September 1, 1975: Seaver's 20th Win, 200-Strikeout Record
From The Met Wiki
| Date: September 1, 1975 |
| Mets starter: Tom Seaver |
| Mets: 3 |
| Pirates: 0 |
| Winning pitcher: Tom Seaver |
| Key player(s): Tom Seaver, Mike Vail |
| Key play: Vail's home run, Seaver's strikeout of Sanguillen in 7th |
It was a memorable Labor Day for Tom Seaver. He won his twentieth game of the season with a 3-0 complete game shutout over the Pirates. Tom's day was further enhanced by the fact that he set a new Major League Baseball record by reaching the 200-strikeout mark for the eighth year in a row.
Seaver got all the run support he would need in the second inning. Rookie Mike Vail hit a home run off Pittsburgh's John Candelaria to put the Mets ahead, 1-0. They added two more runs in the sixth on Rusty Staub's double that scored Vail and Joe Torre's single that brought home Staub.
In the seventh, Seaver made history by striking out the Pirates' Manny Sanguillen. It was Tom's 200th strikeout of the season, making him the first pitcher ever to reach that total in eight straight years. Seaver continued to hold down the Pittsburgh lineup, finishing the game with ten strikeouts and becoming a 20-game winner for the fourth time.
