Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets - April 21, 1986

those Cardinals who were rained out today they were scheduled to play in Chicago Mets have a record of five and three in there now one and a half games back of the Cardinals Jim Leyland the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Davey Johnson the manager of the New York Mets and now the Mets take the field Matson pirates med opening day in Pittsburgh where the Mets win that ballgame behind the white Gooden so they have a record of all and one against the New York Mets last year the Mets won 10 of the 18 ball games played but the Pirates played the devil's advocate as they really put the pressure on the Mets in the latter part of the season and they were the team that really made it difficult for the Mets to get back into first place Rick Aguilera will be the starting pitcher for the Mets in this ballgame and he'll be opposed by Larry McGee Williams both have a record of no wins and one loss and Aguilera with an earned run average of 6.00 defensively for the Mets Keith Hernandez at first base at second base Tim Tuffle the shortstop is Rafael Santana and a third base Ray Knight in left field George Foster a center fielder Kevin Mitchell and a right-field Darryl Strawberry the catcher Gary Carter and Aguilera the pitcher Rick 24 years of age oh and one with a 6 e RA he has worked a total of six innings giving up four hits while striking out six Rick Aguilera and will flash the lineup for you RJ Reynolds will be splitting up and playing left field centerfielder Joe or select batting second Johnny ray the switch hitting second baseman off to a good start batting third and Sid Bream at first base batting fourth Mike Brown the right fielder hitting fifth this evening the fine catcher of the Pirates Tony Pena batting sixth third baseman Jim Morrison will hit seventh Sammy Khalifa the shortstop batting eighth and Larry McWilliams on the mound betting night empires for the game the night Airy Greg at home plate Jerry Davis the umpire at first base Doug Harvey the umpire at second base and dick Stello the umpire at third Bart's bring a five-game winning streak into this ball game back in 1962 the Mets opened up at the Polo Grounds their first year in their history of baseball and lost nine in a row Pittsburgh that year won 10 straight ballgames and the leadoff batter will be r.j. Reynolds Reynolds with a grand slam home run at Wrigley Field the other day his first in his brief major league career hitting 351 two home runs and seven runs batted in RJ acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last year in 31 games with Pittsburgh he batted 308 if you remember back in Game one played on April 8th couple of weeks ago matter of fact a couple of weeks ago tomorrow night the opening day of the season for the Mets RJ Reynolds homered on an ode to fastball off flight Gooden that was a game in which Dwight gave up only two runs and won the ballgame for two - so that was his other home run one grand salami and the other one off good and so he's off to a good start RJ Reynolds last year overall hitting 282 for the year with three arm rise 42 RBIs and off to a fine start here this year at 3:51 Rick Aguilera with a lifetime record of 10 wins and eight losses in lifetime against Pittsburgh he's won and won and the fastball for ball one r.j. Reynolds a Roberto Clemente fan as a youngster and here he is in the outfield with the Pittsburgh Pirates so really a dream come true and the fastball fouled away one ball one strike commending the Hall of Famer for Pittsburgh who hit 3000 hits his last before his tragic death was a basic against the New York Mets John Matlack as a matter of fact was a pitcher in that ball game his last hit of that year and the breaking ball strike call by Eric Gregg 1 & 2 I'll tell you that was a good call by Eric Gregg now why was it a good call because if the hitter if it cools the hitter that backdoor breaking ball usually it fools the umpire too and Eric Gregg hung right with that pitch back with the breaking ball in the left field Foster off and running he can't catch it RJ on his way to second and he pulls up there so RJ Reynolds will the leadoff double pirates hitting at 264 for the season so far this year doing very well well we told you about the backdoor breaking ball Aguilera and Gary Carter try to throw the same pitch and good hitters look for that pitch again and that's what rentals did and just shot that ball to left field Foster had no chance so a runner in scoring position with no one out a conference at the mound as you take a look at Joe or CELAC who hit his first home run in the major leagues in Chicago I was in the last series played by the Pittsburgh Pirates that was on Saturday the Pirates and the Cubs locked up in a beauty yesterday 8 to 8 and 13 innings that game will be resumed August the 11th and I'll tell you what our CELAC told me they should do with that game after this pitch penny moves out in bunny position to take for strike one he said they ought to do just like in hockey they ought to give the Cubs a half a point the Pirates a half a point not even play the game forget it let it go he wants that home run he got Saturday that's right of course all the stats count in yesterday's game that game to be resumed as we said August the 11th and the fastball for a ball one ball one strike horse alike went 499 at-bats before he had that home run that's in the major leagues had a home run against the Mets in spring training overall hitting 294 this season one home run seven RBIs this one has popped up couple having some trouble out there strawberry saves him as he calls him off the play it makes the catch RJ holding at second base and a good play by Darryl Strawberry taking charge inexperience in centerfield and Kevin Mitchell and Daryl took charge much easier play for Darryl that'll bring up the hottest batter in the National League Johnny Ray Ray leading the league in hitting at 440 at 4:55 one home run need 11 runs batted in he's also number one and on-base percentage at 514 he's number four in slugging percentage at 667 what a start he has gotten off to last year hit 274 was seven home run 70 RBIs and he's only struck out one time and that's not unusual is it led the National League and being struck out the fewest amount of times and there's strike one struck out only once every 27 at-bats at a total 24 k's last year switch hitter better hitter from the left hand side and hit him with the runner in scoring position just underway one away pirates with the runner at second bound back strike two on deck batter Sid Bream one thing that hitters in the National League have not gotten used to and they talked about this around the batting cages how Rick Aguilera comes set he doesn't bring his hands to his body but he'll keep his set out away from the body and that really serves as a quick pitch we're watching here two strikes the count and the fastball almost gets away it's almost a strained position when he has his hands away from his body most pitchers will rest their hands against their body and when hitters see that happen then they're ready for the pitch but Agee keeps those hands about 4 to 6 inches away from the body what I like John Denny uh-huh and dick Ruthven does the same thing with the Cubs Johnny way asking for time from home plate umpire Eric Greg ray is hit in eight straight ballgames and had 15 hits over the eight games pile tip out of the glove so ray stays alive see the good hitters get a piece of this pitch it's an outstanding tailing fastball right on the corner the grouse said Johnny ray led the National League in and the fewest strikeouts per it that's last year he is a good ball player steady plays every day plays hurt good player rookie Erie played in all of them 162 games 1 2 pitch didn't go and it's 2 & 2 last year he played in 154 ball games very little win here at Shea Stadium tonight turned out to be a pretty night goodness very nice outfield has to be very heavy very wet from the rains of course the infield with that tarp on it to to pitch it right back to the middle of base in r.j. Reynolds coming in and he'll score the throw goes in the second and the Pirates lead by a score of one nothing Johnny rain nine in a row now and drives in the first run of the game and this is a seed back through the metal duck it actually does hit Rick Aguilera on the glove he deflects it a bit but it was hit so hard it just shoots five Santana who had no play and the Pirates were on top with a quick run boy he's lucky to get out all the way of this line drive this ball is hit get down well he did get that glove up to just deflect it as always a rope see your life going right before your eyes right there so ray is on with an RBI said Greene is the better and Ray draws a throw ray a good baserunner 13 stolen bases last year and the Pirates not a running ballclub last year even though Chuck Tanner was their manager they have been running more this year and it's popped up in foul territory one strike the count on Sid Bream dream hit 230 last year this year hitting at 182 with two home runs and four RBIs it was the opening day first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year played the first 14 games for the Dodgers and of course came over with RJ Reynolds and Cecil espy in the Bill Madlock trade August 31st one ball one strike by the 284 and 26 games for the Pirates in the minor leagues he's had a fine home run performance has not been able to put it together yet in the major leagues two and one Sid had reconstructive surgery on his jaw after the last season [Music] and that t2 what do they call a TMJ syndrome whether the connecting bone up there on the upper part of the jaw the reason I know that is I've got the same thing but jaw cracks when I eat whole bit when I talk which means it's just a lot of cracking I know Elk Creek no wisecracks no wisecracks on that crack do into the cat 1984 bream had 20 home runs at Albuquerque good place to hit home runs he was at Albuquerque in 83 and had 32 home runs 2 2 pitch stays alive as he fouls off the fastball on deck batter Mike Brown pirates leading one nothing just underway one man out top of the first double by RJ Reynolds and a single by Johnny ray and this one in the air to left George Foster puts it away 2 min away as Ray goes back to first [Applause] that'll bring up Mike Brown Rick Aguilera trying to get out of the first inning of this ballgame with only one run Brown a tough hitter batted 304 last year 332 with the Pirates and this year hitting at 308 with one home run and six RBIs came to the Pirates from the Angels Pross the first base Mike Brown didn't see eye-to-eye with gene Mauch the manager the Angels said he felt like he was walking on eggshells as far as Jean Marc was concerned [Music] macht put him in as a pinch runner and on the first pitch he had him stealin he was thrown out mock got all over the hess ball foul back out of play I guess Mike felt like he went too loose I don't know where you're gonna loosen up if you're a pinch runner it'd be running in the dugout Rock wanted to know why he didn't get a better start he got out there and on the first pitch he had him stealing well here's a well-kept secret I'll tell you bet it 332 with the Pirates last year and a good breaking ball 1 & 2 the count fine outfielder runs well throws well hits for average hits for power he's good player 5 home runs 57 ballgames for the Pirates as you look at Tony Pena the on-deck batter and the slider is fouled off just got a piece of it well it's two sliders in a row to brown and you saw what r.j. Reynolds did after the two straight sliders if you keep throwing that slider to a right-handed hitter from a right-handed pitcher what in effect he does he keeps leaning and leaning and leaning and in effect he takes that outside corner just brings it in to where it's about the middle of the plate that's why you got to brush it back throw the fastball inside we'll see what Gary and Rick do here Johnny ray draws another throw at first base that's a constant in and out in and out the most effective way to work hitters fastball right on the outside corner strike three so Rick gives up a run on two hits leaves one as the ends inning with a strike out on the score at the end of one half inning the Pirates won the Mets coming up now here's a word from Burger King well Larry Mac Williams on the mound for the Pirates and this is a lineup he'll be facing for the Mets Kevin Mitchell playing center and leading off Tim Tuffle the second baseman batting second followed by Keith Hernandez Gary Carter in the four hole Darryl Strawberry batting fifth and George Foster in there again after a couple days up ray Knight hitting 7th and Rafael Santana batting eighth and Rick Aguilera a good hitting pitcher bout of 278 last year batting ninth and offensively it'll be Larry Williams as a pitcher no wins one loss in ER a a 4.5 always worked 6 innings struck out 3 given in giving up five hits walking four it'll be bream ray Khalifa and Morrison 1st to 3rd Reynolds or CELAC and brown left to right and pan you the catcher in the first pitch is ball one buck Williams a very fast worker and he's pitching to Kevin Mitchell and his ball hit for a base hit the right field so Mitchell singles for the Mets first base hit Mitchell hitting 333 before the base hit that brings up Tim Tuffle Kevin Mitchell second start he had two hits scored the winning run in Saturday's game against the Phillies drove in the tying run now leadoff single tonight little out there here Kevin Mitchell trying to want a job in that outfield and he can catch he can play third he can play short first pitch to Tuffle a breaking ball for ball one Tim hit him 130 so far this year no all runs four RBIs he's had three hits in 23 times up and if you're thinking about a stolen base forget it in my opinion this is the toughest tandem in the National League to run against McWilliams and Pena and the fastball for a ball one ball one strike then you're ready to throw he has got a great arm he had 100 assists last year and couple with the fact that McWilliams gets a ball to home plate only four base runners out of ten tries stole bases against McWilliams and taenia at combo last year McWilliams gets the ball to the plate the hurry and pain he's got a great arm that's pretty good formula throwing guys out and the 1-1 pitch again the breaking ball this time not in the strike zone and the count two balls in one strike tough will hit 260 last year in the American League for the twins