August 22, 1991: Mets Defeat Cardinals with 13 Hits
From The Met Wiki
| Date: August 22, 1991 |
| Mets starter: Dwight Gooden |
| Mets: 6 |
| Cardinals: 0 |
| Winning pitcher: Dwight Gooden |
| Key player(s): Charlie O'Brien, Kevin McReynolds |
| Key play: O'Brien's two-run homer |
The Mets and Cardinals concluded a three-game series on a Thursday night at Shea Stadium. Three Met pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout as the team won its second game in a row. The Mets pounded out 13 hits and came out with a 6-0 victory.
Mets' starter Dwight Gooden limited the St. Louis batters to three hits over the first five innings of the game. Gooden recorded five strikeouts in keeping the Redbirds from scoring. The Mets got a run in the bottom of the third inning on Dave Magadan's sacrifice fly that brought home Kevin Elster. They scored again in the fifth on Kevin McReynolds' single that scored Charlie O'Brien.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with two walks and a single against Mets' reliever Pete Schourek in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Schourek thwarted the St. Louis threat by retiring Ray Lankford on a ground ball back to the mound. Mackey Sasser singled off Cards' starter Bob Tewksbury to begin the bottom half. Following an out, O'Brien hit a home run to extend the Mets' lead to 4-0. Tewksbury set down the next two batters to close out the inning. Tim Burke then retired all three Redbird hitters in the top of the seventh.
Gregg Jefferies led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double. McReynolds followed with a single to score Jefferies with the Mets' fifth run. Tewksbury was replaced by Juan Agosto, who gave up a single to Howard Johnson on which McReynolds moved to second base. After Sasser's sacrifice bunt, Elster singled to bring home McReynolds. Cards' reliever Cris Carpenter then got O'Brien to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Burke shut down the Cardinals on one hit in the top of the eighth inning. Carpenter retired the Mets in order with three ground ball outs in the bottom half. In the ninth, Burke pitched a perfect inning to end the game. The Mets had a win with solid pitching and a 13-hit attack.
