METS’ BATS BEAT BRAVES IN GAME ONE, ORIOLES TRIP UP TWINS IN 12
Saturday, October 4, 1969
In Atlanta, the New York Mets outslugged the Braves to win the first game of the National League pennant series.
The Mets scored first when Jerry Grote singled off starter Phil Miekro to drive in Art Shamsky for the franchise’s first ever run. Ken Boswell scored moments later on a passed ball by Atlanta’s Bob Didier.
But Tom Seaver, winner of 25 games in the regular season, squandered his team’s early lead. Rico Carty doubled to lead off the second and scored on Clete Boyer’s sac fly. In the third, three straight doubles from Felix Millan, Tony Gonzalez and Hank Aaron gave the Braves a 3-2 lead.
Bud Harrelson, who had just 24 RBI in the regular season, knocked in two runs with his fourth-inning triple to put the Mets back on top. But again, Seaver couldn’t hold the lead, as he surrendered solo home runs to Gonzalez in the fifth and Aaron in the seventh.
But then New York broke through in the eighth. Wayne Garrett led off with a double and scored on Cleon Jones’s single. Art Shamsky followed with a single, and Jones scored when Ken Boswell reached on an error by first baseman Orlando Cepeda. Later in the inning, the bases were loaded with two outs when Seaver’s spot in the lineup came up. Pinch-hitter J. C. Martin stepped into the box and struck a single into right-centerfield. All three runners scored, the final one on an error by Gonzalez.
From there, Ron Taylor came on to pitch two scoreless innings to preserve a 9-5 victory. Seaver was credited with the win despite his uncharacteristic rocky outing. Art Shamsky starred with three hits in four at-bats for the NL East champs, and Wayne Garrett was two for four.
NLCS GAME ONE: Mets 9, Braves 5. W: Seaver (1-0) L: Niekro (0-1) SV: Taylor (1)
***
Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar went eight innings and then handed it over to the Orioles bullpen, which tossed four scoreless frames as the home team won Game One of the American League pennant series over Minnesota.
The Twins’s Gaylord Perry carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but he surrendered a game-tying home run to Boog Powell. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the twelfth. Mark Belanger lead off with a single and moved to third after Andy Etchebarren’s sacrifice bunt and Don Buford’s groundout. Paul Blair then surprised the Twins with a bunt single to score Belanger with the winning run.
ALCS GAME ONE: Orioles 4, Twins 3 (12 inn.) W: Hall (1-0) L: Perranoski (0-1)
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Tags: 1969, Art Shamsky, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Bud Harrelson, Cleon Jones, Ed Kranepool, J. C. Martin, Jerry Grote, Ken Boswell, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Rob Kirkpatrick, Ron Taylor, Tom Seaver, Wayne Garrett
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