with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs and the fastball fouled away 2 & 2 the count McWilliams with a lifetime record of 65 and 57 lifetime against the menses nine and seven at an off-year last year Tim Tuffle a lot of playing time this is the sixth left-hander in seven games the Mets efface line the right field a base hit Mitchell on his way to third Brown throws within to the shortstop and the Mets have runners at third Kevin Mitchell there and at first Tim Tuffle there [Applause] so Tim Tuffle with the rope - right and Davey Johnson's type of player is Kevin Mitchell belly-flopped into third get his uniform dirty in a hurry got a like that Lynn Dykstra sliding all over his stomach all over the place I like that Oh Gary Carter the other day with a bra i slide home yeah dressy baseball by the New York Mets and it brings up Keith Hernandez Keith brings a five-game hitting streak into this game hitting 412 over that streak overall hitting 333 for the year with no home runs and three RBIs and the first pitch is a strike call pirates leading one nothing but the Mets with the timer and a third and behind Kevin Mitchell at third-base shuffle at first try to come inside with a fastball again it all sale outside scuse me Ralph but you remember in spring training there are a lot of pitchers who like to pitch Hernandez inside and if you kind of pitch him inside sometimes it's not good to start off in there because a guy like Hernandez will adjust to that he'll adjust anyway he's that kind of a hitter 1 and 1 the count the curveball hit right at Khalifa and he has no play Mitchell holds a third base and temple at first well it's a good play by Tim Tuffle you cannot be doubled off on a line drive the other way if you're the runner at first base the reason behind that is if the ball goes to left field you're only going to go to second anyway so you got to make sure the ball bounces in the outfield good play by tougher these things you should know before the pitch is made first base coach usually reminds you that that brings up Gary Carter Carter brings a seven-game hitting streak into this game batting 367 over the seven games and overall Carter hitting at 333 with one home run and nine runs batted in and the breaking ball for ball one if you're a runner at first base it's more understandable if you're doubled off on a line drive to the right side of the infield of the second basement of first baseman because then you're taking a chance if the ball is in the outfield you can go to third base but not to the left side and the fastball two balls no strikes Larry McWilliams on the mound for the Pirates last year he won seven and lost nine and was two and three against the Mets last season [Music] McWilliams learned that quick pitching style from Johnny Sain pitching coach for the Richmond ballclub at the time saying of course a great major league pitcher and the pitch back is low on his free and all they're on strawberry the on deck batter I don't have to ask you if you're hitting here you better leave is leave your feet right robbery on Dec 3 and oh count to Gary Carter and he gets a pitch inside for ball 4 and that loads them up [Applause] bases are loaded Li Leyland the manager of the Pittsburgh parts also down there bill burden a former pirate star manager [Applause] trevor hitting 241 the home runs four RBIs [Music] darrel in the first inning of a ballgame against Pittsburgh at a grand slam home run it looked like the Mets would win that ballgame easily they were leading 4 to nothing game 1 18 innings that was last year when rusty Staub went from left to right back to left back to right made his only put out of the season and right-field line running catch they're trying to keep him from being in the action and he had to make one of the great plays of his career rose to hit that ball but out in right field uh-huh [Applause] now time is called Darrell had a couple of grand slams last year one of them the grand salami that Ralph just referred to and the fastball for ball one among active players Dave Kingman with the most grand slam home runs 15 second to him is Eddie Murray got his 13 this past weekend then George Foster with 12 and a strike call it's one ball one strike and strawberry did not like the call [Music] lou gehrig the all-time leader and grand slam home runs with 23 darrell it appeared thought that ball was high but he is six-six got to remember that sweeping curveball 1 & 2 that's the old roundhouse curve and much more effective from a lefty to lefty than a righty to a righty see that frontside bailing out of there it's one key you got to remember when you face the left-handed pitcher if you're left-handed hit or keep that frontside closed 1 & 2 and strawberry full by the breaking ball just does get a piece of it and stays alive count remains one ball and two strikes that's why you say protect the outside part of the plate with two strikes see that front side leaving right there but Daryl did get a piece of it that means you're vulnerable inside but you can't protect both sides of the plate [Applause] egg Williams very tough to hit if your left hand battery has at her key jerk jerk moment motion and he also has that sweeping curveball [Music] and the fastball the Darryl fouls it back out of play [Applause] on deck batter is George Foster when you have the great reflexes that a strawberry has you can look curveball and still get the bat on the fastball that's right especially with two strikes [Applause] and the fastball again this time it's a ball that's 2 & 2 those last two fast balls really setting up a curveball here yep I agree with you fastball fouled away and the heater inside will be an off-speed curveball in all likelihood it's a guessing game but you can anticipate the right way one sidearm and got the curve and got him so he said Darryl of perfectly and made the good pitch and that's a big out yeah it really wasn't a good piece of pitching that is a nasty job of pitching by Larry McWilliams ad sweeper and you see the front side when that right leg flies open you're really dead on that curveball I'll tell you that that pitch right there after the two fast balls inside would have gotten a lot of left-handed hitters that only would a very good pitch I am pitching by Mike Williams and now it'll be George Foster George rested for a couple of games after getting a big RBI single now he gets a fastball for ball one Foster hitting 273 with no home runs and three RBIs last year he batted 263 with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs [Applause] [Music] ground ball to the third baseman Jim Morrison goes to second for the force play in the midst in that score after having runners at first and third and no one out they leave two and the score at the end of one Pittsburgh one then that's nothing now here's a word from Newsday top of the second the Pirates leading more nothing and we'd like to remind you this copyrighted telecast is presented by authority of the New York Mets and WRTV and is intended solely for the private non-commercial use of our audience any publication reproduction retransmission or other use of the pictures descriptions and accounts of this game without the express written consent of the New York Mets and wor TV is prohibited for the Pirates it'll be Tony Pena the leadoff pirates picking up a run in the top of the first ending on the double by RJ Reynolds and a single by Johnny ray the Mets left the bases loaded after getting runners at first and third and no one out so Tony Pena the batter been hitting 219 so far this year with no home runs and two RBIs last year 249 hitter with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs Rick Aguilera the mound for the Mets any misses with a fastball I knew a man who does not let many go by now your slider is swung on and missed he does not take a walk on the wild side huh it never gets cheated whack all that back of his takes a beating with that bat he hits his back with that bat everytime him yeah he pulled a muscle pull the ribcage muscle in spring training missed about a week swinging like that that just has to do a style though he never gets cheated kind of like Willie McCovey from the right side and it's grounded foul Jim genteel used to work had on his bang he was spring like that gentleman Jim genteel I think gentleman Jim holds the record for grand slam home runs in a season does he nut with fine he has hit five in a season also Ernie Banks hit five in a season I think gentleman Jim did it back in 61 and banks did it in 56 I believe but they are the National League and the are the American League and National League Grand Slam hitters that hold the record for Grand Slams in a season and the breaking ball you got a piece of it to stay alive and you find offensive catcher Pat at 286 in 1984 his mother is his teacher as far as baseball concerned she was a fine softball player and he got it good breaking ball oh that was a nasty pitch right there that slider a little bit off the plate to a free swinger a good pitch by Rick Aguilera he just off the plate she got a free swinger up there Haney goes down so one away here in the top of the second the Pirates leading one nothing and it brings up Jim Morrison Morrison hitting at 192 with one home run and three RBIs and again the breaking ball for a strike Morrison at 254 last year with four home runs and 22 RBIs it's only played in a hundred games one time in his major league career last year he played in 92 his best year ever with the White Sox third fastball but not a strike call Jim broke in with the Philadelphia Philly organization and can flat handle a high fastball [Music] two balls one strike nineteen eighty with a White Sox he played in 162 games and had 15 home runs while hitting 283 this ball hit deep to left field it's way back it's going it is gone goodbye Jim Morrison with a home run in the parts lead two to nothing [Music] and jim morrison's showing that he can handle the slider to a slider that is a hanger does not necessarily have to be up in the strike zone this one was would you throw good high breaking balls just as well as you can throw good low breaking ball but hanger as we've defined it before see the action just stop in the strike zone ball just stopped it stopped cutting and it just kind of flattens out lays there and Morrison took care of it and now the batter will be Sam khalifa' khalifa' hitting Oh 83 he's been up 12 times with one base hit and that's ball two though time is called as Carter goes out to settle his pitcher down that's a third home run and seven and a third innings that Rick Aguilera is given up one two Gary Reed US with the Phillies and a two-run shot by Darren Daulton and there's the third home run hit by a happy Jim Morrison Morrison wanting a job at third base in spring training at different ways to talk to yourself to if you strike out sometimes you come back to talk to yourself you hit a home run you talk to yourself and the fastball fouled away a little different language indeed indeed it is saw Jim talking to Steve Kemp right to his left there 2-1 to Kalifa bat at 238 last year with two home runs in 95 ballgame basket ball a strike call - and - that song from South Pacific happy talk after a home run that's what you come back and do happy talk want to tell everybody how you did it - to pitch good breaking ball so Aguilera comes back after the home run to pick up his third strikeout this is a similar pitch that he got Tony Pena with slider just off the plate a good two strike pitch that's why you got to stay ahead when you stay ahead you put that hitter on the defense and you can make pitches like that maybe get him to nibble that brings up Larry McWilliams Larry has been up one time this year without a base hit notice Jim Morrison's homerun came on a two one slider that hitters in a much more offensive situation you don't see too many home runs hit with two strikes on a hitter because if the good hitters are in more defensive positions not saying it's never done but you don't see nearly as many as when the pitchers behind in the count not easier to guess when you have that count in your favor first pitch to Mike Williams a strike call Larry he'll do anything when he said in he'll but he's a pretty aggressive ballplayer and he lines one right at night at third and that'll do it the home run by Morrison Nolan left a little score at the end of one and a half Pittsburgh to the Mets nothing now here's a word from Lincoln Mercury and right here at home on channel 9 for the play by flights in McCarver all right Ralph ray Knight leads it off here in the bottom of the second and what a start for Ray Knight big numbers and five straight games came to spring training this year he had shed some weight and ready to play and he has played well in five straight games and a fastball is inside one a no to Ray Knight with a Bucs up to - nothing that's saying the buck stopped here right I hope so now the Bucks have got five straight victories Mets have three in a row one in one tonight and a changeup in a beauty one and two Mets with a golden opportunity to score in the first they loaded the bases with one out the Darryl Strawberry struck out and George Foster grounded to third grounded good play by McReynolds that's how a pitcher can really help himself one out we look at it again Williams coming up with his ball really didn't have much time to do anything but he got the glove down there to take a base hit away from Ray and he not had that glove down there he might have been credited with a skate say he kind of kicked that leg would have stung a little Santana off to a slow start takes a strike rafi only three four thirty in the early going little breezier 101 looks like he tries to turn that changeup over there's you all that motion then throws a little dead fish up there Fantana fouls it back two and two to Rafael Santana rafi one of seven major league shortstops from San Pedro to Makkah Reese rips one foul actually Santana lives into low romana which is about 20 miles from San Pedro de macorís a veritable haven for Major League shortstops and players Pedro Guerrero Joaquin Andujar ten percent of the players and the major ladies come out of the Dominican Republic swing-and-a-miss got him with the fastball second strikeout for Mike Reynolds and with two out the batter Rick Aguilera they set him up for the fastball with the off-speed stuff and he gets into his kitchen there and Raphael unable to get the bat out in front Mike Williams had an injury-plagued in 1985 7 and 9 and only 19 starts Aguilera with 10 hits last