Posts Tagged ‘Cleon Jones’
GENTRY BLANKS EXPOS, METS NOW 2 GAMES AHEAD
Thursday, September 11, 1969
The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are like two ships passing each other in the National League East. The Mets are sailing upward while the Cubs are steadily sinking.
The Mets downed the Expos for the third time in two days at Shea, this time behind a dominant performance by Gary Gentry. The 22-year-old righthander hurled a six-hit shutout, striking out nine while walking only two to even his season record. Meanwhile, New York’s leadoff man Tommie Agee collected two hits and scored twice, fellow Alabama native Cleon Jones also crossed the plate twice, and Ken Boswell, yesterday’s extra-inning hero, went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Mets 4, Expos 0. W: Gentry (11-11) L: Robertson (5-13)
Meanwhile, the Cubs remained in a rut in Philly. Dick Selma carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 8th inning, but Tony Taylor collected his third hit of the day with a leadoff double, John Briggs followed with a double to tie the game, and then slugger Dick Allen struck a home run to put the home team up by two. Willie Smith homered in the top of the ninth off starter Jeff James (who made his first appearance of the season) to draw Chicago within one, but Grant Jackson came on to get the final out.
Phillies 4, Cubs 3. W: James (1-0) L: Selma (12-7) SV: Jackson (1)
Since August 13, when the Mets were in third place in the division and 9 1/2 games behind Chicago, New York has won 23 of 29 games while the Cubs have struggled at a pace of 10-17.
NL EAST
W L T PCT GB
New York Mets 85 57 0 .599 -
Chicago Cubs 84 60 1 .583 2.0
‘LOOK WHO’S NO. 1′…METS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE FOR FIRST TIME IN CLUB HISTORY
Wednesday, September 10, 1969.
The unthinkable has happened. The New York Mets are in first place.
The Mets began play a half-game behind Chicago, which had been in first place in the National League East since the very first day of the season, and had as recently as August 13 led New York by 9 1/2 games in the standings.
The Shea Stadium crowd cheered the Amazins Wednesday evening as the home took the field for the first game of a doubleheader against the last-place Montreal Expos. New York’s Jim McAndrew worked through a rocky first and second innings, giving up a single run in each, before settling into a groove and turning in a heroic, 11-inning gem – allowing just one hit over his last nine frames. At the same time, Expos starter Mike Wegener was just as good, lasting 11 innings himself and allowing just two runs himself – one on a first-inning Art Shamsky single that scored Tommie Agee, and another when Wegener balked in Agee from third in the fifth inning.
From there, it was a nail-biting test of endurance, with neither team crossing the plate in the next six innings. Ron Taylor relieved McAndrew in the top of the 12th, and Agee threw out Remy Hermoso at the plate for the last out of the inning. In the bottom half of the 12th, the Expos’ Bill Stoneman came on for a rare relief appearance. Cleon Jones singled with two outs and moved to second on Rod Gaspar’s walk, and Ken Boswell proved the hero with a game-winning RBI single.
Mets 3, Expos 2 (1, 12 inn.). W: Taylor (8-4) L: Stoneman (9-17)
Meanwhile, the slumping Chicago Cubs were on their way to another loss. Starter Ken Holtzman left after seven innings with his team trailing 3-2, and reliever Phil Regan poured gasoline on the fire by allowing three more runs without recording a single out. After winning 10 of his first 11 decisions, Holtzman has now lost nine of his last 15. Rick Wise tossed a complete game for the Phils, allowing just one unearned run.
Phillies 6, Cubs 2. W: Wise (13-11) L: Holtzman (16-10)
With the second game of the Mets-Expos doubleheader underway, the home fans took to watching the out-of-town scoreboard. When the electronic “F” flashed to signal the end of the Cubs game, the Mets fans began to dance in the aisles. Regardless of the outcome of the nightcap, the Mets were now assured of waking up the next morning in first place. The scoreboard operator ran a celebratory message that seemed aimed just as much to the rest of the league as it was to the Shea faithful: LOOK WHO’S NO. 1.
