June 2, 1963: Hickman's Homer in 10th Gives Mets Sweep
From The Met Wiki
| Date: June 2, 1963 |
| Mets starter: Tracy Stallard |
| Mets: 4 |
| Pirates: 3 |
| Winning pitcher: Jay Hook |
| Key player(s): Jim Hickman |
| Key play: Hickman’s home run in 10th |
The Mets and Pirates completed a four-game series with a doubleheader nightcap. Like the opener, the teams went to extra-innings on this Sunday at the Polo Grounds. A home run by Jim Hickman in the bottom of the 10th gave the Mets a 4-3 win and a sweep of the twinbill.
Mets’ starter Tracy Stallard pitched four perfect innings to begin the second game. Meanwhile, the Mets failed to score despite a single by Choo Choo Coleman and three walks against Pittsburgh starter Al McBean. Stallard shut down the Bucs again in the top of the fifth, allowing only a two-out walk to Smoky Burgess. Coleman singled to lead off the bottom half and scored on Charlie Neal’s ensuing triple. Catcher Burgess argued the call at home and was ejected by umpire Ken Burkhart. With one out, Jim Piersall singled to drive home Neal and stretch the Mets’ lead to 2-0. McBean then retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Stallard held the Pirates scoreless and hitless again in the top of the sixth. Against Pittsburgh reliever Tommie Sisk, Duke Snider tripled to lead off the bottom half. Sisk set down the next two batters and threw a wild pitch that brought home Snider. He then threw a called third strike past Coleman for the third out.
Leading off the top of the seventh inning, Bill Mazeroski singled for the Bucs’ first hit of the game. Jerry Lynch followed with a triple to drive home Mazeroski. Stallard walked Ron Brand and Mets’ reliever Larry Bearnarth got Donn Clendenon to hit a grounder on which third baseman Neal threw Lynch out at home. Bob Bailey hit a force play grounder to Neal and pinch-hitter Ted Savage popped out to second baseman Ron Hunt. Pirates’ reliever Harvey Haddix then pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning.
A two-out single by Mazeroski scored Bill Virdon to cut the Mets’ lead to 3-2 in the top of the eighth. Roger Craig relieved Bearnarth and got Lynch on a pop-up to catcher Coleman for the third out. Haddix shut down the Mets again in the bottom half. In the top of the ninth, Clendenon drew a one-out walk and went to third on a double by Bailey. On Haddix’s ground out back to Craig, Clendenon came home to score the tying run as Coleman mishandled a throw by first baseman Tim Harkness. Roger got Dick Schofield to pop out to shortstop Chico Fernandez and end the inning. The Mets then failed to score against Haddix and reliever Elroy Face after loading the bases in the bottom half.
Mets’ reliever Jay Hook shut down the Pirates in the top of the 10th. Hunt flied out to center fielder Virdon to open the bottom of the inning. Hickman followed by nailing a pitch from Face into the upper deck for a game-winning home run. The Mets had their second 10-inning victory of the day.