year takes a strike good breaking ball Owen too Rick a pinch hitter in the ball game earlier this year came up with a walk and he got him with the breaking ball the ball comes back up to Pena and an easy inning for Larry McWilliams five in a row retired by Larry after to the Mets trail two to nothing we go to the third after this word from manufacturers Hanover in the Philadelphia Phillies last Sunday for the game tonight and hopeful that the Mets would get this one in tonight because his pitchers need to work RJ Reynolds worked to double the left field his first time up off to a strong start and he fouls it back RJ double scored a run in the first inning scored on Johnny Ray's RBI single up the middle and then Jim Morrison hit a solo home run in the second and that's where we are 2 to nothing [Music] [Music] breaking ball and a good one tupple smothers it and throws him out one away the good biting breaking ball right there devil has a little trouble but he gets in front of it works of that on that second base side you can block it and pick it up and still get the runner so Joe or select is the centerfielder Joe pop to shallow right field his first time up and the fastball misses Joe let all the National League rookies in hitting last year hitting just a shade under 300 marks Alice in the American League hit 300 so Joe didn't lead the major leagues tried to hold up but couldn't one in wonder Joe his nickname is slack and you're saying that's what he did for the Pirates last year picked it up did did a good job [Music] local product from Parsippany New Jersey another changeup is low two and one breaking ball off the heel it hurts too and to that Joe or selected this doesn't make you feel any better fortunately it didn't get him on the top part of the foot he got him on the back part in the heel that does help a little bit a little more padding on that shoe and he fouls it away Ralph mentioned earlier that or celac in his first major league home run after 499 at-bats and before the game tonight we were talking about marvel win who truly was a marvel early in the earlier in the season two years ago in 653 at-bats he did not have a home run got him with the fastball at tailing fastball for Aguilera's fourth strikeout in the nationally the cards and cubs were snowed out Ray's leading the Astros three nothing top of the third and of course the Dodgers and Giants on the coast will be later Johnny ray the batter singled in a run in the first and to complete that story marvel win was 653 at bats had no homers in 1984 and this year in his second game as a Padre he had two home runs in one game amazing it's appropriate and pertinent because or celac is replacing when in centerfield how about the story of Dwayne Kuiper he had one home run in his major-league career off of Steve stone had over 2000 advanced with only one home run yeah oh and one to Johnny ray two to nothing bucks on top here in the top of the third line off the glove of temple it's going to be a base hit second in a row for Johnny ray well Johnny ray goes right down to get this breaking ball does an excellent job of hitting couple unable to glove it keeps it in the infield and Ray's on first base with two men out tough chances it hits him on the heel of the glove so a ray of hope here for the Pirates in the top of the third with two out and the batter Sid Bream he flied to left his first time up strike one [Music] changeup is outside 101 to sit Bream from Carlisle Pennsylvania Alf kinder knows that town well Jim Thorpe James Thorpe probably the greatest athlete we've ever had in the history of the United States specially in track he did play in the major leagues briefly and effectively talking about a guy who could do it all now Jim Thorpe could do it all - and one - Sid Bream they took his medals away because he played semi-pro ball got a buck or something like that to play and they said he was a professional he played under another name but someone dug it out I think would have been more than fair if he played semi-pro ball to take half of his medals away it's only semi what debris they did restore the medals after he had died to his family there goes ray and this one's fouled off the chin guard of Gary Carter so ray was going on the 3-1 pitch he most definitely will go on the 3-2 pitch fastball it sunk and he got the top part of the ball so we'll see ray running I set off Gary's shin guard it was actually off the shin guard of Eric Greg the home plate umpire three to two out two to nothing Pittsburgh Fernandez behind ray line base hit the right-field strawberry will have to hurry here comes ray Oh but applied by Gary kind the tale of the tape shows a considerable weight advantage Gary Carter on a strong throw by Darryl Strawberry oh we look at it again with a runner going on the 3-2 pitch the slider drilled down the line it's fair by inches strawberry has to hurry ray is rounding third base he makes a perfect throw here Carter has a chance to block the plate on the throw he does and he makes the tag and ray is out no runs two hits and one left here in the third it's 2 to nothing Pittsburgh after 2 and a half now here's a word from off-track betting fans joined the Mets Saturday afternoon made 10th as Pete Rose and the Cincinnati Reds will be in town all kids 14 and under will receive a pair of Mets wristbands courtesy of starter on Sunday afternoon May 11th Mother's Day treat mom to a day off and bring her out to the ballpark to see the Mets take on the Cincinnati Reds and for coming out to the game all women 16 and older will receive a canvas tote bag courtesy of sadar e importers of real Italian pasta their seats still available so stop by any ticketron outlet or call 7 1 8 507 T ixx for more information this promises to be a great week in a baseball out of Chase so come on out and cheer on the Mets to victory game time for both games 135 [Applause] so Kevin Mitchell leads it off here in the bottom of the third inning Kevin single his first time up and he pops this one up and playable Sid Bream in foul territory one out Ralph we were talking between innings and both Steve Zabriskie and I concurred in thinking at least that Johnny ray missed third base as he was round in third base so the Mets may have appealed that play had Carter not made that good play at home and Darryl Strawberry not made that strong throw it's all academic now with that yep I'm play at home Tim Tuffle single to right his first time up two to nothing Pittsburgh and it's one and OH Mets with a golden opportunity to score with the bases loaded one out in the first but they failed to an out runners at first and third and no one out and the Mets couldn't get the runners in they also got another man out man Carter walked but then strawberry struck out and foster grounded out and temple rips this one foul two and one pirates scored their run on a double by Reynolds in the first RBI single by Johnny ray and then a solo home run by Jim Morrison two to nothing Pittsburgh all the way we got a minute here we should pass on happy birthday wishes to Jesse Orosco is 29 years old today nice prelude to Jesse's birthday in four games he is yet to be scored upon seven innings of work and took a little off the fastball I'll tell you Larry McWilliams is the epitome of a crafty left-hander in reputable Pop's it up again to bream in foul territory with two out the batter Keith Hernandez I have seen a major league fielder make the tie the record minicams with three foot out but I don't think I've ever seen a first baseman catch three in foul territory sure it's been done but you don't see it very often I've been very surprised that Keith pops up to the first base side though this one inside it looked like it hit Hernandez in dead so Keith Hernandez goes down to first no intent to hit him or knock him down he's just trying to pitch him inside I think it gets Keith on the hand as he spins away just did Nicky he takes that right hand which would indicate he did get hit and the expression on McWilliams face certainly would say that the pitch got away yep it's a problem you try to pitch guys inside and those balls get away from him Keith it first with two out Gary Carter he walked his first time up and he takes a strike gary has hit safely in seven straight he safely in ten straight in late August last year for the Mets swings and misses oh and to at a 13 game hitting streak back in 1979 for Montreal that's his career-high it was Larry McClellan's and Jean Garber who stopped ebro's after 44 consecutive games Clara McWilliams with that super play back in 78 on the liner and Pete Rose's first at-bat and then of course Jean Garber with the Atlanta Braves a 12 run lead he threw him a 3-2 changeup blast last out of the game I'm characteristic lead Pete Rose complained that he sure did he surely did it was uncharacteristic of Pete - oh and - to Gary Carter Mets trail by 2 bottom of 3 and this one bounces in front of pain you find play right here pain is a kid he gets out in front on this thing blocks it out in front he's looking at Hernandez all the way he's not gonna go for second in that spot it's what a catcher tries to do it tries to deaden that ball and use all parts of your bodies to try to cushion that ball rounded foul ball third-base umpire dick Stello called it but I'll tell you baby it was just foul well ain't weather now yeah it's whether or not it crosses the bag let's look at it from this angle if it's over the bag it's a fair ball and he evidently said it was not over the bag it's not where it hits and dicks tempo stoically says I called it right and he did that's why if you're at a game sometimes you see those umpires kicking those bags toward the fair part a lot of times when those bags are in they'll kind of drift over to the foul side and on a play like that what would normally be a fair ball or a foul ball would be called there if it's kicked over outside the line two and two to Carter [Applause] [Music] [Applause] third inning for Gary Carter right here he gets a breaking pitch it's up a little bit Gary gets on it and lines it in the left centerfield or so like over can't get to it it clears the wall by a good enough margin second home run for Carter this year and the Mets have tied the game at two parter last year had 32 home runs Darryl Strawberry the batter 2 to 2 2 ballgame and that's eight in a row that Carter is hit in RBIs number 10 and 11 for Gary on the season he leads the Mets in RBIs swinging a foul-tip one in wine as only the Mets fifth home run of the season the Pirates not a home run hitting zag Club have already had 10 but of course they came here from Wrigley Field BET's don't go to Red Lake till the middle of June the curveball is a beauty one and two robbery nose make me feel well he has three home runs in one game there [Music] groundball a second Johnny ray up with it and the Mets are fortunate that Gary Carter's ground ball was not fair because he came back on the next pitch pop one out of here two runs on one hit nobody left after three it's 2 to 2 now here's a word from Bush beer well in the American League the Yankees later against the Royals attackers defeated the Red Sox five to four Terrell the winner not 2 & 1 Hernandez got his force saved knit for the losing pitcher in that ballgame Rangers 3 the Blue Jays nothing bottom of the fourth the Indians 3 the Orioles nothing top of the third and the A's and angels later as well as the twins and Mariners right here it's 2 2 and coming in for the play-by-play Steve sub risky thanks a lot Ralph Mike Brown leads it off here in the top of the fourth prong looked at a called third strike well in the first inning he did not play in the Mets Opening Day game at Pittsburgh and he fouls this one off and the count 1 & 1 he is a good-looking young player finally getting a shot to play almost every day and he's not real happy about being platooned as he was the first part of the season but he's in there against the right-hander Aguilera tonight and he fouls it off 1 & 2 he makes his home in Orange County Southern California right off the freeway the Santa Ana freeway and he says when he sees those thousands of people on the freeway at 7:00 a.m. I'm just thank the Lord he says for being able to be able to play ball not have to fight that rat race grounded a third night it's a nice high hop and guns him down one away [Applause] well here's the replay as it sit down to Ray Knight plays the hop on the good ii hawk takes his time get some gets his man at first base ray coming back from a sore arm and throwing very well this year yes he has Tony Pena struck out swinging in the second inning tony is old 4-5 against the Mets this year that's a pitch that he struck out on right there good slider and as usual pain you did not get cheated he takes a full cut and that may be an understatement he broke 10 bats in a three-game series 1 series couple years ago breaks more bats than anybody here's the good pitch breaking ball down he had a pretty good cut at it he has to struggle to maintain his balance one strike the count and a shot that Hernandez picks clean off the comedy dirty - or [Applause] this one has run off the end of the bat a semi line drive keep added either way in the short hop the fly takes it on the flies so he didn't have to go to first base as Jim Morrison who homered in the second inning for the Pirates second run Morrison's second home run of the year and he misses that good sink that looked like that split finger fastball and it's all in one two out nobody on right back up the middle off Aguilera's leg and it conveniently caroms to first so we'll score that one one three aguilera gifts what might be a painful assist and it's a one two three inning two two in the middle of the fourth and we're back after this for Nissan as we go to the bottom of the third let's take a look at the play that ended the top half of the third inning now Rick Aguilera doing a job getting a skate save as that balls hit hard back to the middle earlier he almost got decapitated by a line drive through the middle by Johnny ray this time he uses his foot instead of his head right over to Hernandez for the final out of the inning George Foster leads off the bottom of the fourth Fulda Matson takes low from McWilliams for ball one George grounded into an inning-ending force play in the first the Mets had the bases loaded but failed to score Carter's two-run home run in the third has tied it and a line shot over sit frame for a base hit to right [Applause] [Music] monster will trade to face it for a broken bat anytime right off the end