In the third inning of game two, Jerry Grote’s leadoff double sparked a 6-run rally, and Nolan Ryan made the lead hold up en route to a 7-1 blowout. Ken Boswell recorded three hits, with Art Shamsky and Bud Harrelson each tallying two. When John Bateman flied out to Rod Gaspar for the final out, the Mets had moved into a full-game lead in the National League East.
Mets 7, Expos 1 (2). W: Ryan (6-1) L: Reed (6-6)
NL EAST STANDINGS
W L T PCT GB RS RA
New York Mets 84 57 0 .596 - 565 494
Chicago Cubs 84 59 1 .587 1.0 656 532
METS WIN, CUBS LOSE, LEAD DOWN TO 2 GAMES
Wednesday, August 26, 1969
Jerry Koosman dominated the punchless San Diego lineup, limiting the Padres to just two hits, one on Ollie Brown’s solo shot, across nine innings as the Mets won for the sixth time in a row and twelfth in thirteen games. Koosman also singled and scored on Cleon Jones two-run double in the third inning.
With the Cubs losing, the Mets moved to within just two games of Chicago and are now tied in the loss column.
Mets 4, Padres 1. W: Koosman (12-8) L: Kirby (3-18)
***
Alex Johnson and Lee May each had two hits and a home run, combining for five RBI, as the Reds beat up on Ken Holtzman and the Cubs. Ron Santo hit his 27th home run of the season. Chicago has now lost four straight.
Reds 6, Cubs 3. W: Cloninger (9-14) L: Holtzman (15-8) SV: Carroll (7)
NL EAST W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 78 52 1 .600 -
New York Mets 74 52 0 .587 2.0
HOLTZMAN NO-HITS GIANTS, MARICHAL TAKES SHUTOUT INTO 14TH BUT AGEE’S HR WINS IT FOR METS
Tuesday, August 19, 1969
What a day for pitching!
For 13 1/3 innings, San Francisco’s Juan Marichal performed heroically as he kept the Mets scoreless while striking out 13 New York batters along the way.
Then up stepped Tommie Agee, who had gone 0 for 5 against Marichal to that point. The Mets centerfielder drove a pitch over the Shea Stadium fence to give the Mets a 1-0 victory. Gary Gentry pitched 10 shutout innings himself, and Tug McGraw added for of his own to earn the win.
Cleon Jones went 3 for 5 on the day for the Mets, who managed just 6 hits in 14 innings.
Mets 1, Giants 0 (14 inn.). W: McGraw (6-2) L: Marichal (14-9)
***
Ken Holtzman tossed nine innings of hitless baseball against the Braves, retiring Hank Aaron on a ground ball to second for the game’s final out. Ron Santo’s first-inning three-run homer proved to be all the scoring at Wrigley.
It was a rare feat accomplished by Holtzman, who lodged his no-hitter without striking out a single batter. But the Cubs defense played flawlessly, and only three Giants reached base on walks.
Cubs 3, Giants 0. W: Holtzman (14-7) L: P. Niekro (16-11)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team W L T PCT GB Chicago Cubs 76 45 1 .628 - New York Mets 67 51 0 .568 7.5
METS SWEPT BY HOUSTON, HODGES PULLS JONES OFF FIELD DURING DOUBLEHEADER DISASTER
Thursday, July 31, 1969
The Astros completed a 3-game series sweep of the Mets at Shea. Tom Seaver allowed just 1 earned run in seven innings, but that was enough for Houston. ’stros starting pitcher Tom Griffin held the Mets scoreless through eight innings, and closer Fred Gladding came on to pitch the ninth and record his third save in two days.
Astros 2, Mets 0. W: Griffin (7-4) L: Seaver (15-6) SV: Gladding (22).
***
The Cubs lineup rapped out 12 runs on 12 hits and Fergie Jenkins recorded his 14th win of the season. Ernie Banks, Randy Hundley, and Billy Williams each homered, and Ron Santo also drove in 2 runs against the Giants.
