Remembering Mets History (1979) Mets Score Franchise Record Six Runs in Any Extra Inning of a Game
The 1979 Cubs had a good summer, getting as close to within a half game of first place by the end of July. But they went 26-40 the rest of the way finishing in fifth place as Herman Franks was fired.
On this afternoon, 28,394 fans filled Wrigley Field as New York's Craig Swan (7-6) went up against their fan favorite Rick Reuschel (6-5). Reuschel spent 12 years in Chicago (1972-1984) winning 135 games. That year he was an 18-game winner (18-12) & had won twenty games two years earlier. That season the Mets Craig Swan would win the NL's ERA title.
In the bottom of the 4th, former Met slugger Dave Kingman hit his 27th HR of the year putting Chicago back on top 2-1.
In the top of the 6th inning, Richie Hebner & John Stearns led off with base hits. Steve Henderson drove a base hit to left field scoring Hebner easily, but Stearns also trying to score was tagged out at the plate by catcher Barry Foote on the throw from Dave Kingman.
Trivia: Dave Kingman had 11 assists that season, fourth most in the NL.
Sizemore put the Cubs ahead with an RBI single to centerfield scoring Martin.Craig Swan was done for the day, as he went six innings giving up three runs on seven hits, with five strike outs issuing three walks. Relievers Andy Hassler & Wayne Twitchell would both come on to pitch two scoreless innings each.
In the top of the 8th inning, Lee Mazzilli hit his 7th HR of the year tying up the game at three.
Bruce Sutter Trivia: Bruce Sutter would go on to lead the NL in saves that season with 37 & win the Cy Young Award. Sutter would lead the NL in saves for four straight seasons & again in 1985. Bruce Sutter saved 300 career games & was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In the 10th innings, the Mets Wayne Twitchell & the Cubs Dick Tidrow held their opponents down.
In the top of the 11th inning, with one out Dick Tidrow hit the Mets pinch hitter Ed Kranepool with a pitch. Joel Youngblood then hit a two run HR for his 11th HR of the season, putting New York ahead 5-3.
Frank Taveras then singled to right field.
Multi-HR Game: Lee Mazzilli then came up & hit his second HR of the game. For Mazzilli it was his only multi-HR game of the season & a season high four RBI game. At the time, Mazzilli was batting .340 on his way to his first All Star game that summer.
The Mets had now taken a 7-3 lead with Dick Tidrow serving up two HRs in the inning. He then walked Richie Hebner & manager Herman Franks removed him from the game, bringing in Donnie Moore.
Moore got John Stearns to fly out for the second out of the inning. Next, "the Hot Dog" Willie Montanez singled to right field. Steve Henderson then hit a shot to the right field Ivy covered wall, scoring both Hebner & Montanez sliding safely into third base with a triple as the Mets took a 9-3 lead.
Extra Inning Record: The Mets put up six runs in the 11th inning, the six runs were the most runs the team ever scored in an extra inning game. In 2024 the Mets matched that record as they scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning of a win in Washington D.C.
Manager Joe Torre went to Ed Glynn to try to close out the game.
Trivia: Ed Glynn was born in Queens & worked as a hot dog vendor in Shea Stadium.
Glynn got fly ball outs from Jerry Martin & Steve Ontiveros to end the game as the Mets went on to the 9-8 victory.