Jints take 3 of 4 from Amazin's

 

The 1973 Giants take 3 of 4 from the 1987 Mets as the deciding fourth game goes into extra innings – and ends on a walk off HR by SF backup OF Gary Thomasson (see the details below)

 

Thanks to Jesse for fun Friday afternoon baseball!

GAME 1 - Candlestick Park

Giants take the opener at Shea as Rob Bryant (2-1) allows only 4 hits over 8 innings to get the win. Elias Sosa gets his 1^st save. A great pitchers duel between Bryant and Bobby Ojeda was scoreless through 7. Jeff Innis replaced Ojeda in the 8^th and the Giants exploded for FIVE RUNS in the frame. Bobby Bonds broke the scoreless tie with a THREE RUN HR (3) and Willie McCovey followed with a solo blast (3). The Mets got 2 back in the bottom of the 8^th but the comeback attempt fell short. Innis was the losing pitcher                       

GAME 2:                                                           

Giants make it two straight at Shea as King Kong Kingman belts a GRAND SLAM in the first inning off Dwight Gooden (1-2). McCovey hit his second solo HR (4) in 2 days to make it 5-0 Jints after 2 1/2. The Mets got 2 back in the third but did not score again. Tom Bradley (1-0) was solid for SF and got the win. Sosa got his second straight save. Gooden lasted only 3 innings before being removed for a PH                                                                                    

 

GAME 3:

The road team wins for the third straight day as the Mets win a wild one, 10-8, at Candlestick. Mets led 4-0 in the 4^th before SF came ack to tie it with 3 in the 4^th and 1 in the 5^th. Mets came right back and appeared to break the game open with 3 in the 6^th and 3 more in the 7^th to make it 10-4. But the “never say die” Giants rallied for four in the 8^th highlighted by a bases loaded, bases clearing, triple by Bobby Bonds. What looked like a laugher turned into a tense finish as the Mets employed two of their top relievers, Randy Myers (who got the win) and Jesse Orosco (who got the save), to stop the Giants comeback. Reliever Jim Willoughby took the loss.

 

Keith Hernandez was FIVE FOR SIX with a double, HR and 3 RBIs. Strawberry was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 walks. Mookie Wilson was 3-4 with a triple, HR, 2 walks, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.                                                                           

 

GAME 4:

An even wilder game than the night before goes to the Giants in 10 innings. SF took a 4-0 lead after four highlighted by a two run HR by Gary Matthews (3) and a solo shot by Kingman (3). With Juan Marichal tossing a shutout through five, things looked bleak for the Amazings. But the Mets rallied on a 2 run HR by Hernandez(4) and a dramatic 2 run HR by Gary Carter, in the 7^th, to tie the game! Wally Backman’s single, also in the 7^th, drove in Rafael Santana with the lead run. 5-4 Mets. SF came right back in the bottom of the frame as Booby Bonds singled to tie it at 5-5.

 

In the bottom of the 9^th, Gary Matthews led off with a single against a tired Roger McDowell (who came into the game without warming up). With Tito Fuentes up Randy Myers replaced McDowell. Matthews stole second and went to third on a throwing error by Carter. Winning run on third and nobody out for the Giants. Fuentes and Bonds were walked intentionally, loading them up with none out with the pitcher coming up. Chris Arnold came in to pinch hit and was struck out by Myers. With Garry Maddox up next, the Mets went to the pen again and brought in Jeff Innis – and all he did was strike out Maddox. Next up Kingman and manager Jesse sits him down to bring up the lefty hitting Ed Goodson, with the Mets out of LH relievers. Somehow Innis manages to get him to fly out deep to right – and the Mets have survived the inning – as Manager Alan lets out a huge sigh of relief.

 

The game goes to the bottom of the 10^th still tied. Innis is still on the mound for the Mets. He strikes out Speier leading off. Dave Rader then hits a routine grounder to short but Santana airmails the throw to first and the crucial error puts Rader on second with one out. Thomasson is up and manager Alan thinks about walking him intentionally. But the decision is to pitch to him – and not give him anything good to hit – Innis gets strike one and then strike two followed a ball and THEN

 

“Innis with the 1-2 fly down the right field line this one is well hit the wind is playing tricks with it

way back Strawberry racing back to the fence HOME RUN

Thommasson with a game winning homer! Thommasson with a game winning home run!

 

Don McMahon got the win in relief as Innis suffered his second loss of the series

 

Mets next play the 72 Cubs while the Giants play the 72 Dodgersj

--submitted by Alan Raylesberg--