Monday, December 17, 2018

METS TAKE TWO OF THREE FROM REDS

GAME 1

METS 8 REDS 4




Jerry Koosman pitched 7 2/3 strong innings (3-4) to get the win and Ron Taylor got his first save of the season as the Mets battered Reds starter and loser Homer Bailey (3-3). The Mets scored four runs in the second inning with the big hit a 2 RBI triple by Lenny Dykstra. After Johnny Bench cut the lead in half with a 2 run HR (5), the Mets regained the four run lead when Kevin McReynolds hit a  run HR (5) in the 3rd. Keith Hernandez hit a 2 run shot in the 6th to put the Mets up 8-3 before Johnny Bench hit his second HR of the game in the 6th for the final Reds run.

On a windy day, the balls were flying out of Great American Ballpark.
Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez each went 3-5 for the Mets
Johnny Bench was 3-3 for the Reds with 2 HRs , 2 runs and 3 RBIs
Dave Concepcion was 3-4 with a double

GAME 2
 


METS 3 REDS 1

Gary Gentry (4-0) continued his fine season as he pitched 7 strong innings to get the win. Tug McGraw got his 7th save in as many chances. Bronson Arroyo (2-4) pitched well and was the hard luck loser.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Joe Morgan but the Mets tied it in the 3rd on a Keith Hernandez single and took the lead in the 7th when Lenny Dykstra executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt scoring Kevin Elster. Darryl Strawberry belted a solo HR (8) in the 8th for an insurance run.

GAME 3

 

REDS 6 METS 5  11 innings

A thrilling game at Shea as the Reds salvage one win in the series. The Mets trailed the entire game before tying it with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th - only to lose it in the 11th inning.

The excitement started early when leadoff hitter Dave Concepcion started the game with an INSIDE THE PARK HR! 1-0 Reds. In the second Dan Driessen homered (9) off Mets starter Jim McAndrew to make it 2-0. The Reds added another run in the third on an RBI single by George Foster. The pattern continued in the 4th when Reds starting pitcher, Mat Latos, helped his own cause with an
RBI grounder.

With the score 4-1 (Lenny Dykstra having homered (1) in the 3rd), the Mets began their
comeback. In the 4th an RBI single by Dave Magadan and a sac fly by Gary Carter made it
4-3. The Reds got a big insurance run in the 7th when Concepcion singled in a run. 5-3 Reds after 7.

The 8th inning was an exciting one. Keith Hernandez led off with a single. Keith Miller went into run for him. Strawberry struck out - and then in came Aroldis Chapman to face Mookie Wilson, who walked. PH Mark Carreon then walked to load the bases for Dave Magadan. The hard throwing Cuban lefty then fanned the tough to strike out Magadan for the second out. And just as it looked like Chapman would get out of the jam he uncorked a wild pitch as Miller raced home to make it
5-4.

In the 9th, after Chapman was removed for a PH, JJ Hoover came on to try to pick up the sagve.
Kevin Elster greeted him with a lead off single. Lee Mazzilli went in to run for him. Dykstra and Backman then grounded out with Mazzilli moving to third with 2 out. Mackey Sasser came up to pinch hit and drew a walk putting runners at the corners for Darryl Strawberry. Straw was hitless this season with 2 out and runners in scoring position - but NO MORE - as the Straw Man lines a single to left center scoring Mazzilli and tying the game! Hoover then retired Wilson and it was on to extra innings.

With the Mets having exhausted their bench, Sasser (ordinarily a catcher) had to go to 3B while 2B Tim Teufel took over at SS.

After a scoreless 10th, Danny Frisella, who came on in the 10th, started the 11th for the Mets. After retiring Foster on a ground out Frisella walked Bench and went crazy arguing the call. So crazy that he was EJECTED. Tug McGraw came in to relieve Frisella and retired Morgan on a gorunder for the second out. WIth first base open, Manager Raylesberg elected to intentionally walk Dan Driessen and let McGraw face the weaker hitting Cesar Geronimo. But the move backfired when the Reds CF lined a single up the middle scoring Bench - to give the Reds a 6-5 lead.

In the bottom of the 11th, Reds reliever Sean Marshall put the Mets down 1-2-3 and Cincy
had their victory. Marshall got the win (1-0) and Frisella (1-1) took the loss.

The Mets are now 18-12, third in the NL East, trailing Pittsburgh and Chicago pending the rest of this week's games. The Reds drop to 13-17, fifth in the NL West.

Next up: the Mets finish up the season against division rivals St. Louis and Chicago. Cincy will play San Diego and then Atlanta