gordon in the 3-2 loss.
allowed four runs but earned the win in the 5-4 victory. Piazza doubled his 11th & also struck out twice. Brian McRae supplied a two run 6th inning HR.
June 14th - 16th: With Piazza's hit streak at 17 games, the Mets moved on to Cincinnati for a series with the Reds, whom they would play in a tie breaking playoff game to determine the wild card winner at the end of the season.
The Mets lost the first game 8-4, with Piazza getting a night off. The next night they started a new four game win streak.
The Mets lost the first game 8-4, with Piazza getting a night off. The next night they started a new four game win streak. In the first game Piazza hit his 13th HR continuing the hit streak at 19. On the night the Mets had HRs from John Olerud, Edgardo Alfonzo & Ricky Henderson in the 11-3 victory. Masato Yoshi earned a 5-2 win, with Brian McRae having a three RBI night. Robin Ventura added his 11th HR, as Piazza collected a pair of hits.
June 17th- 20th, 1999: The Mets opened up a four game set at Busch Stadium, facing Mark McGwire & the Cardinals. Piazza would collect a pair of hits & score two runs in Al Leiter's opening win. His hit streak was now extended to 20 games.
The next night Piazza hit his 14th HR of the year, it came in a 6-2 Mets win, where Edgardo Alfonzo & Rickey Henderson both drove in two runs each.
On June 19th, Piazza hit another HR, his 15th, a two run shot. The Mets lost this games stopping the four game win streak, but after this one they went on another five game win streak.
Tuesday, June 22nd, 1999: Bobby Valentine's second place Mets (39-31) hosted the fifth place Florida Marlins for a three game set. The Marlin pitcher Dennis Springer, held Piazza down without a hit until the 8th inning.
Then Marlin Reliever Vic Darensbourg faced Piazza with the Mets up 4-2. Piazza then homered to lead off the inning, a long shot down the left field line, his 16th of the year, extending his hit streak to 24 games. The streak reached 24 games, tying the Mets club record first set by Hubie Brooks in 1984.
During the hit streak Mike Piazza collected 37 hits, raising his average to .326. He hit eight HRs & drove in 18 runs. The Mets as a team went 14-10.
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