In a crazy, wacky four game series that took over 2 ½ hours
to grind through, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals came away about
where they started, splitting the four game set.
Managers Alan Raylesberg of the Mets and Bike Mike of the
Cardinals had no idea what they were in for when the series started. What they
got were multiple freeze-ups, out-of-sync game play, game data not loading,
run-time errors and a complete cyber-fiasco of events that resulted in each
manager taking turns at hosting parts of the series in the hope that the change
would eliminate the mechanical mishaps.
The series was such that in between all of the cyber
hiccups, the managers forgot that there were baseball games going on. Both
managers lost focus enough to where they brought in “cold” pitchers at times
(ie we forgot to warm up a reliever). One such flub may have costed the
Mets a game, and this is a club fighting for a playoff position. When the games
were actually playing, the action was pretty good. Once we plodded on to game
four, it got down right riveting as you will read about.
Game one started with Alan hosting, and looked to be a
potential gem with a classic duel on the hill featuring future Hall of Famers
Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver. Seaver was the only one to live up to the
hype, firing a 6-hit shutout and striking out 9 in a 6-0 New York win at Shea
Stadium. Darryl Strawberry homered and drove in three for the victors.
Game two saw the wackiness begin, which resulted in Alan
hosting the first half of the game, and Mike hosting the last half. The game
matched the mechanical craziness as Eric Davis hit a two-out, two-run homer in
the top of the first inning off of Jerry Koosman to get the Cardinals off and
running. Former Met lefthander Al Jackson could not stand the prosperity
however. Facing three straight lefty batters to start the contest, he gave up
singles to Lenny Dykstra and Dave Magadan, and a three-run bomb to former
Cardinal Keith Hernandez, and just like that the Mets had the lead.
The home club tacked on an additional run in the second,
after a two-out, none on with the pitcher batting situation. The pitcher,
Koosman, proved to be no slacker at the bat by singling. Dykstra then tripled
to plate the Met lefty.
The score held until the fifth when the Cardinals returned
the favor in a way, as Jackson drew a one-out walk. Edgar Renteria also walked,
and Placido Polanco tripled both home to tie the score Mark McGwire then
doubled home Polanco, making it 5-4 St. Louis. The rally fizzled at that point,
sort of a Cardinal trademark in KOD28.
Somewhere around this point in the game, the cyber-issues
were flaring wildly, like a fox that came upon an open gate to a hen house.
This was where the managers switched roles, with Bike Mike taking over the
hosting duties. It seemed to work for awhile.
Meanwhile back at the ball yard, Jackson held the Mets at
bay through 7 2/3 when Kevin McReynolds connected on a two-out home run to tie
it. The game remained tied 5-5 after 9.
Heading in to the top of the tenth, manager Alan summed a
confused Tug McGraw to the hill, before Tugger had a chance to loosen up in the
bullpen. The early results were obvious as Jim Edmonds lead off with a single,
stole second, and scored when Shawon Dunston doubled. But like so many Cardinal
“rallies” in KOD28, that was all the scoring as the Cards could not add any
insurance tallies.
Joe Hoerner was on the slab and the Mets made it exciting.
Hernandez singled to lead off, and was balked to second before Strawberry
fanned. Kevin McReynolds grounded out, Hernandez moving to third. A walk to
Gary Carter put the potential winning run on base before Tim Teufel battled
Hoerner to a 3-2 count, fouling off several pitches before going down on
strikes to end it. The Mets outhit the Cardinals 12-6, but gave up 7 walks
which opened the door just enough for St. Louis to steal the win.
Game three shifted to St. Louis, with Bike Mike continuing
to hold down the hosting chores. It was the Kevin McReynolds show as the Met
leftfielder homered twice, the second one being a grand slam, and drove in six
runs to lead New York to an 8-4 victory behind Gary Gentry.
After more technical difficulties lead to yet another switch
in hosts, with Alan regaining the job, the tired managers decided to forge on
and finish up the set. Bike Mike’s Cardinals, playing for pride at this point,
went with rookie right-hander Dick Hughes on the mound against Jim McAndrew.
Hughes had pitched all of 2/3 of an inning in a relief outing up to this point.
The Cardinal bats took the drama out of the final outcome
early, jumping on McAndrew for 6 runs in the bottom of the first, and two more
in the second. It was mostly a matter of playing out the game at that point, as
it seemed unlikely that the Mets would come back from an eight run deficit,
even with the inexperienced Hughes on the hill. After all, the bullpen had
numerous options to go to once Hughes faltered.
But the righty was sharp, retiring the first eight batters
before an unlikely walk to McAndrew. He then settled in and retired the next 15
in a row! Rarely was a ball even hit hard, although Strawberry hit one to the
warning track in right, and Howard Johnson hit a liner to right that was gloved
by JD Drew.
The 15-in-a-row took the game to the bottom of the 8th
with two outs. Dave Magadan was summoned to hit for HoJo, and worked a walk. It
was only the second base runner for New York. Alan then went to Gregg
Jeffries to hit for Kevin Elster, and Hughes got him on an infield pop-up to
short.
With the Cardinals in control 9-0 at this point, the only
question concerned whether or not history would be made. Forgotten in the drama
was Ray Lankfords’s 3-for-3, 2 homer, 4 RBI performance, and Dunston’s two hits
and 3 RBI. The focus was on Dick Hughes.
Switch-hitter Wally Backman would be the first to test
Hughes’ stamina in the 9th, but the lanky right-hander still had
great stuff and fanned the Met pinch-hitter. This brought up the top of the
order and Lenny Dykstra, who got a ball slightly up in the zone and hit on a
line, but right to center fielder Edmonds. Once again Tim Teufel was on the
spot. Could he deliver the hit he did not get in game three?
Hughes poured his heart and soul into every pitch at this
point, knowing he may never get to this point again in whatever Major League
career he may have. With the count 2-2, he put a slider on the outside edge
that Teufel swung at…..and missed! Strike three – a no-hitter!!!
Unlikely hero, making a spot start, hoping to impress and
earn a place on next year’s ball club, be-speckled Dick Hughes pitched the game
of his life. He faced only 29 batters in the master piece, the two walks being
the only thing that kept it from a perfect game.
These KOD28 St. Louis Cardinals have been a disappointment
The pitching has been less than hoped for, the defense shoddy, the base running
poor, and the clutch hitting largely non-existent. They have mostly excelled at
leaving runners on base.
But a little-known glasses-wearing right-hander gave this
team what no other Cardinal KOD has experienced.
Bike Mike