of the bat just does get it over the head to bream at first base and George's arm with no one out tie ball game at two that's tying the game and a home run by Gary Carter Carter's 240 ninth career home run here's ray Knight who was retired on a fine play by McWilliams back in the second inning on a ball hit sharply back to the pitcher and he pops went on a play for strike one the all-time leader four home runs by catcher Steve as Johnny Bench who hit 325 home runs as a catcher and he hit his last home run the way they do it the movies they had a Johnny Bench day and he caught he hadn't been catching he'd been playing third he hit a home run that last day on his day that was in 1984 what a way to go out [Music] juicy fosters bats split down the length of it that bats split in half and that's a big bat you burn logs in your fireplace bigger than that but not much bigger that's major kindling right now they'll hit the right field but it will stay in the park Brown on the warning track makes the play foster back the first one out tomorrow night at 7:30 the Mets will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates here at Shea and immediately following a special edition of news 9 primetime with the latest news weather and sports Rafael Santana struck out in a second inning one of three recorded by Larry McWilliams so far then Raffy has been struggling he is 1 for his last 21 and he takes his track on the breaking ball [Music] Santana in yesterday's ballgame got a base hit to break an O 419 Street one in one he's in pretty good company there because Bob Horner went o for 21 before he got a base hit his first end of the year turned out to be a home run but he got off to a very slow start I don't know why but foster was chased back foster will not be running nor was he very far off the back jibber got off to a bad start never that bad Santana fool by the breaking ball it's one ball two strikes Raphael has head not only problem getting base hits but he has not been swinging the bat well at all he's had very tentative offerings at many pitches ball players have a philosophy that sooner or later they will all even out did he hold up the appeal [Music] What did he say he said he did swing at it so that's it Jerry Davis made a very quick and almost unseen motion on the appeal would Tony tagging the runner of you don't have to tag the runner when they're less than two out and a runner on first base first base umpire Jerry Davis did make a call so Santana struck out for the second time two out now with foster at first for Rick Aguilera Agee also struck out his first time up little bit inside ball one two runs on five hits for the Mets two runs on four hits for the Pirates were in the bottom of the fourth inning the breaking ball missed outside so it's to know [Music] good spot for Aguilera here he can look fastball got it but mr. two and one when you're a pitcher and they can't goes to two balls no strikes the odds are mighty good that you're going to get a fastball because they certainly don't want to walk you grounded up the middle Kalifa will step on the bag and in the inning a hit and one left here in the fourth inning for the Mets and as we go to the fifth it's still tied 2-2 we'll return to Shea after this word from ivory well on the diamond vision message board they just wished a happy birthday to Jesse and they're playing Jessie's Girl and there is a happy birthday sign for Jess as well Jessie's Girl tsch probably watching the game at home tonight Sammy Khalifa will lead it off Larry McWilliams and RJ Reynolds to follow a 2-2 tie top of the fifth inning Khalifa struck out his first time up a fastball right on the outside corner and it's : one Kalifa an interesting story his father a Egyptian scholar and he has lived all over the world really learned to play baseball in Arizona in California one in one [Music] father a scholar and the religion on the corner again one and two yes I think his dad is the one that taught the Muslim religion to the former Bobby Moore Bobby green it Bobby Moore Bobby Moore who is our moshai Oh Carter and angular a boat thought they had it again but that one missed the corner according to home plate umpire Eric correct so it's 2 & 2 or that was close khalifa strikes out for the second time he fouled tip the ball but Carter held on so there's one out here in the fifth and the batter will be pitcher Larry McWilliams McWilliams with a line shot to Ray Knight at third base his first time up he's not a bad hitter pitcher over this season however now he's got six five strikeouts he had six and his last time out in six innings so he's got 12 strikeouts for the year 4.1 innings five hits two runs one of them a home run by Jim Morrison McWilliams taking his time getting into the box and takes a ball you and Tim were talking about McWilliams Anderton Jean Garber combining to stop Pete Rose's hitting streak I think Pete's still mad about that 3-2 changeup from Garber 44 consecutive games with at least one base hit of course the record is 56 in the major league set by Joe DiMaggio in 1941 breaking ball and it's one ball two strikes one of those records if people say can't be broken 56 consecutive ballgame well I've said that about a lot of records that have been broken so also the Babe Ruth's wait and see awful close again car turn aguilera thought that had MacWilliam pitcher doesn't usually get that call of ball here a good hitter yes but a pitcher solemn Rick Aguilera's body language told you how he felt so now it's 2-2 rounded Tuffle over [Music] so I'll bring up r.j. Reynolds who will take his time in order to give Luke Williams time to read back sucka and we want to remind you that tomorrow night the Pirates and the Mets will go at it again here at Shea and again we'll be on the air at 7:30 tomorrow night a game not on your original schedule and there are plenty of seats still available for tomorrow's game if you want to come on out the weather is supposed to be a lot better than it is tonight you can call 507 TI XX for all ticket information Reynolds has doubled and scored and grounded the second he is also hittin [Music] six of the eight games now that the Pirates have played this year and he takes low for ball one [Music] Reynolds a basketball player in college [Music] all too gave up playing baseball and after three years of playing basketball he came back to baseball and he's a natural right-hand batter he started splitting back in 1982 missed the fastball it's two balls one strike he's off to a fine start this year entered the game hitting 351 two homers and seven RBIs he was in the bill Madlock trade well hit to left center Mitchell will not catch up with it as it slices away from him Reynolds going to second and he'll be there with a stand-up double with two out here in the fifth inning his second double of the night well he hits this ball very well no chance for Mitchell and it's played off the wall by Kevin and Reynolds at second base with two men out and Joe or select the batter Reynolds is now four for seven against the Mets this season for select excuse me or select tonight is oh for 2 he has flied out in short right-center field a strawberry and he struck out looking in the third Marshall axe the guy though that has hit the Mets very well in his young career a career 316 hitter against New York at the start of play tonight pirates with six hits and for them have been extra-base hits three doubles in the home run and in addition to that Ralph there been some hard hit outs ball one Reynolds at second with two out two to tie bottom or other top of the fifth inning all in one now and the replay good pitch by Aguilera who needs to get a big ad right here a tie ballgame with to go ahead and run at second base 5th inning and another pitch that just did miss two balls one strike two and two that's a good pitch I think Ralph to a left-handed hitter right there good off-speed pitch that split finger fastball and to keep it away it is important also like definitely not a home run hitter he's had only one in this major league career so yeah I feel a little deep against it and he pops it up and it's playable Ray Knight in foul territory and the inning is over so hitting one left for the Pirates here in the top of the fifth after four and a half were still tied at two now here's a word from Garcia Vega go to the bottom of the fifth in a 2-2 tie coming back in to call it for you a guy who's only trouble was that he created four national league pitchers during his major league career Ralph Kiner well thank you Steve sir Brisky and it'll be Kevin Mitchell the leadoff for the Mets and he takes the first pitch for strike one Kevin with a single his first time up also has fouled out Larry McWilliams on the mound back with a fastball in the count at one ball and one strike Mitchell at Tidewater last year hitting 290 with nine home runs and he gets under this one pops it up down the left field side long run for RJ Reynolds it'll drop foul Reynolds was playing understandably deep against Mitchell it wasn't so much that he was way over toward centerfield he was just back near the track so he didn't have a long way to come 1 & 2 the count to Kevin Mitchell Pirates have two runs on six hits a Mets have two runs on four in the big hit for the Mets a two-run home run by Gary Carter in the third inning his second home run of the year to tie the ballgame with to fire Art's had a run in the first inning and added one more in the second Williams has struck out three and walked one in this game just Dez missed for the breaking ball you know Rob the way Kevin Mitchell is playing if he can keep it up it'll really give Davey Johnson a great deal of versatility in the top of that lineup pop-up into shallow center or so like a deep centerfield but plenty of time to get to it and Mitchell is out of course all the clubs in baseball are playing with a 24 man roster they could have 25 but it's an agreement that they said they'd go with 24 as the managers much more trouble than it does anybody else we've already seen that with those extra inning games not only the demands but other club and Tim Tuffle tries to bunt his way on strike one tough hole single to right in the first fouled out in the third but you know the 24-man roster could be run with one reason why Kevin Mitchell made the ball cooked ground ball foul strike do the versatility that he showed during spring training obviously a big plus when you have one less guy on the bench we can catch he can play third he could play first he could play the outfield and has played some shortstop dropped out to the shortstop side khalifa loses his hat but gets the out well that 24 man roster thing has been debated around about whether they should do it or not to it as we look at the replay pounded right down in front of the plate and khalifa charging the ball to get a good hop double clutched a little bit and almost waited too long as you see he just did get Tuffle by a half-step and the ad brings up Keith Hernandez when I played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1952 the Pirates lost 112 games we played with 22 men sometimes 21 Branch Rickey said it was addition by subtraction less players we had the less they could use less is more that's right our twenty third fourth fifth players were really bad I was gonna say if no offense but with that club it probably didn't make any difference it surely didn't and here's the pitch inside to and all the entire infield in 1952 the first baseman second baseman shortstop and third base have made a combined total of twenty four thousand dollars in salary and it's real that's meal money these days Ethan and is hit by a pitch ball with two men out in the third was aboard when Carter got his 2-run home run so now the good has been danger of putting him on again in front of Carter 3 & 1 the count and he walked him so once again it's got her up with Hernandez at first base [Applause] [Music] are there with a home run the tide in the third inning score tied at two and a runner at first base with doing out of the fifth [Music] Carter with his home run extending in a city streak to eight straight games 12 it's and 31 at-bats [Applause] [Music] and the breaking ball a strike call Carter's home run came on a full count pitch a 3-2 pitch curveball during that eight game hitting streak Gary with two home runs 10 RBIs he gets a fastball there and McWilliams in front with a two strike count and in addition to the 10 runs that Karthik is driven in during this eight game hitting streak he has scored nine so that's 19 runs and eight games he's accounted for two strike pitch fastball strike three so McWilliams challenges Carter with a fastball gets the call from home plate umpire Eric Gregg and that'll do it a walk in one left the score at the end of five the Pirates two in the Mets 2 now here's a word from Burger King top of the sixth inning a 2 2 ballgame the Pirates coming up and the hottest batter in the National League the lead off Johnny ray County two for two here tonight started this action leading the National League in hitting batting at 4:55 so he has jumped that average rage singled in the first to drive in the first run was safe and a third an infield base hit and was torn out the plate on a double by Sid Bream so he's been involved in the scoring for the Pittsburgh Pirates pirates two runs on six hits immense two runs on four Rick Aguilera for the curveball it's laced into center field and Johnny ray three for three Johnny ray has all the ingredients to be an outstanding average hitter he has a short compact swing he does not strikeout he makes contact a lot he runs well he switch hits just aren't too many other elements you can put together to have a guy and when you think of all those facets you think of a guy like Willie McGee who led the National League in hitting last year Johnny ray acquired for Phil garner who is also doing well for Houston this year now the batter will be Sid bream bream one for two tonight Mets are tied at two and in the first game of the season Leyland the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates played a very conservative game against the Mets he would bun in this but if he stays with that philosophy but he doesn't and bream ready the hit away takes four ball one I think one of the main differences was the Dwight Gooden was on the mound in that ballgame for New York and that changes a lot of people's thinking one ofits debris ms fouled back out of play one thing about playing against a white Gooden you don't beat in the ordinary way you have to think of