Cubs 12, Giants 2. W: Jenkins (14-9) L: Bolin (5-7)
Team Name W L T GB
Chicago Cubs 64 41 1 -
New York Mets 55 44 0 6.0
Wednesday, July 30, 1969
It was a disastrous day at Shea as the Mets dropped a doubleheader to the Houston Astros. In both games, Mets pitchers allowed at least 10 runs in one inning.
In the first game, a close 5-3 contest suddenly turned into a rout as the Astros scored 11 runs in the ninth off relievers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor. Both Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn struck grand slams in the inning.
The Mets lost big in the second game, too, despite 3 hits and 4 RBI from Ed Kranepool. This time, Houston blew out New York early with a 10-run rally in the third, highlighted by Curt Blefary’s triple with the bases loaded and a 2-run home run by starting pitcher Larry Dierker.
The inning also witnessed some tension when Houston’s Johnny Edwards doubled into leftfield and the Mets’s Cleon Jones gingerly pursued the ball on the muddy Shea sod. Manager Gil Hodges, who didn’t like the way Jones went after the ball, walked the entire way from the dugout out to Jones, talked with his player for a few moments, and then had Jones (who stands at second in the National League with a .346 average) follow him back to the dugout. Ron Swoboda took Jones’s place in rightfield.
Astros 16, Mets 3 (1). W: Wilson (12-7) L: Koosman (8-6) SV: Gladding (20)
Astros 11, Mets 5 (2). W; Dierker (13-8) L: Gentry (9-9) SV: Gladding (21)
***
Gaylord Perry not only pitched a complete game but doubled and scored what proved to be the winning run in the 9th inning. Dave Marshall’s single drove home Perry, and Bob Burda’s double added two insurance runs.
Don Kessinger had 3 hits and scored twice for Chicago.
Giants 6, Cubs 3. W: Perry (13-7) L: Nye (2-5)
MCCOVEY CLOUTS 2 HR’S AS NL ALL-STARS CLUB AL 9-3, METS’ JONES HAS 2 HITS & 2 RUNS
Wednesday, July 23, 1969
The top players from the National and American Leagues squared off in the All-Star Game at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Centerfielder Matty Alou got the National Leaguers started by leading off the game with a single and later scored on an error by leftfielder Frank Howard.
In the top of the second, the Senior Circuit increased its lead when Mets leftfielder Cleon Jones singled and Johnny Bench followed with a 2-run homer off AL starter Mel Stottlemyre.
Howard, the hometown hero, got the American League on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, but the NL answered back with a 5-run outburst against A’s pitcher “Blue Moon” Odom. Hank Aaron singled with no outs and Willie McCovey sent one over the fence. Felix Millan doubled in 2 runs and then scored when starting pitcher Steve Carlton surprised everybody by smacking a double, chasing Odom from the game.
Bill Freehan smacked a home run for the American League in the home third, and Willie McCovey responded with his second home run in the two innings.
Freehan notched an RBI single in the 4th. The pitching staffs from both teams took over at that point, and the National League cruised to a 9-3 victory.
Cleon Jones had a 2-for-4 night, and Mets teammate Jerry Koosman pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Cubs third baseman Ron Santo went 0 for 3.
NL 9, AL 3. W: Carlton L: Stottlemyre SV: P. Niekro
STARTING LINEUP
NL
CF Alou (PIT)
SS Kessinger (CHI)
RF Aaron (ATL)
1B McCovey (SF)
3B Santo (CHI)
LF Jones (NYM)
C Bench (CIN)
2B Millan (ATL)
P Carlton (STL)
AL
2B Carew (MIN)
CF Jackson (OAK)
RF F. Robinson (BAL)
1B Powell (BAL)
LF Howard (WAS)
3B Bando (OAK)
SS Petrocelli (BOS)
C Freehan (DET)
P Stottlemyre (NYY)
METS LEAVE WRIGLEY WITH WIN
Wednesday, July 16, 1969
The Mets put up 6 runs in the first two innings and held on for a 9-5 win to take a second series from the Chicago Cubs this month.
