Remembering Mets History (1971): Mets Sweep Dodgers In a Twin Bill At Shea

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Saturday August 28th, 1971: There had been a rainout on Friday night, so the game was moved to the next day for a Saturday afternoon double header at Shea Stadium, beginning at 2;15 PM. Gil Hodges’ Mets were in fourth place 10 ½ games back at the .500 mark (64-64). Walter Alston’s second place Dodgers (69-72) were 7 ½ games back. This matchup had Tom Seaver against Claude Osteen.

 The Mets exploded in the 1st inning scoring six runs off Osteen, as the first seven batters reached base. Teddy Martinez & Ken Boswell led off with singles, then Cleon Jones walked to load the bases.  Don Clendenon followed with a two run  base hit. Tommie Agee then singled in a run. Mets third baseman Bob Aspromonte doubled scoring Clendenon, then Jerry Grote finished off the scoring with another RBI single.

 Osteen was removed for pitcher Joe Moeller.In the 2nd, Cleon Jones singled & Clendenon struck again, blasting a two run homer making it 8-0 Mets.

 Tom Seaver coasted, going the distance allowing only two runs on eight hits while striking out six and lowering his season ERA to 1.96. Seaver would finish the year leading the league in ERA for the second straight year at 1.76. Infielder Teddy Martinez had a big first game that day with three hits, including a double, two runs scored & a stolen base.

By the second game, 43,000 plus had piled into Shea to watch Gary Gentry & Don Sutton go at it in a classic pitcher’s duel. Sutton shut the Mets out for seven innings, striking out six, before getting pulled for a pinch hitter in the 8th inning.

Gentry also pitched seven shutout innings striking out six Dodgers as well. In the top of the 8th, Dodger catcher; Duke Sims doubled and was then replaced a pinch runner, rookie Bobby Valentine. Pinch hitter Tom Haller singled home Valentine making it 1-0 Dodgers.

In the Mets 8th, Dodger pitcher Jim Brewer retired the first two batters. Next catcher Duffy Dyer doubled. Gil Hodges brought in Tommie Agee to pinch hit. Agee singled to tie the game as Dyer scored. Tug McGraw retired the side in order in the top of the 9th.

 In the bottom of the 9th, Brewers retired Bud Harrelson & Jerry Grote. Then Cleon Jones hit a game winning walk off HR completing the Mets sweep.

 I took 39 years for the Mets to sweep another double header from the Dodgers, that one was at Citi Field.

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