something different if you do get an advantage of having a chance to score you better take every chance you can they sets my opinion sure they come those chances come few and far between ordinarily one in one the count and a strike all off the inside corner one ball two strikes [Music] breem hitting in the cleanup spot for Pittsburgh ray the runner at first base [Music] lucky mouth Rick Aguilera gets his sixth strikeout as he strikes that said bringing the cleanup batter watch this ball move down and away from green he's right over the top of it so bring back to the bench and it brings up Mike Brown who is all four too Brown was struck out in the first grounded out in the fourth pirates have not attempted a stolen base or attempted to hit and run play Brown a good hit and run man and the pitch is hit to deep left center field a long way for Mitchell they could be gone it's going it is gone goodbye Mike Brown with a two-run home run and the fires take the lead Porter to [Music] they are beginning to love this fellow in Pittsburgh he is some kind of strong he deposits this fastball and about the last row of the left-center field bleachers he rode that right on out of here for his second home run of the year that is the second home run for the Pirates in this ballgame there are 12th this year and it is the fourth home run given up by Aguilera in a total of 12 innings of work this year and it brings up Tony Pena takes four ball one and ball two this start by Aguilera marked somewhat by the same inconsistency that we saw in his opening start of 86 last Sunday in Philadelphia he at times looked at very very sharp and then at other times he seems to groove a pitch and they hit it hard and the Pirates have hit a lot of balls hard tonight and Pandy goes after the off-speed pitch two balls one strike Pena has struck out and also has hit a soft liner that was caught by Hernandez for a nap Brown incidentally now has a seven-game hitting streak going of his own with that two-run home run 2 & 1 the count and the fastball popped up into shallow left-center foster coming hard can't get to it it drops in menu goes to second base and goes in safely so a high pop up that should have been handled but no one there to catch it well this has to be Kevin Mitchell's ball you see foster he thought Mitchell was going to catch it he saw too late that Mitch wasn't going to get there and George had to turn it on he couldn't get there either but that ball had to be caught by the centerfielder that's Mitchell's ball all the way Kevin playing too deep so now a runner at second base was one man out and a conference at the mound [Music] let's have just gotten their bullpen up so no-one really ready to throw and that's one of the reasons for the conference at the mouth Randy Niemann and Terry lead soaring in the bullpen Mel stottlemyre the pitching coach back to the bench [Music] and Aguilera now has given up nine hits as a piracy by score four to two and they'll have Jim Morrison to bat here and he had a home run back in the second his second home run of the year of the pirates nine hits sixth of them have been for extra bases and you have to count that bloop double into centerfield two home runs and four doubles Morrison with a homerun also has grounded out he was out of the heart smash through the middle that hit Aguilera shoe and careened off to first base where Hernandez made the play there that's ball what basket ball grounded off to the left side one ball one strike this is eight game three three four four in his major league debut on June 25th against the Expos and there's a swinging strike here is Pittsburgh's first-round selection seventh in the nation in the June 1982 Draft basketball hit on the ground Santana to Hernandez and that'll do it but two runs in the inning on three hits one man left on base and score at the end of five and a half innings Pittsburgh for the New York Mets - now here's a word from Bud Light bottom half of the sixth inning the Pirates leading by a score of four to two and for the Mets it'll be Darryl Strawberry to leadoff pirates led two to nothing after one and a half the Mets added in the bottom half of the third and the two-run home run by Gary Carter but the Pirates regained the lead on a two-run home run by Mike Brown and here in the bottom of the six that will be Darryl Strawberry George Foster and Ray Knight as the first three batter Larry McCoy limbs a pitcher and strawberry looks at the fastball Darryl has struck out and grounded out his two appearances tonight right back with a fastball strike two McWilliams threw two fastballs right by Gary Carter in the fifth inning to end the inning picking up his last two strikes now he goes to the breaking ball on the count one and two putting his hand struck out five while walking to and hitting one better so far is allowed only four hits - brought a five-game winning streak into this game and Rob area struck out got him with a curveball [Music] well meet us the same McWilliams has had Darryl's number tonight this is the second time he has struck him out with that sweeping breaking ball and he in both instances set him up for it using the fastball earlier in the count and that'll bring up George Foster Foster with a single to right in the fourth inning 1 for 2 tonight [Applause] George got a nice hand when he came up the first time with men on base in the first inning but that didn't last very long as he grounded into a force play came up in the first inning with a base was loaded he's had three chances at grand slam home run so far this year in just six games there's a strike call one ball one strike George with 12 grand slam home runs in his major league career and off the hands rounded to the second baseman bobble by Johnny ray and foster safe on the air and a rare error by Johnny ray who was a pretty good second baseman he just took a little too much for granted it looked like you might have taken his eye off the ball and it came up on him and went off the heel of his glove [Applause] so the Mets have the time run at the plate as Johnny ray is charged with an error and Ray Knight is abettor Ray is all for two tonight [Applause] gray with two home runs so far this year you had a total of six and the breaking ball over the outside part of the plate a called strike ray started this ball game hitting 421 ad hits and 19 times up and he is also driven in five runs in the first five games in which he is played fastball misses one ball one strike on deck batter for the Mets Rafael Santana and a strike called again the fastball 1 and 2 in the early part of the ballgame I put him through an awful lot of slow breaking pitches now he has totally switched over to throwing a lot of fastball his fastball is not a fast fastball doubt if he could get up to 85 miles an hour but after all those slow breaking balls it looked a lot better than that right now there the hitters that have been up against him earlier in the ballgame good pitches will do that they reverse their strategy after you start looking for something else this one grounded foul so they kind of rain I had one ball two strikes [Applause] Mets trailing by 2 was one man after in the bottom half of the sixth inning [Applause] and his fastball hit up the middle good play by Khalifa and they turned it into a double play that will end the inning as Khalifa makes it nice stop and he goes from Khalifa to raid to bream so no runs no hits one error and no one left the score at the end of six that Tim McCarver comes back in it is the Pirates for the New York Mets - now here's a word from RC Cola well the bottom of the sixth inning ended on a big league play turned in by shortstop Sam Khalifa ray Knight hitting this ball very sharply Khalifa not only takes the base hit away but gets the force to Johnny ray who turns the DoublePlay and all of a sudden the inning is over just like that one looked like the Mets might have something going after the error by Ray allowed Foster to get on base so it still Pittsburgh 4 and New York 2 as we go to the top half of the seventh inning Randy Niemann into pitch and in to call it Tim McCarver all right Steve thank you very much as you see Randy oh and two and two games it's been a week since Randy pissed he pitched opening day against the Cardinals last Monday and lost that game in the 13th inning actually came in in the top of the 13th did not retire of Cardinal batter and he'll be working against Larry McWilliams Larry sporting a 4-2 lead up to now Peretz winners of five in a row plus 1/2 a point yesterday's game there's a strike going one Cubs in the Pirates played until darkness yesterday eight eight game after thirteen that game to be completed August the 11th four to two they have the lead top of seven another bunt attempt and it's Owen - - Larry McWilliams Larry oh four two on the night a rather than give each team a point for a suspended tie game they ought to just put lights in that ballpark you think so Wow I have mixed feelings about it but on games in which it involves the Mets and I'm there I sure would like people's lights yep certainly for suspended games and you and I both like night games but Ralph Kiner does not like night games and there's no way that he wants to see lights toward the Wrigley Field that's his last bastion talk about a multi-purpose stadium in Chicago but the Cubs don't want to use the same Park as the White Sox the Bears will but the Cubs won't well I can see that point I you know besides they put a lot of money and effort into Comiskey Park and making it you know playable again and it's still pretty nice for the fans plus it holds a lot more folks in Wrigley oldest Park in baseball Comiskey Park and Chicago but I think they either either put lights in or get a new partner when it comes - and to - Larry McWilliams lights are no lights game wouldn't have been played today postponed st. Louis at Chicago fastball this is 3 into 2 Larry McWilliams [Music] truck him out fastball on the corner Oh Randy Niemann comes back to get Larry McWilliams and the top of the order RJ Reynolds about it well I know what Carter and Neiman are thinking they're thinking if this balls a strike why wasn't the one before this one a strike because they look very similar rentals a good night two doubles a run scored continues as hot hitting enter the game batting 351 and there's a strike pirates with one in the first one in the second two and the six and the Mets with Gary Carter's two-run homer scored two in the third grounded up the middle nice play Niemann and a bad throw but Hernandez is on the bag little snow cone off of the tip of the glove of Randy Niemann well there you see that Cardinal an Chicago game postponed by snow in the Windy City in the bottom of the sixth inning Atlanta is pounding Houston seven to nothing and later on on the west coast the left coast LA at San Francisco interesting thing about that Houston game the Astros eight and three leaders in the National League West Nolan Ryan still in the game after giving up seven runs there's Joe or CELAC with two out nobody on grounds to second Tim Tuffle over - her name is sand a good inning good strong inning for Randy Niemann as deed pirates going order but after six and a half it's 4-2 to Pittsburgh we'll be back after this word from Bud Light well as you Mets fans know the 1986 season marks the silver anniversary of the Mets franchise and to commemorate this landmark anniversary the Mets have put together a sleek 25th anniversary book and here it is entitled the New York Mets the first quarter century this is the official 25th anniversary book of the Mets and it says so right on the silver cover the book is a hardbound volume of the Mets history told in color candid action-packed photographs and engaging essay compiled and written by noted baseball historian Donald Hoenig so to get your copy of the immense official 25th anniversary book just send a check or money order made payable to the New York Mets for 1795 plus three dollars for shipping and handling a total of twenty 95 to promotion graphics department l 160 Varick Street New York New York one double O one three and get your 25th anniversary book of the Mets the american league scoreboard the yankees and royals that's Eddie Lee witson start controversially starting on the road the top of the fourth - 2 5 2 for the Tigers over the white or the Red Sox colors mixed up there 6 to 3 Rangers over the Blue Jays in the seventh three to nothing Cleveland over Baltimore and the California Angels hosting the Oakland A's later on joaquin andujar going in that game and Minnesota will be at Seattle Seattle Mariners putting some runs on the board in their ballpark they've got some guys who can thump what they do Santana the batter here in the bottom of the second the Mets need some thump they're going to overcome afford to deficit rafi oh for two and he takes ball one Santana has struck out twice and as you mentioned earlier having a tough start Barry Landes will be the pinch-hitter for Larry McWilliams they're happy now 1 for 22 only three for 32 on the season and the curveball is listed to left RJ Reynolds over and there's one away so Barry lines will be the pinch-hitter for Randy Niemann Barry oh-for-three on the season and his first pinch-hitting appearance of the year [Music] and we're going to have a cheese very lines is going to hit if Santana was on the long ball Davey Johnson has gone to Wally Backman [Applause] as you see Wally hitting 353 as a mess offensively have gotten off to a great start New York leading the National League in hitting as a team at 270 so far this year Palio for poor is a right-handed hitter lines that's one the left there's this first thing said of the year right-handed though Backman delivers this hit for the Mets and the batter will be Kevin Mitchell now wall-e wants to play everyday and he knows that he must improve his right-handed hitting in order to be able to do that so he just made a point with Davey Johnson I'm sure by a line drive single to left field the right-hander rake Rustique should say krycek is up and throwing for the pirates bottom of the seventh that's trying to get something going groundball nice play McWilliams and Johnny ray on the short hop dropped it picked it up for the forceout do away well there won't be an error charged on the play because you cannot presuppose the DoublePlay but really this is an error McWilliams needed to just fire that ball chest high and great would have been able to turn it but because he gave him a bad throw in the dirt the Pirates were able only to pick up one out