Posts Tagged ‘Amos Otis’
KOOSMAN KEEPS METS ON MISSION, WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT
Friday, September 26, 1969
Playing in their first game as reigning division champs, the New York Mets beat the host Phillies on Jerry Koosman’s four-hit shutout. It was Koosman’s fifth complete game and fifth win in a row, and the twenty-seven year-old lefty has lowered his season ERA to a staff-best 2.21.
With a batting lineup that featured a number of reserves including Rod Gaspar, Bob Heise, Amos Otis, Bobby Pfeil and Duffy Dyer, the Mets put five men across the plate. Two days after hitting a pair of home runs in Wednesday’s clincher, Don Clendenon went deep with two out and one on in the first inning to give New York and early lead. Koosman took it from there and allowed just one Phillies batter to reach base (a walk to Tony Taylor) from the fifth inning onward.
Otis had two hits and drove in a run while starting in center in place of Tommie Agee.
Mets 5, Phillies 0. W: Koosman (17-9) L: Fryman (12-15)
CUBS RALLY PAST PODRES, PADRES; METS WIN GAME OF CRAZY 8′S
Wednesday, May 14, 1969
The Cubs scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory to sweep a series with the San Diego Padres.
With 1955 World Series hero Johnny Podres, now of the Padres, looking to save a 2-1 San Diego lead, Ernie Banks tied the game with a leadoff home run in the last of the 9th. With the Wrigley Field crowd still buzzing two batters later, Nate Oliver doubled, and after an intentional walk to Adolfo Phillips, Frank Reberger came on to face pinch-hitter Willie Smith. Smith singled into left field and Oliver came around to score the winning run.
Both starting pitchers threw well. San Diego’s Tommie Sisk gave up just one run in 6 innings, while Bill Hands gave up 2 in 6 1/3. Ron Santo also homered for the Cubs, and Don Nottebart got the win in relief.
With the Pirates’ loss on Wednesday, Chicago’s win moved their division lead to 5 games.
Cubs 3, Padres 2 W: Nottebart (1-0) L: Podres (3-3)
***
A Cleon Jones grand slam highlighting an 8-run rally in the 8th inning as the Mets busted out against the Atlanta Braves.
New York ace Tom Seaver was human today, giving up 10 hits and seeing his team trail 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th. But then things fell apart for Atlanta. Braves starter Phil Niekro struck out the Mets’s Amos Otis to begin the inning, but catcher Bob Didier’s passed ball allowed Otis to reach base. Harrelson followed with a single, and then pinch-hitter Art Shamsky reached on an error by shortstop Sonny Jackson to load the bases. Tommie Agee, New York’s hottest hitter, launched a 2-run double into centerfield to tie the game. George Stone replaced Niekro and intentionally walked Ed Charles to set up a force play at home, but then Stone hit Ken Boswell with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Next up stepped Jones, who broke the game wide open with a blast over the outfield fence, giving him 5 RBI on the day. Two batters later, J.C. Martin tripled and then scored on a Stone wild pitch.
Seaver recorded his fifth win of the season while Niekro suffered just his second loss in eight decisions this year. Felipe Alou homered for Atlanta. Ron Taylor pitched the 9th to earn his first save.
Mets 9, Braves 3 W: Seaver (5-2) L: Niekro (6-2) SV: Taylor (1)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L PCT GB Chicago Cubs 23 11 .667 - Pittsburgh Pirates 17 15 .531 5.0 New York Mets 15 17 .469 7.0 St. Louis Cardinals 14 18 .438 8.0 Philadelphia Phillies 12 17 .414 8.5 Montreal Expos 11 19 .367 10.0
“RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON” is a look back at the storied division race between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 1969. Keep checking back throughout the 2009 season to get the game stories from 40 years ago to the day. This on-going feature is brought to you by the book 1969: The Year Everything Changed, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.
RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON – APRIL 16, 1969
JENKINS, HUNDLEY STAR IN 1-0 WIN
The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals locked into an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
Fergie Jenkins was just a little bit better than Steve Carlton, pitching a 5-hit shutout. Steve Carlton allowed 9 hits and 4 walks in 8 innings but allowed just 1 run. Cubs catcher Randy Hundley had 3 hits but, ironically, drove in the game’s only run on a fielder’s choice in the 3rd inning, after Billy Williams singled, Ron Santo walked and Ernie Banks advanced both on a sacrifice bunt.
