Remembering Mets History (1986) Ron Darling Throws His Second Shut Out of the Month

Tuesday July 29th, 1986: Today the Mets played a double header at Shea Stadium, with the first game being a rescheduled game from a July 19th rain out. The Mets had won their last two games, five of seven including the previous night's series opener with the Cubs. They were riding high in the NL East with MLB's best record (65-30) & a 16.5 game lead over the second place Expos.

Today Ron Darling started the first game for the Mets. On July 13th, Darling had thrown a complete game shut out over the Braves at Shea Stadium. In his next two starts he gave up two runs in each game splitting the decisions, winning the latter in Cincinnati.

In the top of the 1st, the Cubs started the game with back-to-back base hits from Jerry Mumphrey & Ryne Sandberg. With Thad Bosley at bat, Ron Darling caught Mumphrey leaning & picked him off at second base for the first out. It was the third pick off out Darling had made on the season. 

Gary Carter then threw out Sandberg trying to steal second as Bosley went down swinging for a strike him out-throw him out double play to end the inning. Darling would retire 14 of the next 15 batters to the 6th inning. 

In the bottom of the 1st, after Keith Hernandez singled, Steve Trout walked Gary Carter & Darryl Strawberry but Kevin Mitchell grounded to short to end the inning. 

In the 2nd inning, the Mets loaded the bases again as Trout walked two more batters but Keith Hernandez grounded back to the pitcher to end that inning.

In the bottom of the 4th, Ray Knight singled & Trout walked his fifth batter sending Rafael
Santana to first base. Ron Darling then sacrificed the runners over. Len Dykstra followed with a two run single & Tim Teufel an RBI double scoring Dykstra giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.

It turned out that would be all Ron Darling needed, as he put in one his best performances of the regular season. 

In the 6th the Mets escaped trouble when Terry Francona doubles & Jerry Mumphrey singled. Ryne Sandberg then hit a sharp grounder toward first base that Keith Hernandez made a back handed grab on, stepped on first & threw to Gary Carter who tagged out Terry Francona at the plate. The outstanding play was business as usual for the eleven time Gold Glover.

Quotes- Ron Darling: "I think it's safe to say that only one first baseman in baseball can make that play & thank God he's on out team."

Darling retired ten of the last eleven batters of the game while striking out the side n the top of the 9th inning, getting Jerry Mumphrey & Ryne Sandberg looking, then finishing it off fanning Thad Bosley swinging.

Darling tossed his second shut out of the month, also his last of the year in a six hit eight strike out game where walked no one. The eight strike outs would be his third highest total on the season, a feat he would match three times.

Ron Darling Trivia: Darling went on to his 11th win (11-3) of the season, one behind both Sid Fernandez & Bobby Ojeda for the team lead. Over his last ten starts, he was 8-2 with a 1.50 ERA, 67 strike outs & 21 walks in 78 innings pitched. At this point he had his lowest ERA of the season at 2.62.

Quotes- Ron Darling: "It probably doesn't show in my record but I'm pitching as well as I have in my entire career & I'm confident as I have ever been. I feel like I can now go out there & close a game & that's usually been reserved for #16 on this team."

At the time Gooden had a team best eight complete games to Darlings four.

The Mets dropped the second game 2-1 as Rick Anderson put in a fine one run six inning performance against the Cubs rookie Jamie Moyer. In the 7th, Ray Knight booted a Chris Speier grounder then committed another throwing error on Bob Deniers single allowing Speier to score what was the winning run, as Doug Sisk took the loss.