July 16, 1963: Sherry's Single in 9th Wins It
From The Met Wiki
| Date: July 16, 1963 |
| Mets starter: Al Jackson |
| Mets: 4 |
| Colt .45s: 3 |
| Winning pitcher: Galen Cisco |
| Key player(s): Norm Sherry, Joe Hicks, Jim Hickman |
| Key play: Hicks’ homer and double, Hickman’s home run, Sherry’s single |
The Mets and Colt .45s faced each other at the Polo Grounds on a Tuesday afternoon. The teams played the finale of a four-game series. Norm Sherry singled to drive in the winning run in the ninth inning and give the Mets a 4-3 triumph over Houston.
Al Jackson and the Colts’ Turk Farrell each started the game with three scoreless innings pitched. In the top of the fourth, Jackson held Houston to a two-out single by Pete Runnels. Joe Hicks hit a home run with two outs in the bottom half for a 1-0 Mets lead. Tim Harkness was hit by a pitch and removed from the game for pinch-runner Rod Kanehl. Al Moran then flied out to center fielder Al Spangler to end the inning.
Jackson shut down the .45s in the top of the fifth. Al grounded out to third baseman Bob Aspromonte to lead off the bottom half. Jim Hickman followed with a homer for the Mets’ second run of the game. Larry Burright was retired on a fly ball to right fielder Rusty Staub and a pop-up by Duke Snider was caught by second baseman Johnny Temple for the third out of the inning. The Colts were then set down 1-2-3 by Jackson in the top of the sixth.
Frank Thomas doubled to left field with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hicks hit a double to bring home Thomas and extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0. Kanehl popped out to Temple and a pop-up by Moran to shortstop Jim Wynn ended the inning. Staub hit a two-out home run in the top of the seventh. Wynn flied out to left fielder Thomas to close out the inning. Farrell then retired the Mets in order in the bottom half.
With one out in the top of the eighth inning, Jim Campbell homered to reduce the Mets’ lead to 3-2. Jackson got pinch-hitter John Bateman on a ground ball back to the mound and retired Spangler on an inning-ending grounder to second baseman Burright. Houston reliever Hal Woodeshick pitched a scoreless bottom half. Temple hit a double to lead off the top of the ninth. Runnels singled to move pinch-runner Ernie Fazio to third base and Jackson was replaced on the mound by Galen Cisco. A double play grounder by Carl Warwick scored Fazio to tie the game. Cisco then walked Staub and retired Wynn on a foul pop-up to first baseman Kanehl for the third out.
Kanehl got an infield single to open the bottom of the ninth inning. An error by Woodeshick on a pickoff attempt allowed Rod to get to third base. Moran drew a walk and Sherry came up to pinch-hit for Cisco. Norm delivered a single to left field that plated Kanehl to end the game. The Mets had a victory to close out the series.
