September 3, 2006: The 4-Man One-Hitter Loss
From The Met Wiki
| Date: September 3, 2006 |
| Mets starter: Orlando Hernandez |
| Mets: 1 |
| Astros: 2 |
| Winning pitcher: Roy Oswalt |
| Key player(s): Mets' pitchers, Roy Oswalt, Jason Lane |
| Key play: Lane's sacrifice fly in 7th |
The Mets concluded a three-game series in Houston on a Sunday afternoon. Looking for a sweep, the Mets had Orlando Hernandez on the mound at Minute Maid Park. Hernandez and three relivers teamed up for a one-hitter, but the Mets lost to the Astros, 2-1.
The game quickly developed into a pitchers' duel between Hernandez and Houston starter Roy Oswalt. Orlando shut out the Astros for five innings, despite four walks and a single to Aubrey Huff. Oswalt didn't allow a Met to reach base over the first six innings, retiring all 18 batters he faced. In the bottom of the sixth, Houston loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsman before scoring a run on Adam Everett's bunt against reliever Roberto Hernandez.
Jose Reyes led off the seventh with a single to end Oswalt's perfect game bid. Reyes got around to third base on two infield outs before Carlos Delgado was intentionally walked. Oswalt then got Shawn Green on a line drive to second baseman Craig Biggio to end the inning.
Roberto Hernandez walked Houston's Willy Taveras to begin the bottom of the seventh. Taveras stole second and moved to third on Biggio's sacrifice bunt. Facing Mets' reliever Darren Oliver, Jason Lane hit a sacrifice fly to score Taveras for the Astros' second run. The Mets then put two runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth, but failed to score against Oswalt and reliever Chad Qualls.
Guillermo Mota pitched a scoreless and hitless bottom of the eighth for the Mets. In the ninth, Astros reliever Brad Lidge retired the first two batters before surrendering a home run to Delgado. Lidge then got Green on a ground ball to end the game. The Mets had gone down to defeat, despite the combined one-hitter of four pitchers.
