July 9, 1977: Randle Homers in 17th
From The Met Wiki
| Date: July 9, 1977 |
| Mets starter: Craig Swan |
| Mets: 7 |
| Expos: 5 |
| Winning pitcher: Paul Siebert |
| Key player(s): Lenny Randle, Steve Henderson, Bruce Boisclair |
| Key play: Boisclair's double, Henderson's home run, Randle's home run |
The Mets faced the Expos at Shea Stadium on a Saturday afternoon. It was an extra-inning battle that lasted 4 hours and 17 minutes. The Mets won it on Lenny Randle's two-run homer in the bottom of the 17th. The final score was 7-5.
Craig Swan started with two scoreless innings for the Mets. In the third, Dave Cash hit a double to score Andre Dawson with two out. Dawson added a home run after Wayne Garrett's single in the fifth for a 3-0 Expos lead.
The Mets loaded the bases against Montreal starter Steve Rogers in the bottom of the fifth. Bruce Boisclair, pinch-hitting for Swan, doubled to right field to score three runs and tie the game. The Mets went ahead, 4-3, on Randle's sacrifice fly that brought home Boisclair.
Garrett's two-out single in the sixth off Rick Baldwin scored Ellis Valentine to tie the game for the Expos. Bob Apodaca and Skip Lockwood then held Montreal scoreless over the next four innings. Meanwhile, Rogers allowed only a single to Randle in keeping the Mets from scoring from the sixth inning to the tenth.
Jackson Todd came in to pitch the eleventh inning for the Mets. Valentine singled off Todd with one out and stole second base. Gary Carter's single scored Valentine to put the Expos ahead, 5-4. The Mets retied the game when Steve Henderson homered leading off the bottom of the inning against reliever Joe Kerrigan.
Neither team scored over the next five innings. Todd and Paul Siebert held the Expos to only two more singles while Bill Atkinson and Will McEnaney shut down the Mets. Mike Vail's single off McEnaney in the 14th was the only New York hit off the Montreal relievers.
Siebert pitched his second straight perfect inning in the top of the 17th. Lee Mazzilli then led off the bottom half with a single. Following two ground outs, Randle came to bat. Lenny hit a home run off McEnaney to end the game. The Mets had a victory and Siebert had his first win of the season.