well you see that also before the play you'll see the pitcher look around at the shortstop and the shortstop will say who's covering on the play and it looked like McWilliams was indecisive as to who was going to cover well they both uh her right at the bat Johnny ray go Mimi trying to tell McWilliams it was me it was I was I don't think ballplayers in the heat of battle care who it was or about their English or syntax our grammar either right - an O - Tim Tuffle Tim 1 for 3 on the night he singled in the first rip - left this is going to be a fair ball a ball caroms back to r.j. Reynolds but the myths have runners at second and third and two out and the batter Keith Hernandez a double for couple his second double of the year [Music] and Pittsburgh got a break because tuples ball hit the base of the wall and came off very sharply right back to r.j. Reynolds had this ball not carom so cleanly off the wall Mitchell might have had a chance to score but as you see the hop come right to r.j. Reynolds who was able to hold Mitchell at third-base and Ron Schuler the pitching coach of the Pirates is out to talk to Larry McWilliams as cecelio once a has joined pricing and the bullpen say if a double-play ball is a pitchers best friend and I guess it can be said in this inning so far that a fielder's choice is worst enemy when Nick Williams made a fine play on the ball that that Mitchell hit it was sharply hit but his inability and indecisiveness really and going to second base caused him to throw the ball in the dirt and the Pirates unable to turn to and now Mitchell is at third and couples at second think long you think wrong and McWilliams found that out he's in trouble here Hernandez with a chance to tie this game up it's for two to Pittsburgh bottom of seven - ouch shuffle up second Mitchell at third [Music] fastball is low want to know Gary Carter on deck Guerry with a two-run homer earlier in the game now Tony Pina out to talk to Larry McWilliams they're having some sign problem [Music] Keith's hitless in the game he lined out to short was hit by a pitch in the third and walked in the fifth [Music] keith has waited long enough Larry McWilliams normally a fast worker [Applause] [Music] Michell at third couple at second two out bottom of seven breaking ball grounded toward second rate backs up and throws out Hernandez [Applause] so the threat warded here in the 7th and after seven it's four to two Pittsburgh we go to the 8th after this word from Burger King by the new pitcher for the Mets third pitcher of the night and relief of Randy Niemann Terry leach Terry making his first appearance of 1986 he was called up from Tidewater of course when at Lynch underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and so found Terry getting his first shot of the 86 season in relief well the fun is right here on channel 9 of course it's here every Mets baseball game but it's also here weeknights at 7:00 with Dick Clark and special guest stars competing for big bucks in the $100,000 pyramid all right Steven to lead off the Pirates half of the eighth Johnny ray and what a night he's had what a season he's had so far three for three on the night with an RBI and a run scored three singles fastball is low Johnny from chotto Oklahoma the Hou te au chotto oklahoma 10 is the University of Arkansas and he takes a strike on the corner 101 Shoto is a very small town in Oklahoma there's another fine athlete from there and that is a linebacker in the NFL whose name is rod alpha sudden I've drawn a blood labor no no no G where's in that terrible I just thought of his name a minute ago now I forgot it did he go to the University of Southern Cal no he went the University of Oklahoma oh all right Machoke rod show all right rod show great linebacker in college and played in the NFL unusual the two professional athletes would come from such a small town as shell toe Oklahoma course another Oklahoman Johnny Bench from Bangor Oklahoma that's not exactly a metropolis either nuke swing and a foul tip so Johnny ray continue to get a piece of it he struck out only one time this year and as we said earlier in the game led the National League and strikeout frequency last year or strikeout in frequency I guess now I'm on the right frequency 1 & 2 to Johnny ray that megahertz or kilohertz groundball the temple in the myths finally get Johnny ray out one away in the better Sid Bream [Applause] Johnny ray came to the Pittsburgh Pirates with Randy Niemann back in the Phil garner trade after the 81 season and he has produced Sid Bream 1 for 3 off to a sluggish start but fastball outside I guess you could say that the Pirates are hoping that bream comes to the top the bream always rises so does the Sun want to notice Sid Bream to a notice it if he was built like I am you could say he was broad bream we have to stop this not necessarily only if you want to this one to centerfield and there's Kevin Mitchell and their two ways Rick Aguilera started this game he went six innings gave up nine hits Warren runs two home runs one by Jim Morrison the other by Mike Brown and here's Mike Brown [Music] my second home run of the year over the 396 sign left-center field and he got all of it slider is outside Metz trail four to two [Applause] and it's one in one the Pirates last year won only six games out of their 18 games played in April and they've already won five this April is Ralph Kiner said his opening remarks [Music] a lot of good young players Mike Brown acquired from the California Angels last year fastball is inside 2 and 1/2 Mike Mick Kelleher the first base coach for the Pirates telling me before the game that the main reason that he feels they're winning is because they are hustling and they have hustled themselves into a position to win ball games quite the opposite of what happened to them last year when they were constantly getting themselves into position to lose ball game and did they have been hustling around the bases on their homers to have 12 home runs now in this their eighth game two out nobody on top of the eighth-inning and the fastball on the 3 1 pitch walks Mike Brown so he's on and the batter will be Tony Pena who's won 4-3 dumps to double in last time up India left-center field Lea's struck out and lined out hard to Hernandez that walked the first walk issued by New York pitching tonight Aguilera struck out six he walked no one and he held up fastball was inside one a no to Tony Pena Joanie's double his last time up his first extra-base hit of the year [Applause] couple years ago he had 15 home runs most home runs by pirate flare since Jim paglioni's at 17 back in 1965 sliders low - and oh so Terry leach evidence tough time finding the plate here in Taglioni of course pirate catcher and a good one [Music] fastball outside [Music] and his three and OH Steve Zabriskie writing me a note that I said player and I did catchers or players there you go rip and catchers again but other pirate players have had more than 15 home runs in a year well that's true that's true though I say the most five by pirate catcher I got you okay I thought you were taking another shot at catchers you always take shots at catchers never behind your back that's what I like no no but you're gonna rip somebody rip them behind their back never to their face trainee walks on four straight pitches and Terry leach heads after retiring two as walk to their bases in the batter be Jim Morris Morris says kind of tough to do in this business [Laughter] [Music] well Carter out to talk to Terry going over the signs with a runner at second words of wisdom and I'm sure encouragement Jim Morrison his second home run back in the second inning runners at first and second pirates trying to extend their lead and Marcin rips one foul so it's Owen one to Jim for the two ball game top of the 8th inning [Music] tim mccarver along with steve Zabriskie and Ralph Kiner and a reminder that Kinder's corner is on as always following our game tonight Ralph will have the wrap-up of the two games in progress in the National League including a star of the game or stars of the game from this ball game and of course scores from the American League oh and wine to Jim Morrison Houston incidentally has scored two runs at Atlanta Atlanta still eats at seven to two it's in the bottom of the seventh Ralph will have the final four you probably [Music] [Applause] and he had an idea about swinging he took it and it caught the corner Owen to Morrison in the hole Mike Brown at second Tony pain yet first slider Gotti the Morrison down on strike first strike outs for Terry leach but the Mets have a mild Knoll to climb as they trail for two - after seven and a half we'll be back after this word from metropolitan light and make sure to tune in Thursday night at 8:30 when the Mets go west and south to take on the st. Louis Cardinals just after news 9 primetime at 8 o'clock and for the Pirates bill almond enters the game he'll bat ninth in Larry McWilliams place and cecelio Gwent a there's his record not only has he not given up an earned run or any run of any kind opposing hitters are 4 for 30 off of him and a guy who did much better than that with the bat Steve Zabriskie not much at times maybe Gary Carter to lead it off bottom of the eighth-inning 42 Pittsburgh Crider of course with the big blow that temporarily tied the game in the third inning a two-run home run his second of the year he is 1 for 2 is walked and struck out [Applause] one day right in there with a fastball at the knees for strike one I'll tell you I like this move if if the manager of the Pirates Jim Leyland is going to put a short man in I think it's good to put him in to stay out of trouble instead of get out of trouble Crider really pounded one off his foot speaking of trouble and he will take a moment to recover that one might have caught him right on the ankle Steve darling the trainer out those are always painful balls like that they're rarely serious however when you are a catcher and you take balls like that behind the plate as a matter of course you don't need this out you could really tell the impact by how quickly the ball rebounded off of his ankle it must have caught bone not a lot of muscle in people's ankles unless you got real bad legs while Gary gets it together will tell you the line on McWilliams he pitched seven gave up two runs both earned six hits struck out six walked two allowed a home run and hit a batter so the count Owen to to Carter and he's gonna step out again of course I guess the back of the ankle muscle did kill his tendon [Music] 1 & 2 point that point I was trying to make about one thing those divas you know I think it's good policy for short men if you're going to go to the short man let him start the inning and then you know he's loose when he comes in rather than coming in with runners on base and some managers disagree with that my policy that if he starts it off a lot your lot better off we were almost not a lot better off as that ball goes right into our booth andreas our hi home cameraman ducking away a souvenir to the crowd from Tim McCarver that might be as far as I could throw a ball now I undertook for the folks downstairs don't you start ripping your arm now and ripping it Oh check swing roller Braley gets him blunt a made an effort for it it was out of his reach but Johnny ray picks up the assist and there's one out here in the eighth there's Darryl Strawberry who I'm sure is glad to see a right-hander in there as McWilliams gave him all he needed Darryl has struck out twice and grounded up in the last seven games the Mets have faced six left-handers primarily to counter the strengths of strawberry and Hernandez in the Mets lineup blowing inside for ball one Pat Clements throwing in the pirate bullpen fouled out of play and it's now one in one darrel entered the game hitting 241 has yet to hit a home run [Applause] 1 & 2 [Applause] [Music] still wanting to one day a real departure from McWilliams [Applause] got that hesitation pitch and a very slow deliberate delivery but the breaking ball gets strawberry was struck out three times tonight first strikeout or Sussudio want a ball out of the strike zone that dying slider right there and Daryl overanxious who struck out three times tonight and is over for George Foster is one for three Jorge single to right in the fourth inning he's also grounded into an inning-ending force play and reached on an error ball one [Applause] [Music] ball two two out nobody on bottom of the eighth-inning with Pittsburgh leading four to two [Applause] fouled back out of play and the count two balls one strike [Music] [Music] - and - that was a good heater on the inside part of the plate [Applause] [Music] this guy's tough duty he's a good pitcher [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] just outside one day grimacing and frustration but the count is 3 & 2 took off the fastball inside and just misses outside that ball was outside ball four so the Mets will bring the tying run to the plate with two out here in the eighth and Ray Knight the batter ray has hit the ball hard all three times up but he is over three McWilliams retired him on a fine play in the second he flied deep to right and grounded into a double play in the sixth [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all hi Gene Lamont who is one of the coaches of the Pirates reminding the infielders to remind the outfielders to throw the ball the second base and they didn't know what he was telling they thought he was moving them around and no infielders told the outfielders now there's Gene Lamont number 32 price there he's a third base coach uh-huh and in charging defensive alignment he said I could get their attention you know I couldn't get their kitchen they started moving around reminds me the story of Harry Walker one fan with the towel I'll try to fit it in either this setting or the next inning one ball to counter rain a wall to Kerry Walker was in the third-base dugout he was trying to move Walt Warren and he was right in line with who Liam Xavier as we see chip leyland go out to stock gives me a chance to finish the story and Javier didn't know that the towel was meant for Morin so he moved and then Morin saw Walker and he moved the other way Harry had everybody moving around done on the right way and just to get back to start at the original position was a chore believe me sometimes you try to get guys attention Bobby miming what you want them to do with it stuff and that's what Jean Lamont was going through down the dugout Sammi Khalifa moved to about four