July 28, 1962: Mets Outlast Cardinals in 100th Game
From The Met Wiki
| Date: July 28, 1962 |
| Mets starter: Jay Hook |
| Mets: 9 |
| Cardinals: 8 |
| Winning pitcher: Ken MacKenzie |
| Key player(s): Gene Woodling, Ken MacKenzie, Rod Kanehl, Richie Ashburn |
| Key play: Woodling’s home run, MacKenzie’s single |
In the 100th game of their inaugural season, the Mets faced the Cardinals on a Saturday night in St. Louis. The teams combined for 29 hits in an offensive battle. In the end, the Mets emerged with a 9-8 win over the Redbirds.
Richie Ashburn and Rod Kanehl began the top of the first inning with back-to-back singles. Felix Mantilla hit into a force play and Frank Thomas popped out to first baseman Bill White. A single by Jim Hickman drove home Kanehl for the first run of the game. Cardinals’ starter Ray Sadecki retired Joe Christopher on a ground ball to third baseman Ken Boyer to end the inning. Mets’ starter Jay Hook then set down all three St. Louis hitters in the bottom half.
Charlie Neal doubled to open the top of the second. Sadecki hit Chris Cannizzaro with a pitch and a sacrifice bunt by Hook put runners at second and third base. Ashburn singled to score Neal and extend the Mets’ lead to 2-0. On Kanehl’s ground ball, Cannizzaro was caught in a rundown and tagged out. Mantilla grounded out to Boyer to close out the inning. The Cards had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom half. Hook then retired Julio Gotay on an inning-ending fly ball to right fielder Hickman.
Sadecki and Hook each pitched a scoreless third inning. With two outs in the top of the fourth, Ashburn got a bunt single and stole second base. Richie advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the Mets’ third run on Kanehl’s triple. Sadecki then got Mantilla on a grounder to shortstop Gotay for the third out.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Charlies James and Gene Oliver got back-to-back singles off Hook. Gotay singled to score James for the first St. Louis run. Pinch-hitter Fred Whitfield hit a three-run homer to put the Redbirds ahead by a run. An ensuing homer by Julian Javier increased the Cards’ lead to 5-3. White was then retired on a ground ball back to Hook for the final out of the inning.
Facing St. Louis reliever Curt Simmons, Hickman reached on Boyer’s error with one out in the top of the fifth. Christopher followed with a double to right field. A passed ball by catcher Oliver scored Hickman and moved Christopher to third base. Neal drew a walk and Cannizzaro hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Christopher with the tying run. As a pinch-hitter for Hook, Gene Woodling hit a two-run homer to give the Mets a 7-5 lead. Ashburn followed with a single (his fourth of the game) against the Cardinals’ Bob Duliba. Trying to advance on his own hit, Richie was thrown out at second to end the inning.
Mets’ reliever Ken MacKenzie yielded a single to Curt Flood to begin the bottom of the fifth. Stan Musial doubled and Boyer lined out to shortstop Neal. Flood scored the Redbirds’ sixth run on James’ ground out to Neal. Oliver was retired on an inning-ending ground ball to third baseman Mantilla. Duliba shut down the Mets in the top of the sixth. Mackenzie then pitched a perfect bottom half.
St. Louis reliever Lindy McDaniel hurled a scoreless top of the seventh inning. MacKenzie allowed only a single to Musial in shutting down the Cards in the bottom half. With one out in the top of the eighth, Kanehl reached on Gotay’s error and advanced to third base on a single by Mantilla. Kanehl came home on Oliver’s errant throwing attempt of Mantilla’s steal of second. McDaniel set down the next two batters to end the inning. James and Oliver started the bottom half with singles off MacKenzie. Ken then retired the next three St. Louis hitters.
Facing the Cardinals’ Don Ferrarese, Christopher singled and moved to second on Gotay’s error to begin the top of the ninth. Neal fouled out to Oliver and a pop-up by Cannizzaro was caught by second baseman Javier. MacKenzie singled to score Christopher and extend the Mets’ lead to 9-6. Ashburn followed with a walk that put him on base for the fifth time in the game. Ferrarese then got Kanehl to hit into a force play that ended the inning.
To begin the bottom of the ninth, Mackenzie walked White and gave up a two-run homer to Flood. Mets’ reliever Willard Hunter issued a walk to Musial. Craig Anderson came in to pitch and retired Boyer on a fly ball to center fielder Ashburn. James fouled out to catcher Cannizzaro. Anderson then got Oliver on a game-ending pop-up to Neal. The Mets had come away with a victory in their 100th game played.
