Remembering Mets History (1979) Mets Score Franchise Record Six Runs in Any Extra Inning of a Game

 Saturday June 30th, 1979: Joe Torre's Mets (31-39) were on the road at Wrigley Field to take on Herman Franks second place Cubs (36-32). 

The Cubs would have a good summer, getting as close to within a half game of first place at the end of July. They went 26-40 the rest of the way finishing fifth & getting Herman Franks fired. Today 28,394 filled Wrigley Field as Craig Swan (7-6) went up against Rick Reuschel (6-5).

The Cubs got on the board first with a 2nd inning HR from Steve Ontiveros. In the top of the 3rd the Mets tied it with three straight base hits & a sac fly by Lee Mazzilli.

In the bottom of the 4th, former Met, Dave Kingman hit his 27th HR of the year putting Chicago back on top. 

In the top of the 6th, Richie Hebner & John Stearn led off with base hits. Steve Henderson singled to left field, Hebner scored easily but Stearns was thrown out at the plate by Kingman. Kingman made 11 assists that season, fourth most in the NL.  In the bottom of the 6th. Ted Sizemore put the Cubs ahead with an RBI single.

In the top of the 8th inning, Lee Mazzilli hit his 7th HR of the year tying up the game.

Reuschel would get relieved going seven innings, giving up three runs on 11 hits, with five strike outs & two walks. Bruce Sutter came on to pitch two scoreless innings to get to extra innings.

The Mets Craig Swan went six innings giving up three runs on seven hits, with five strike outs &
three walks. Short time Mets pitchers, Andy Hassler & Wayne Twitchell would both come on to pitch two scoreless innings each. 

In the top of the 11th, Dick Tidrow was pitching for the Cubs. With one out he hit pinch hitter Ed Kranepool with a pitch. 

Joel Youngblood then hit his 11th HR of the season, he two run shot to put New York ahead 5-3. Frank Taveras then singled to right field. 

Lee Mazzilli came up & hit his second HR of the game, the second HR Dick Tidrow gave up in the inning. Mazzilli was batting .340 on his way to his first All Star game that summer. 

It was his eighth HR of the season. The Mets had now taken a 7-3 lead. Tidrow then walked Richie Hebner & manager Herman Franks removed him from the game, bringing in Donnie Moore.

Moore would get the second out of the inning, then Willie Montanez singled to right field. Steve Henderson then hit a shot scoring both runners, as he slid into third base with a triple. The Mets took a 9-3 lead.

Trivia: The six runs were the most runs the Mets ever scored in an extra inning game. The record would hold until 2024 when the Mets scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning in Washington D.C.

In the bottom of the inning, nothing ever being a sure thing with the Mets, reliever Dale Murray gave up three hits & a walk, with an RBI single to Bill Buckner. Then former Met Mike Vail unloaded with a grand slam HR to bring the Cubs to within a run. 

Ed Glynn, a former Shea Stadium hot dog vendor & Queens native got the final two outs as the Mets went on to a close 9-8 win.