New York jumped early on starter Fergie Jenkins, who allowed three straight hits to start the game. Jenkins was charged with 5 runs in just 1 inning of work.
Staked to an early lead, though, ex-Cubs starter Don Cardwell was unable to make it out of the second innings for the Mets. Chicago drew to within 6-5 after 3 innings, but New York’s Cal Koonce righted the ship with 5 scoreless innings in relief, and Ron Taylor added 2 of his own to finish out the game and the series at Wrigley.
Art Shamsky went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, Tommie Agee had a double and home run, and Cleon Jones went 2 for 5 and scored three times. J.C. Martin has 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Ken Boswell also had 2 hits and an RBI.
The win pulled the Mets back to within 3.5 games of the first-place Cubs.
Mets 9, Cubs 5. W: Koonce (4-3) L: Jenkins (12-7) SV: Taylor (9)
***
Team Name W L T PCT GB Chicago Cubs 57 36 1 .613 - New York Mets 51 37 0 .580 3.5
CUBS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER FROM PHILS, METS KEEP PACE WITH SWEEP OF EXPOS
Sunday, July 13, 1969
Ken Holtzman shut out the Phillies in the first game of a doubleheader, and Jim Colburn, making his Major League debut, picked up a victory while going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 3 runs. Don Kessinger was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI in the first and scored twice in the second. Glenn Beckert was 3 for 4 and Ron Santo struck a 2-run shot in the first game. Ernie Banks was the hitting star of the second game, going 2 for 3 with 4 RBI. Billy Williams scored twice in the nightcap, as well.
Cubs 6, Phillies 0 (1). W: Holtzman (11-5) L: Fryman (8-6)
Cubs 6, Phillies 4 (2). W: J. Colburn (1-0) L: L. Palmer (0-1) SV: Nye (2)
***
At Shea, Jerry Koosman recorded a complete-game win in the opening end of a doubleheader with the Expos. Cleon Jones, Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool each went 2 for 3.
The second game was a wild affair, with starters Nolan Ryan and Howie Reed both getting touched for 6 runs in 3 1/3 inning and neither figuring in the decision. Tommie Agee hit a leadoff home run and then followed with a 3-run blast to cap a 5-run rally in the 4th inning. Agee also scored the go-ahead run in the 7th on Ron Swoboda’s single and the insurance run on Wayne Garrett’s single in the 8th. The Mets centerfielder finished the game with 3 hits, 4 runs scored, and 4 RBI in 4 at-bats.
Mets 4, Expos 3 (1). W: Koosman (7-5) L: J. Robertson (2-7)
Mets 9, Expos 7 (2). W: Koonce (3-3) L: McGinn (4-9) SV: Taylor (7)
***
Team Name W L T GB
Chicago Cubs 56 34 1 -
New York Mets 49 36 0 4.5
TOM SEAVER TAKES PERFECT GAME INTO 9TH AGAINST CUBS **40 YEARS AGO TODAY**
Wednesday, July 9, 1969
Tom Seaver flirted with perfection, and now the Mets are flirting with the unimaginable – a run at first place.
It was clear from the first inning onward that the Mets’ young ace brought his good stuff to the ballpark. He struck out Don Kessinger to start the game and retired the side in order in the first. In the bottom of the inning, Tommie Agee led off with a triple and rookie Bobby Pfeil followed with a double off Chicago’s Ken Holtzman to score the game’s first run. Although the Mets would add three more in the game, one on a Cleon Jones homer, Agee’s was all they would need as Seaver pitched the game of his life.
New York’s 24-year-old hurler struck out the side in the second. He sent the Cubs down 1-2-3 in the third, and then again in the fourth. As he would later comment, “I was aware from the fourth inning on that I had a perfect game, and I was going for it.”
By 1969, only eight pitchers in the entire history of baseball had recorded a perfect game – that is, allowing not one opposing batter to reach base on either a hit, walk, error, or getting hit by a pitch. That’s nine consecutive 1-2-3 innings…27 batters up, 27 batters out.