different positions and couldn't satisfy Jean because he didn't know what he wanted and he wasn't the right guy to move and nobody was supposed to move as a matter of fact check this out sugar bear having a bad back defensively for the Baltimore Orioles in Cleveland well hidden deep to left this ball game is Oh Raymond [Applause] we had hot Ray Knight with his third home run and six games [Applause] great night the subject of scorn was Mets fans last year when he had to 18 he only had six home run and he's got three and eight games this year actually six games this fall he got all of this one I mean all of it a 2o fastball ties it up I think ray got around the bases about as fast as he could go me students there were the a home run trot there he looked like yeah he looked like it hit a triple yeah [Music] Rafael Santana fouls it back in the counter rappy now one and one Ray Knight were a two-out two-run home run to tie Oh think this games not a game of inches once he wanted that 2-2 pitch to foster didn't get it about two inches outside line but foul on the right-field line then he eventually walked foster on the 3-2 pitch and then Knight pumps one over man I'm felling he pumped it to Tim Corcoran on deck that ball was high and deep reminiscent of our colleague Ralph Kiner sort of a half swing ground ball to short Khalifa sucks it up and throws him out but the Mets have tied it here in the bottom of the eighth inning on Ray Knight to run two-out home run for four and will go to the ninth after this for manufacturers Hanover as we go to the ninth inning now tied 4-4 Len Dykstra comes into the game to play centerfield and Kevin Mitchell the centerfielder moves to third base the reason for that is that Roger McDowell was the new pitcher he will Bannon Ray Knight spot in the batting order and Dykstra will bat ninth which means he will lead off the ninth there's Rogers fifth appearance of the year five and a third innings giving up six hits and two earned runs Roger McDowell with 17 saves last year and Davey Johnson's properly gone to the whip here with his ace relievers he's got a Rosco down there well-rested mcdow's well-rested out of the depths of despair both home runs tonight came you remember as Lee Mazzilli is going to be the pinch-hitter for Jamie Khalifa but both home runs came after two out and nobody on to two-run homers Hernandez was hit by a pitch and then Carter popped one in the third and now after Foster walks in the eighth ray Knight with his third home run unusual and boy that shows you what the great deep it is because one pitch makes the difference in both instances between no runs and four runs Lee Mazzilli hitting 167 no homers in an RBI he is old for five as a pinch hitter and he takes the sinker low for McDowell for ball one Maz has expressed his displeasure at being in Pittsburgh he did so last season and has continued this year to request the trade ball to Mazzilli batting for khalifa bill Allman scheduled to hit next and then r.j. Reynolds he won't swing it up at a ball he had 15 pinch walks last year ball 3 is in the dirt he makes you throw strikes his on-base percentage as a pinch hitter last year was for 30 70 at 16 hits and 15 walks he is a good pinch hitter [Music] three and OH and ball four so the go-ahead run on base to open the ninth inning for Pittsburgh as McDowell watched the first hitter he faces on four pitches and that draws a little conference and here's bill Allman batting for the first time adding 286 with a homer and three RBI leach incidentally pitched one inning gave up no hits struck out one and walked 2 and McDowell now the fourth New York pitcher tonight I would imagine Jim Leyland will have bill Amin funning at least until he's ahead in the count if he gets ahead in the count because you got Roger McDowell with that sinker and he gets a lot of ground balls with it so I would imagine he'll be bunting the Mets are looking for the bunt and almond squares and it's a good one Oh McDowell with a fine play to get the out at first base the ball almost got buying an inmense would have had no play had that happened you know why something like this happens Hernandez covered so much ground toward the first base side most of the Met pitchers trained themselves to go toward third in a bunt situation and Roger almost went too far toward third and on that one but recovered to make a fine flood the bottom line is the sacrifice by almond is successful one for moving Mazzilli down the second / r.j. Reynolds who was 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored one out Mazzilli the go-ahead run at second and the ball to rental [Music] grounded up the middle couple behind the bag we'll have to hurry and just uh get r.j. Reynolds at 1st Mazzilli advancing to third now with Chu away on artificial surface this is probably a base hit up the middle but the one thing second baseman can't stop and plan on them on the rug but they can on natural turf watch temple now watch him plant the foot that allows him to get something on the thriller when he made a strong throw in a good play if that had been an artificial surface he'd have been dancing about five more steps trying to get stuck might be five to four pirates that they were playing at home force they're not at home mother and they wouldn't be batting now because it's the top of the inning jar slack with Mazzilli at third to squeeze is on tighter goes out to get the ball nobody at home and no play at first New Delhi did not break down the line until the bunt was down and a fine bunt by Joe are slack drives in the run and or slack gets a base hit on the play yeah he's bunting for base hit here with Kevin Mitchell back and it's a blueprint and or slack with a bunt base hit here in the ninth inning gives the Pirates the lead I'm going to ticked everybody by surprise I mean nobody's gonna feel that even if you're looking for it bro way late at first base you just got to give more slack credit for getting down a blueprint boy it was perfect I mean you can walk out there and drop it down in a better position right between everybody Johnny ray with our CELAC running and the throw backed up by tupple as the first attempted stolen base tonight is successful I have always contended that this is interference by a batter when a batter puts the ball the bat across the plane of the plate with no intention to make contact that's what Johnny ray did that is the most serious impediment if you're a catcher when a guy does that because obviously he's not bunting no sacrifices to out the only reason that he did that in my opinion in the umpire in the umpires judgment if a hitter does that intentionally he ought to be called out because his only intent on the play is to keep the catcher from coming out and this is what we're talking about now watch him he just holds that bat up there he brings the bat back and is intent on the play is to keep Carter back in it's a good play and they'll never call it but in my opinion if in the umpires judgment it's called interference then the batter ought to be called out for some people speaking from a catcher's position but I think that's intentional interfering well that was more flagrant than normal huh that's right wait uh-huh brought the bat back to keep the catcher back there it's a good play and they're never going to call it but I think the rule ought to be changed I agree with you especially on something like that so the stolen base puts or celac at second base with to us it is five to four pirates and Johnny ray fouls another one off an account still one and two Drey tonight is three for four three singles in his first three trips he's driven in a run and scored a run and a rare strikeout of Johnny ray at Roger McDowell allows one run on the bunt base hit by or salon we'll go to the bottom of the ninth with the Pirates having retaken the lead at five before after this word from Sprint tonight's Rafael Belliard comes into play shortstop and the new pitcher is Pat Clements who is making his fifth appearance of the young season having pitched his three and two thirds innings a record of Owen Owen no saves any re of 2.45 panitch will be facing Len Dykstra batting for the first time kevin mitchell and tim temple to follow five for pirates bottom of the ninth and Dykstra went down and the Eric Greg called it a strike well I guess he thought he bunted it the ball we'll see he didn't bunt at that ball but Eric I just called it on the pitch Eric called it on the pitch it did look like it to head the corner but it looks a little high thought initially called it on the bunt play now it's strike two Dijkstra working on a six-game hitting streak he has hit 345 over those six games his career-high is seven [Applause] [Music] check swing foul and the count holds at Owen to Lenny has been on base in all seven games in which he has played and he is 4 for 4 in his stolen base attempts he's off to a good start [Applause] one ball two strikes [Applause] [Music] the Pirates scorch single runs in the first and second the Mets tied it in the bottom of the third the Pirates scored two in the sixth and the Mets tied it in the bottom of the eighth but the Pirates went ahead in the top of the ninth line drive base hit right field Len Dykstra is now hit in seven consecutive game and he leaves off the bottom of the ninth with a single and Len Dykstra has won major league home run and didn't hit a lot look where Mike Brown's playing playing buried deep to prevent a double but you got to understand the Dijkstra's got good feet and chance of him stealing a base here thank Mike for playing too deep to start with right then and that ball did fall in though Kevin Mitchell who is 1 for 4 - wrong to throw standing against the left-hander pets lemon Michell squaring but taking high ball one we'll see if Davey Johnson puts the hit-and-run on if you do but the runner over in this situation Jim Leyland of the Pirates has right-hander Jim Wynn warming up down there and remember Wally Backman is out of the game so toughie will have to hit for himself unless Davey goes to Howard Johnson and then if the Mets tied up then Howard to be the second baseman there's Jim the interesting statistic though is that last year in the American League shuffle had a better batting average right-handed than he did left him excellent point gainst right-hander yeah supposed to left him yep and again a throw to first to keep dykes for clothes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] nobody else Mitchell bunts it foul one and one [Music] Kevon squared around a little bit too early you don't want to commit yourself too early because if you commit yourself then you have the infielders charging especially the third baseman and almond that time was way in [Music] one and one [Applause] you early again yep bill long when you see halfway home see that's what a pitcher will do he'll step up as a good play by Clement you step off just to see if a young hitter like Kevin Mitchell asked where around too early and that's what he did he is too early well it's a pretty good bunt dream will feel that him go to first base with break covering the sacrifice moves Dykstra in the scoring position would one got an interesting situation right here Keith Hernandez on deck we'll see what Leyland is going to do there you see almond right there that's because he squared around too early but he bunted it perfectly towards Sid Bream who had to hold the runner off though Kevin man squared around a little early but he laid down a good punch it's a great game it I love it he got the job done and here's Tim Tuffle Topol is 2 for 4 with a single and a double see there's no thought a pitch-around shuffle right here to get to Hernandez cause not only stuff will represent the the winning run but you got Hernandez on deck you know you don't even try lefty the lefty when you're dealing with Hernandez you don't want to bring the right-hander in because you got the same problem then you wouldn't want to walk Hernandez to pitch to Carter got all sorts of strategies going on this is great wheels are turning man what to do what to do I would imagine that just comes go after Tuffle try to get him out and then pitch to Hernandez if Tim makes it out and he can't argue with that strategy now you can't really look too far ahead in the inning you have to deal with the situation as it exists right now base hit for the Mets ties the game one out Dijkstra second five for pirates bottom of the ninth and a good pitch from Clemens for strike one [Applause] [Music] we'll hit down the line in left it's in there as a fair ball Backstrom scores the game is tied couple going to second Kim duffel third hit of the night ties within the bottom of the ninth inning [Applause] man we got a hero every minute tonight and there's the newest one [Music] and there's another one Len Dykstra this slider pretty good pitch and Tim Tuffle rifles that down the line for his second double in a row and as you said his third hit what a ballgame [Applause] there are a lot of folks loving it here tonight Keith Hernandez the batter still only one out still a runner at second base and now it is tied at five [Applause] all one [Applause] Keith as you see all four too but he has scored a run after being hit by a pitch ahead of Carters home run [Applause] [Music] Jim Leyland along with bill burden in the pirate Duggar [Music] [Applause] to tighten its ball too [Applause] yeah that's gonna manager the pirates what you wanted well Clements to get keeping in the south so you can walk Carter to pitch the Darryl Strawberry this one inning has a ton of strategy involved that it managers really get paid for these kinds of innings you know the Mets went along with four hits through seven innings kind of low you to sleep these last two any time mean they've been well he had five five hits in the last inning in the third [Applause] [Music] [Applause] whoa and it is oregano [Applause] but Hernandez is so disciplined in these situations where many other hitters even veteran players would be over Anki Carter on deck he might be swinging even though it's lefty against Lefty you see he looks like he's ready to hack [Applause] Hernandes Ron remember you don't want to walk Carter download the bass you know guys then you put the winning record while the whole point is Clement didn't gonna hit the cart he's gone [Applause] the strategy changed was that one at bat it has changed every at-bat here in the ninth inning [Music] we have had three double switches in the last inning Jim Leyland last inning this inning and Davey Johnson dope from