Controversy marred the game in the top of the 7th, when the Cardinals’s Mike Shannon slid hard into second base and knocked out second basemann Glenn Beckert. Beckert was taken to the hospital for x-rays. Jenkins finished strong and retired the side in both the 8th and 9th to earn the win for the first-place Cubs.
Cubs 1, Cardinals 0 W: Jenkins (1-1) L: Carlton (1-1)
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KOOZ LOSES SECOND START
The 1968 National League Rookie of the Year didn’t have it today.
The Pittsburgh Pirates touched Mets starter Jerry Koosman for 8 hits and 5 runs in just 2 1/3 innings at Shea. Third baseman Jose Pagan tripled in 2 runs in the 1st and went 4 for 5 on the day. Nolan Ryan replaced Koosman and yielded 4 runs in the 4th. Leadoff hitter Matty Alou crossed the plate 3 times, Roberto Clemente went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, and Bill Mazeroski and Jerry May each added 2 hits and 2 RBI. Pittsburgh starter Bob Moose gave up 3 runs through 9 innings while striking out 11 Mets.
Ed Kranepool and Amos Otis each went 2 for4 for New York.
Pirates 11, Mets 3 W: Moose (2-0) L: Koosman (0-2)
NL EAST STANDINGS AFTER APRIL 16
Team Name W L PCT GB CHICAGO CUBS 8 1 .889 - Pittsburgh Pirates 6 3 .667 2.0 St. Louis Cardinals 4 5 .444 4.0 Montreal Expos 3 5 .375 4.5 NEW YORK METS 3 6 .333 5.0 Philadelphia Phillies 2 6 .250 5.5
RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON – APRIL 15, 1969
BOTTOM OF LINEUP LIFTS CUBS OVER BUCS
The Cubs outslugged the Pirates on Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, thanks to some unexpected sources.
Neither starting pitcher was effective today. Pittsburgh’s Dock Ellis was knocked out of the box in the 4th inning and Chicago’s Joe Niekro lasted just 4 1/3 innings himself. The Cubs fared better, though, on the strength of home runs from Billy Williams and eighth-place hitter Don Young. Young’s 2-run shot in the 2nd gave Chicago the lead for good. Before hitting the showers, Niekro did some damage with his bat by doubling in 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th. Hank Aguirre came on to pitch 3 innings of scoreless relief for the win, followed by Ted Abernathy, who got the final 4 outs. Roberto Clemente homered and drove in 3 runs for the Pirates.
Cubs 7, Pirates 4 W: Aguirre (1-0) L: Ellis (1-1) SV: Abernathy (1)
***
PAIR OF 3S POWERS METS OVER PHILS
Rookie Gary Gentry got his second win in two starts as the Mets broke their four-game losing streak with a late rally Tuesday night at Connie Mack Stadium.
With New York trailing 1-0 going into the top of the 5th, Amos Otis’s single and Ron Swoboda’s double off starter Chris Short set the stage for Buddy Harrelson. The light-hitting shortstop singled to left to drive in both runners, and he would come around to score on a single by Tommie Agee. Gentry surrendered the lead by yielding a run in both the 6th and 7th innings. But in the top of the 8th, the Mets loaded the bases when Ken Boswell and Cleon Jones each singled with no outs and pitcher Gary Wagner committed an error on Otis’s sacrifice bunt attempt. Philadelphia nearly escaped when both Swoboda and Jerry Grote grounded into fielder’s choices that ended in force plays at home. But up stepped Harrelson, who proved the hero once again by punching an infield single to score Otis. Ed Kranepool then pinch-hit for Gentry and doubled to score Swoboda and Grote, giving the Mets a 3-run cushion. Reliever Cal Koonce then came on to pitch two perfect innings for his second save.
Mets 6, Phillies 3 W: Gentry (2-0) L: Wagner (0-1) SV: Koonce (2)
NL EAST STANDINGS AFTER APRIL 15
Team Name W L PCT GB CHICAGO CUBS 7 1 .875 - Pittsburgh Pirates 5 3 .625 2.0 St. Louis Cardinals 4 4 .500 3.0 Montreal Expos 3 5 .375 4.0 NEW YORK METS 3 5 .375 4.0 Philadelphia Phillies 2 6 .250 5.0