Remembering Mets History (1999) Al Leiter Strikes Out Career High 15 Batters As Pat Mahomes Gets the Victory & Game Winning Hit

Sunday, August 1st, 1999: Bobby Valentines Mets (66-43) were boasting one the league's best records, trailing the Atlanta Braves by just a half game in the NL East.  The Mets had won eight of their last ten games, twelve of their last sixteen.

This afternoon they were at Wrigley Field for the rubber game of the three-game set against Jim Riggleman's last place Cubs (48-54). A Wrigley Field crowd of 39,222 filled the Friendly Confines to watch Kyle Farnsworth take on the Mets Al Leiter.

In June Al Leiter had gone 5-0 winning five straight games, he went 2-2 in July coming into this game at 9-7.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Al Leiter gave up a pair of singles but also struck out two batters, getting Glenallen Hill to end the inning. gain in the 3rd inning.  In the bottom of the 2nd, he walked Henry Rodriguez then struck out Gary Gaetti, Benito Santiago & Kyle Farnsworth.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Leiter started the inning striking out two more Cubs, reaching seven K's in the game. In the bottom of the 4th, he struck out the side for the second time in the game reaching ten strike outs on the day, reaching a new season high.

In the bottom of the 5th, with the game still scoreless he fanned Benito Santiago for his 11th strike out. Then with two outs Mickey Morandini tripled & scored the Cubs first run on Manny Alexander's base hit. Alexander stole second then scored when Mark Grace's base hit. Grace would hit .309 that year, batting over .300 five straight seasons. Leiter struck out Sammy Sosa to end the inning with his twelfth K of the day.

Kyle Farnsworth shut out the Mets for five innings, allowing just two hits. Rod Beck came on in relief for the 6th. 

In the top of the 6th, Rey Ordonez bunted for a leadoff single. Al Leiter sacrificed Ordonez over to second. Rod Beck then walked Rickey Henderson & Edgardo Alfonzo to load up the bases.  John Olerud then doubled to right field scoring Ordonez & Henderson tying up the game. Daryl Hamilton then singled to left scoring Alfonzo to make it 3-2 Mets.

In the bottom of the 6th, Leiter notched his 13th strike out of the game & worked around having two men with one out, getting Benito Santiago to hit into an inning ending double play.

In the bottom of the 7th, Leiter struck out Curtis Goodwin then Mickey Morandini for the third time on the day. It was his 15th strike out of the game reaching a new career single game best. Glenallen Hill also struck out three times on the day & Leiter struck out five other Cubs twice in the game.

Al Leiter Trivia: This was the only double digit strike out game for Leiter all year. In 1999 he would strike out 162 batters the third highest total of his career up to that point. 

In the bottom of the 9th, Henry Rodriguez homered off Armando Benitez to tie the game sending into extra innings. It was Benitez fifth & last blown save of the season, having moved into the closer's role in July. 

In the top of the 10th, facing Terry Adams Rickey Henderson drew a leadoff walk, stole second & advanced to third on an error. An Edgardo Alfonzo sac fly put New York ahead 4-3. 

In the bottom of the 10th, Armando Benitez couldn't close it out again, walking the first two batters before giving way to Billy Taylor.  After getting the first out he intentionally walked Glenallen Hill loading the bases.

Dennis Cook came on to pitch, Henry Rodriguez hit a grounder to first base that John Olerud booted allowing Manny Alexander to score the tying run.  Cook got Jose Nieves to ground out in an inning ending double play to send the game further into extras.

In the bottom of the 12th, Chuck McElroy retired the first two batters, the Bobby Valentine
brought in Pat Mahomes to face Sammy Sosa who would ground out to Rey Ordonez at short.

In a wacky top of the 13th, Roger Cedeno led off with a double to left field. Cubs' pitcher Scott Sanderson then got Todd Pratt to line out & Rey Ordonez to pop out. Benny Agbayani was intentionally walked to get to the pitcher Pat Mahomes.

With a depleted bench & having used six pitchers on the day, Bobby Valentine decided to let Pat Mahomes come up to bat. A good hitter, Mahomes came through with a single up the middle to bring in what was the games winning run as Cedeno crossed the plate with the Mets fifth run. 

Pat Mahomes Trivia: Pat Mahomes Sr. the father of football start Pat Mahomes Jr. was a very good hitting pitcher. That year had career highs batting .313 with five hits & three RBIs in 16 at bats. In his career he hit .256 (11-43) with four RBIs.

Mahomes not only had the game winning hit but also earned the win as he closed out the game in the bottom of the 13th. With one on & two outs he struck out Jeff Reed to end the game. 

Mahomes went to 5-0 on the season in a relief role. He would finish 8-0 on the season as a very reliable part of Bobby Valentine & Bob Apodaca's bullpen. 

The 13-inning game would last four hours & twenty-five minutes, seeing 15 different pitchers strike out 28 batters issuing 13 walks. Mets pitchers struck out twenty batters with Al Leiter collecting 15 of those. Each team collected ten hits each. 

The Mets went on another five-game win streak & took over first place for two days. They would finish second tying the Reds for the wild card spot, then beat them in a one game tie breaker in Cincinnati. In that game Al Leiter threw a complete game two hit shut to clinch the playoff berth.