the ninth and here again I think you've got an example of that 24 man roster possibly crop it in because both managers possibly faced with extra innings Steve Kemp's going to go in this game this great game here and you've got to play it with that extra inning possibility in the back of your mind while still on the pirates point of view trying to prevent the winning run from scoring yep well while all this goes on and Jim Wynn trots in will let you take a breath we'll be back to shave after this word from Newsday [Music] Steve campus come into the game to play left field George slack is out of the game and the previous left fielder RJ Reynolds is now in center field and the new pitcher is indeed Jim Wynn and he's working his sixth ball game a 1.50 er a and you see the one save he has retired 17 of the 20 batters he's faced for the Pirates so far this year he'll Tim Tuffle at second base is the responsibility of Pat Clement a as wind tries to send this game into extra innings [Music] when coming on to face Gary Carter [Music] [Applause] [Music] Clemens pitch is only 1/3 of an inning charge so far with a run on two hits did not strike out a batter and walk one Gary Carter tonight one for three a two-run home run that tied the game back in the third inning Gary's also walked struck out and grounded the second at time for ball one five five one out bottom of the ninth the winning run for New York at second base Basco lying down the line fearful the mets will win it as couple scores it's six to five New York [Applause] [Music] [Applause] no he's talking talk about how this ninth inning was full of strategy there's no strategy for the fastball down the middle with a guy like Gary Carter Jim Leyland pulling all the strings in the 8th inning and the 9th inning but coming up short is the Mets battle back some about this club I tell you the hitters were quiet for seven innings and they just exploded in the eighth of ninth inning of bat came alive Gary Carter with three RBIs on the night and here there his reaction you think it was a playoffs or something I don't love it here's that fast fall after mr. with the slider a heater inside but not belong games history chalk it up Carter now with an eight game hitting streak has driven in 11 runs in the last eight ball game and another net here in the bottom of the ninth inning the final is six to five New York in an outstanding ballgame Jim and I are going to be right back to wrap it up for you so stay with us and of course is always ralph is standing by with another edition of China's corner six to five New York and a thriller will return to Shea after this word from Bud Light six to five New York with some drama in the bottom of the ninth and if you didn't like this ballgame you just flat don't like baseball because this have had all the elements and as you said Tim a lot of heroes Gary Carter capping that with his dramatic 9th inning RBI single but there were a lot of heroes and the Mets are playing very good baseball Tim Tuffle with three base hits 2 doubles and the game-tying hit Lynn Dykstra led off the inning with a single and I think it's interesting to note that 7 of the 8 runs with the game going into the ninth inning seven of the eight runs were counted for by home runs and what put the Pirates ahead a bunt base hit and so there's a lot of long ball played a lot of short ball played tonight and of course in the bottom of the ninth Gary Carter with the game-winning RBI his third of the year and that's it right there Gary Kriner has really put some emotion in this ballclub we thought last year and of course it started right off the bat and Gary's first game as the New York Met when he hit that dramatic 10th inning home run opening day 85 to beat the Cardinals here at Jay and I think his leadership ability on and off the field has made a big difference in this club he certainly does it on the field I think so to Steven I'll tell you there are a lot of baseball players that are emotional but not a lot of them as talented as Gary Carter so the talent and the emotion kind of go hand in hand and they certainly do with Gary Carter but that's an excellent point he is certainly a leader on the club a good at-bat by hernán it's very selective as they say it's selective as a spoiled child hearing and that's what Keith Hernandez is about situation and Ray Knight still red-hot ray with a dramatic two-run home run hit a ton as he continues to be red-hot so things bode well for the Mets Rick Aguilera had an up-and-down outing but the Mets offense able to come back and pick him up and actually Roger McDowell picks up the win in relief tonight and tomorrow night we're back here with is we take on those pirates once again here on wor the Mets and Pittsburgh and of course their tomorrow night's any indication of what happened tonight it will be some kind of ball game very emotional and the Mets with four wins in a row and this broke a five game winning streak for the Pirates and there's leyland who to his credit you don't get much reaction right there but to his credit I thought he managed a good ballgame sometimes it's just not in the cards well pirates you did have an excellent job Timmy of out lighting all the possible possibilities that existed there in the bottom of the ninth inning and Leyland made really every move he could make and again the 24 man roster came into play because that has to be in the back of every managers mind when a game gets into the late innings and it's close yeah because as you said if you start planning for extra innings and it was an extra inning game when he made the third double switch in an inning Davey made two and Leyland mates Davey made one Leyland a two it was just a fantastic ball game all the way around outstanding here again the line score for the victorious Mets six runs on 10 hits and no errors the Pirates 5 runs on 10 hits and one error the winner in relief Roger McDowell he is one and all the loser in relief Pat Clemens is Owen 1 on the year we'll see you back here tomorrow night Jim I can't wait Mets baseball it's been brought to you by Bud Light light beer with the first name and safe everything else after all just the like by Nissan who invites you to test drive the all new 1987 Nissan Sentra Nissan dealer now by manufacturers Hanover trust we realized your potential by Burger King their new chicken tenders a real chicken filet is not processed nuggets and by your tri-state lincoln-mercury Mercker dealers also buy I free there's a pure natural kind of clean when you're lather up with ivory and let's not forget our folks at RC co-op people who go out of their way for the taste of RC fans be with us again tomorrow night when the Mets take on the Pittsburgh Pirates 7:35 game time right here on wor now stay tuned for China's corner browse special guest Tim Tuffle and Gary Carter promotional consideration was provided by the true value hardware stores and home centers watch your favorite team anywhere you go with this Casio LCD pocket television clear black and white perception complements of true value hardware stores at home centers and by wainscot you never get a second shot at a first impression impress the first time with wainscot jerk it's we're four young men available at stores everywhere that Swain got the executive producer best baseball 80 princes Rick miner produced and directed by Bill Webb associate directors just Mitchell Steve Obama and Tom Shepard technical operations manager art egress technical director Robert Goodman our stat man as always with the numbers Arthur Freedman Mets baseball 86 of the production of channel 9 sports and the production facilities arranged romantic communication the announcers on the preceding telecast were approved and can check the core by double bass sports incorporated stay tomorrow night folks [Music] [Music] diners corner is brought to you by Miller Lite fear for great taste there is only one light beard by Mitsubishi Motors defensively she takes you where you want to be and by NatWest USA of people and the resources you need today and tomorrow well hi everybody this is Ralph Kiner and welcome to Connors corner and a very happy night tonight as the Mets came from behind to win it by a score of 6 to 5 it looks pretty bad there at the beginning the Mets had the bases loaded with one out and didn't score in the first then they came back to get some grand hitting by Gary Carter who had a two-run home from the tide and the third and another two-run home run by Ray Knight the tide in the eighth inning then after they fell behind in the ninth inning on the squeeze bunt and that came on to win it and they wanted on Tim Tuffle to base it and also Gary Carter coming through with the two base hit to score what food to be the money run the ballgame and we'll be talking with Jim and Gary in just a moment right after this message from Featherlite beer started out as a party but turned into the case of the missing capable faith thank you it's ok doll oh there's a case of Miller Lite missing somebody why don't you do it right because light tastes great oh nice let's fill me but I didn't do it well I'm not even run [Music] was a costume party great bass top mystery that there's only one light beer Miller right but if they didn't do it [Music] well the Mets wanted coming from behind by a score six to five we have as our guest in the show Tim Tuffle and Gary Carter and Tim soutenu to the New York area although he grew up in the Greenwich area Greenwich Connecticut and Tim after that very very tough game against Steve Carlton you got to be happy about coming back tonight yeah it is I'm real happy about coming back tonight I had a chance to contribute and I finally helped the ballclub and you really did help the ballclub a single in the first inning a double in the seventh inning and then the big base hit in the ninth inning what's a big difference that you've noticed about the National League from the American League since coming over here well I have to right now get used to the pitching I haven't seen a lot of these pitches on the mound and Keith Han has helped me a great deal defensively so right now I'm just concentrating on the pitchers that I faced and you certainly concentrated on the pitchers here in tonight's ballgame a loss along with Gary Carter and Gary off to a great start to one home run so that sort of made it nice tonight it was very nice Ralph it was just an outstanding team effort tonight and it was a big win for us it was great that we were even able to play the ballgame tonight because of the rain earlier but that just shows the kind of a ballclub that we have were able to come from behind a big two-run homer by Ray Knight and then even though in the ninth inning we were able to come back in and the bottom half we got some good pitching as well I thought Agee threw a good ballgame but that's the makings of a championship ballgame when you can come back that many times and then end up winning the ballgame I look pretty bleak after that squeeze bunted put the parts back on top again and then race Dykstra came up and come up with a big base hit batting against the left hand pitcher boy he sure did and and and then tough coming through with the big double as well the scored Ike but again Joe our slack he's a he's a great Bunter and Roger with that good sinker he just laid down a perfect bunt you got to give George lack some credit and and then Lee Mazzilli kept moving around from base to base and and that's heads-up play by their by their part they got a good ballclub they showed a lot of promise so far early in this year they beat the Cubs twice and Wrigley and then had that suspended game in tied eight-eight but they're gonna be tough in this Eastern Division there's not too many easy teams here and it's gonna be a tough goal for us but tonight's win was a big one for well they said he didn't go down easily in this ballgame let's take a look at the ninth inning thanks red singled was sacrificed down to second Tim Tuffle the batter here against Pat Clements and Pat had come from the American League but you had not seen identical pitch of the first one and you try to get them in with a slider and I just got the head out a little bit I'm that bad the ball game up at five and then that still had one run to go and the next batter was Gary Carter and Carter after the water Hernandez you were in the position of having it against the right-hand pitcher Jim Wynn of course you've hit against him before I have feasted before and he basically just throws everything hard hard slider hard fastball first 53 to me was a high slider and I figured he didn't want to fall behind with only one out and Darryl Strawberry behind me and that's such a plus for myself Ralph that I got a guy like Darryl Strawberry behind me because it's just gonna give me a better selection of selection of pitches and in that situation though he just wants to come in and try and get a strike and all I was just looking for was a tip out over the plate there was and unfortunately as they will come through might mention it early in the ballgame you hit your 240 ninth home run moving up on that list yeah that was nice it was sweet let's take a look at the big base it that was even sweeter is Gary Carter hitch in this fight but the winning run at second base [Music] coming around the store they're winning run and Gary coming up with a game-winning RBI and you don't get excited at all - no but my favorite thing was being able to hug my my first base coach off the bill I say he has been a big help for me and in my hitting starting all the way back last year and you know there's just a lot of guys on this ballclub picking each other up and there's just a lot of great spirit and we feel like we've got the makings of something good here oh no doubt about it towards the parts of won five in a row that stops their winning streak the Mets extend their when he streaked the fourth straight ballgame as they are now six and three and they pick up a half game and the Cardinals they were not able to play today for the Mets are one game behind st. Louis and second plate Tim first time on this show kind of scored over we hope you were back here many many times well thanks very much Rob thanks for having me congratulations and Gary you've been here more times than I have I think no no Ralph this is your show I'm just very happy [Music]

Channel: P D

Views: 8,215

Rating: 4.8655462 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: 4i9-r7Uwf_0

Length: 174min 30sec (10470 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 09 2019