July 9, 1970: Swoboda and Seaver Slug Expos
From The Met Wiki
| Date: July 9, 1970 |
| Mets starter: Tom Seaver |
| Mets: 7 |
| Expos: 1 |
| Winning pitcher: Tom Seaver |
| Key player(s): Tom Seaver, Ron Swoboda |
| Key play: Swoboda's grand slam, Seaver's home run |
The Mets and Expos began a four-game series on a Thursday night at Shea Stadium. On the first anniversary of his near-perfect game, Tom Seaver hit his first major league home run while pitching a complete game three-hitter. Ron Swoboda added a grand slam as Seaver and the Mets defeated Montreal, 7-1.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning against Expos' starter Rich Nye. Joe Foy got a one-out single and went around to third base on a single by Jerry Grote. Foy came home on Al Weis's sacrifice fly to right field. Seaver then protected the lead by pitching a scoreless top of the third.
Bud Harrelson and Ken Singleton started the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back singles. Donn Clendenon followed with a walk to load the bases. Swoboda hit a grand slam to extend the Mets' lead to five runs. Nye then got the next three batters out on two grounders and a line drive to third baseman Coco Laboy.
After shutting down Montreal in the top of the fourth, Seaver led off the bottom half. Tom homered to make it a 6-0 lead for the Mets. Seaver then pitched a perfect top of the fifth and the Mets scored again on Weis's RBI single off Expos' reliever John Strohmayer in the bottom of the inning.
In the sixth, Rusty Staub hit a home run off Seaver for the first Montreal run of the game. Tom followed up with a 1-2-3 seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth despite a walk to Bob Bailey and single to Ron Brand. The Mets were then retired in order by Montreal's Bill Dillman in the bottom of the eighth.
Seaver retired all three Expos hitters in the top of the ninth. The Mets had a victory as Tom recorded his 14th win of the season. The night was further enhanced by Swoboda's slam and Seaver's own homer.
