June 16, 1997: Mlicki Shuts Out Yankees

From The Met Wiki

Date: June 16, 1997

Mets starter: Dave Mlicki

Mets: 6

Yankees: 0

Winning pitcher: Dave Mlicki

Key player(s): Dave Mlicki, Bernard Gilkey, John Olerud

Key play: Olerud’s double in 1st, Olerud’s single in 7th

For the first time ever, The Mets and Yankees faced each other in a regular season game. The first official all-New York matchup took place on a Monday night in the Bronx. Dave Mlicki shut out the Yanks on nine hits in leading the Mets to an impressive 6-0 victory.

The Mets wasted no time in scoring off Yankee starter Andy Pettitte. Bernard Gilkey and John Olerud hit back-to-back doubles with one out in the first inning for the first run of the game. Olerud later scored on Butch Huskey’s single to right-center field and Todd Hundley came home on the front end of a double steal to make it a 3-0 Met lead.

Mlicki kept the Mets’ advantage intact. He struck out four Yankee batters in the first three innings and allowed only four hits through the first six. Mlicki did not permit a Yankee runner past second base until the eighth, by which time the Mets had increased their lead to five runs on Olerud’s bases loaded two-run single in the top of the seventh.

The Mets added another run in the ninth on Gilkey’s sacrifice fly that scored Matt Franco. Mlicki then completed his shutout, striking out Derek Jeter to end it. The first Subway Series got started with a solid Mets’ win over their cross-city rivals.