July 30, 1963: Stallard Defeats Dodgers with Complete Game
From The Met Wiki
| Date: July 30, 1963 |
| Mets starter: Tracy Stallard |
| Mets: 5 |
| Dodgers: 1 |
| Winning pitcher: Tracy Stallard |
| Key player(s): Tracy Stallard, Jesse Gonder, Joe Hicks |
| Key play: Gonder’s and Hicks’ singles in 1st |
The Mets faced the Dodgers on a Tuesday night in Los Angeles. The teams played the front half of a two-game series. Tracy Stallard pitched a complete game as the Mets came away with a 5-1 win.
Ron Hunt singled off Dodgers’ starter Bob Miller with one out in the top of the first inning. An ensuing single by Duke Snider advanced Hunt to third base and Frank Thomas struck out. Jesse Gonder got an infield single to score Hunt for the first run of the game. Joe Hicks hit the Mets’ fourth single of the inning to drive home Snider. Duke Carmel drew a walk to load the bases. Miller retired Al Moran on an inning-ending ground ball to second baseman Jim Gilliam. Stallard then pitched a scoreless bottom half.
After a scoreless second inning, Thomas homered with one out in the top of the third to increase the Mets’ lead to 3-0. Gonder lined out to center fielder Willie Davis and a single by Hicks followed. Carmel hit a grounder to first baseman Ron Fairly for the third out. Stallard set down the Dodgers in order in the bottom half and Miller hurled a scoreless top of the fourth. The Dodgers then failed to score after a leadoff single by Gilliam in the bottom of the inning.
Miller held the Mets to a single by Thomas in the top of the fifth. With two outs in the bottom half, Ken McMullen homered for the first Los Angeles run. Stallard threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Al Ferrara to close out the inning. Dodgers’ reliever Dick Calmus shut down the Mets in the top of the sixth. Stallard retired Los Angeles 1-2-3 in the bottom half and Calmus pitched a scoreless top of the seventh. The Dodgers were then set down in order by Stallard again in the bottom of the inning.
To start the top of the eighth, Gonder singled and moved to third on an ensuing single by Hicks. Carmel singled off Los Angeles reliever Ron Perranoski to bring home Gonder. Moran hit a single that scored Hicks for the Mets’ fifth run. Stallard singled to load the bases and Jim Hickman hit a grounder to third baseman McMullen on which Carmel was forced out at home. Hunt grounded to Gilliam for a double play to end the inning. Stallard then pitched a scoreless bottom half.
Dodgers’ reliever Larry Sherry set down the Mets in order in the top of the ninth. Stallard began the bottom of the inning by retiring Gilliam and Wally Moon on consecutive ground balls to second baseman Hunt. Tracy then got Tommy Davis on a pop-up to Hunt for the final out of the game. The Mets had a victory that ended an 11-game losing streak.
