Nino Espinosa
From The Met Wiki
Nino Espinosa was a pitcher for the Mets from 1974 to 1978. He had a won-lost record of 25-33 and recorded 215 strikeouts in 80 games with the team. Espinosa pitched 13 complete games as a Met.
In 1974 and 1975, Espinosa appeared in four games with the Mets. He pitched a total of 12 innings and struck out four batters. Nino's only decision in these games was a 10-7 loss at Philadelphia on July 5, 1975.
Espinosa was permanantly recalled from the minor leagues in July of 1976. With the Mets, he pitched 41 and two-thirds innings and won four games during the year. Nino got his first major league win in the Mets' 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh on August 7. Seven days later, he pitched six shutout innings and got the victory in a 2-1 Mets win over the Reds at Shea Stadium. Espinosa's other two wins in '76 came in relief of starter Craig Swan on September 4 (vs. Phillies) and September 19 (vs. Pirates.) Both of these games were played at Shea.
Nino emerged into a top pitcher for the Mets in 1977. He led the team with 10 wins, a 3.42 earned run average and 7 complete games for the season. Espinosa got the first complete game of his major league career with a 4-1 win over the Cubs at Shea on April 16. He pitched a combined shutout with Skip Lockwood for a 2-0 victory over the Phillies on June 4 at Shea. Nino pitched the full nine innings in the Mets' 9-1 win over the Braves at Shea on September 3. At Philadelphia on September 14, he recorded a complete game shutout for a 1-0 Mets win over the Phils. In the fifth inning of this game, Espinosa singled to drive home Luis Rosado for the Mets' only run.
In 1978, Espinosa led all Mets pitchers with 32 games started. He recorded 11 victories and 76 strikeouts while pitching 6 complete games during the year. Nino pitched a four-hit shutout for a 3-0 win over the Expos at Shea on June 20. He went all nine innings in the Mets' 12-3 win over the Braves at Shea on July 21. Espinosa got to bat five times and singled home two runs in the game. Five days later, he got the win against the Reds in another Met victory by a 12-3 score. On September 29, Nino recorded the win in the Mets' 3-2 triumph over the Cubs at Chicago.
During spring training in 1979, Espinosa was traded to the Phillies for Richie Hebner and Jose Moreno. He pitched three seasons with the Philadelphia team, becoming a part of a World Champion in 1980. Nino finished his career with one inning of relief for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981.