After he got relief pitcher Ted Abernathy on strikes to end the top of the 6th, Seaver had gone through the Chicago lineup twice without a blemish. He took on the top of the order again in the seventh, getting Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert on flyouts and Billy Williams on a groundout. Ron Santo flied out to lead off the eighth. Still going strong, Seaver struck out both Ernie Banks and Al Spangler.
When Seaver came to bat in the bottom of the inning, the game stopped for nearly two minutes as the Shea crowd stood in applause for the most dominant performance by a Mets pitcher they had ever seen.
In the top of the ninth and the game all but in hand, Seaver took the mound just three outs from baseball immortality. He got Randy Hundley out weakly, pitcher to first. Up next was the 8th-place hitter, Jim Qualls, a seldom-played rookie who brought a .244 average into the game. Seaver wound up and delivered a pitch, and Qualls blooped it into leftfield for a soft hit, not far from where Ed Kranepool’s game-winner had landed the previous night.
The quest for the perfect game was over, but the home crowd stood and cheered again in recognition of Seaver’s outstanding night. Visibly disappointed, he collected his emotions and retired pinch-hitter Willie Smith on a foul pop-up and then got Don Kessinger to fly out to leftfield for the game’s final out.
Seaver’s pitching performance would go down in Mets memory as The Imperfect Game. “That was the best game I ever pitched,” he’d later say. “It was better than my no-hitter with Cincinnati. I had great stuff that night, superb control, and a mastery of all my pitches. It was obvious even before the game.”
And it was now obvious that the Chicago Cubs had serious competition in the N.L. East.
Mets 4, Cubs 0. W: Seaver (14-3) L: Holtzman (10-5)
Chicago Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO Kessinger ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 Beckert 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 Williams lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 Santo 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 Banks 1b 3 0 0 0 0 2 Spangler rf 3 0 0 0 0 3 Hundley c 3 0 0 0 0 0 Qualls cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 Holtzman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Abernathy p 2 0 0 0 0 2 W. Smith ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 28 0 1 0 0 11
New York Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Seaver W (14-3) 9 1 0 0 0 11 0 28
Team Name W L T PCT GB Chicago Cubs 52 33 1 .612 - New York Mets 47 34 0 .580 3.0 Pittsburgh Pirates 41 43 0 .488 10.5 St. Louis Cardinals 42 45 0 .483 11.0 Philadelphia Phillies 37 45 0 .451 13.5 Montreal Expos 26 58 0 .310 25.5
METS SCORE 20 RUNS IN DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP, JENKINS K’S 10 IN 10 AS CUBS DOWN CARDS
Friday, July 4, 1969
The Mets opened up the fireworks for a doubleheader at Forbes Field. Al Weis went 5 for 9 on the day with 5 RBI, and Tommie Agee went 5 for 10 with a home run and 5 RBI. Cleon Jones went 3 for 6 in the first game and Art Shamsky went 3 for 4 in the second.
Mets 11, Pirates 6 (1). W: Seaver (13-3) L: Veale (4-10) SV: Koonce (5)
Mets 9, Pirates 2 (2). W: Cardwell (3-8) L: Ellis (4-9) SV: DiLauro (1)
***
Fergie Jenkins and Bob Gibson staged an amazing pitcher’s duel in St. Louis as both men pitched into the 10th inning having given up just a single run. But Gibson faltered in the 10th, when Don Kessinger, who went 3 for 5, led off with a single, stole second, and scored after Glenn Beckert’s single and Billy Williams’s double. Ron Santo then singled in Beckert. Jenkins pitched a clean 10th for the complete-game, extra-inning win, striking out 10 on the day. Gibson K’d 9 Chicago batters.
Cubs 3, Cardinals 1 (10 inn.) W: Jenkins (11-5) L: Gibson (10-6)
Team Name W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 52 28 1 .650 -
New York Mets 44 34 0 .564 7.0