Remembering Mets History (1985) Ron Darling Throws A Five Hit Shutout

-

 Monday June 17th, 1985: Tonight, Davey Johnson's Mets (32-27) were in fourth place but just 2.5 games out, in a tight NL East. They hosted Jim Frey's Chicago Cubs (35-24) who were a half game behind the first place Montreal Expos. 

The Cubs had won the NL East the year before finishing 6.5 games ahead of the Mets, but would finish fourth in 1985 (77-84). 

TA big crowd of 41,986 came out to Shea to see tonight's pitching matchup, which was a good one. The Mets number two pitcher, Ron Darling  (5-1) would go up against the Cubs Rick Sutcliffe (6-5).

Rick Sutcliffe was coming off a twenty-win season, he had come over from the Cleveland Indians & when he arrived in Chicago, he helped the Cubs win the division by going an incredible 16-1.  In 1985 he fell to 8-8, but two years later he would lead the league in wins (18).


After an easy 1st inning, Darling surrendered a pair of singles in the 2nd inning but got out of the
inning. In the 4th he walked two batters, but Keith Moreland was caught stealing to end the inning.

In the home 4th Gary Carter led off with his 9th HR of the year. In the 5th, Wally Backman singled with one out. Danny Heep then doubled, scoring Backman with the Mets second run. Sutcliffe allowed just the two runs on five hits; he did walk four & fanned five. The loss got him to 6-6 on the year.

In the top of the 6th veteran Davey Lopes singled to start the inning. 

Lopes was now 38 years old but was still a threat to steal. Lopes one of the best base stealers of his era while with the LA Dodgers, finished his career with 557 stolen bases (26th all time) & lead the NL twice in his career. But here Ron Darling fooled Lopes & picked him off first base as Keith Hernandez made the tag.

In the 8th, with one out, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe singled. But Darling got Lopes to fly out & Ryne Sandberg to hit a grounder back to the mound, Darling fielded it & threw to Hernandez to end the inning.

In the 9th, Keith Morland led off with a double, but Darling got a fly out from Leon Durham & then he struck out Jody Davis. Another Dodger veteran, Ron Cey flew out to Danny Heep to end the game.

For Daling he pitched a five-hit shutout, struck out seven, walked four, getting to 6-1 on the season lowering his ERA to 2.26. Darling would toss two shut outs on the season & four complete games. He went 16-6 with a 2.90 ERA in the shadows of Dwight Gooden's season for the ages.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

Remembering Batgirl: Yvonne Craig (1937-2015)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz interrupts baseball with a sad note on one of his favorite actresses. Being a huge Batman (TV series) fan Yvonne Craig has been someone I adored since I was a child.  As a boy I always hoped the Batgirl cycle would wiz by on the opening credits, meaning it would be a Batgirl episode. I didn't realize why until I got older & liked girls. For myself & millions of young boys of the 60's / 70's Batgirl was one of our first crushes. But her character also she added so much more than that to the final season of Batman. She was special in so many ways ... rest in peace Batgirl! Yvonne Joyce Craig was born May 16th 1937 in Taylorville, Illinois. As a young girl she was a talented ballet dancer, getting accepted to the prestigious Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She eventually moved to Los Angeles & began an acting career. She landed a part in Gidget (1959) as one of Gidget's beach girl friends. Yvonne began dating Elvis Presley & landed r
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more

Remembering Dawn Wells- Mary Ann From Gilligan's Island

-
Image
  getting away from baseball for a bit.......................... Dawn Alberta Wells was born October 18th 1938 in Reno, Nevada. She first attended college at the elite Stephens College in Missouri, majoring in chemistry. She then fell in love with acting & transferred to the University of Washington at Seattle, finishing with a Degree in Theater. By 1959 the brunette Ms. Wells was crowned Miss Nevada & represented that state in the  1960 Miss America Pageant, held in Atlantic City. She soon moved to Hollywood. In 1962 she married talent agent Larry Rosen, who helped her career. They would divorce in 1967 & have no children. She appeared in many TV shows of the early  sixties, until landing the role she is forever remembered for, Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. Gilligan's' Island , was a big show for, me & millions of my generation. We were first generation in it's reruns, whether after school or later at night. The simple show, kept us laughing at its si
Read more