Remembering Mets History (1969) Amazing's Guarantee At Least A Tie For the NL East Title

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Tuesday September 23rd, 1969: Gil Hodges first place Mets (95-61) took the field tonight, in excitement knowing that a win would assure them of at least a tie for first place in the NL East.

The Mets had won three straight, were leading the NL East by six games with six left to play.

Tonight, the Mets hosted the previous year's NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals (82-73).

32,364 fans came to Shea as The Mets' Jim McAndrew (6-7) went up against Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (18-12). Bob Gibson was the 1968 NL MVP & Cy Young Winner, going 22-9 with league leading 13 shut outs, 268 Ks & a 1.12 ERA. He was two wins away from his fourth twenty-win season in the past five years.


The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd inning, Mets short stop Bud Harrelson walked, then advanced on a fielder's choice, He then scored on Wayne Garrett's single to right field, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. 

 The pesky Harrelson's offensive numbers never showed how valuable he was to the team, scrapping for hits, runs or stealing bases. Tonight's game was another example of his value to the club besides just his All-Star defense.

The Cards took the lead in the 5th, as Lou Brock& Curt Flood both singled. Vada Pinson's grounder was booted by Mets second baseman, Kenny Boswell & Brock scored. Flood would score on Joe Torre's base hit. Tim McCarver then flew out to end the inning. It was the second inning in a row the Cards left two men on base. McAndrew would retire the sides in order in the 6th & 7th innings.

In the 8th, the Mets tied it as Tommie Agee singled to left & was sacrificed over by Wayne Garrett. Art Shamsky then singled bringing in Agee with the tying run.

The game remained tied as McAndrew departed in the 8th, & Tug McGraw came on for relief. McGraw would pitch four scoreless innings, holding the Cards to three hits, shutting them out thru the 11th inning, earning his ninth win of the year to get to 9-3.

Bob Gibson would go the distance, in the home 11th, after Ed Kranepool flew out to left field, Ron Swoboda & Jerry Grote singled for the Mets. 

Bud Harrelson stepped in & poked a single to left field, scoring Swoboda with the walk off winning run. It was Harrelson's 22nd RBI of the year & his second walk off hit of the 1969 season.
The Amazing Mets now had a six-game lead & were guaranteed at least a tie in the NL East. Mets manager Gil Hodges said, "they are confident but not overconfident".

Quotes- Coach Yogi Berra: "No one else in baseball is as well set up for a short series as we are. How would you like to meet Seaver & Koosman every fourth day? Ryan, McAndrew & Cardwell can do the job & our bullpen is about as good as you can get" This team is really amazing, the way it stays loose." Everyone pitches in, it seems there's a new hero every day".






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