Remembering Mets History: (1991) David Cone Tosses His Third Mets One Hitter
Friday September 20th 1991: Bud Harrelson's Mets (71-76) certainly were a huge disappointment this season. It was the start of another losing era for the New York Mets who had just come off seven years of finishing either first or second in the N.L. East. As that era was ending this game was one of the few highlights of the 1991 season.
David Cone went up against Joe Torre's St. Louis Cardinals (7671) 12 1/2 games back in second place, in a pre wild card era.
Torre sent Rheal Cormier to the mound. 15,683 fans came out to Shea for the two hour & twelve minute contest.
David Cone went up against Joe Torre's St. Louis Cardinals (7671) 12 1/2 games back in second place, in a pre wild card era.
Torre sent Rheal Cormier to the mound. 15,683 fans came out to Shea for the two hour & twelve minute contest.
Starting Lineups
St. Louis Cardinals | New York Mets | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ray Lankford | CF | 1 | Keith Miller | 2B | |
2 | Ozzie Smith | SS | 2 | Kevin Elster | SS | |
3 | Todd Zeile | 3B | 3 | Howard Johnson | RF | |
4 | Pedro Guerrero | 1B | 4 | Kevin McReynolds | CF | |
5 | Felix Jose | RF | 5 | Gregg Jefferies | 3B | |
6 | Milt Thompson | LF | 6 | Mark Carreon | LF | |
7 | Rich Gedman | C | 7 | Chris Donnels | 1B | |
8 | Jose Oquendo | 2B | 8 | Charlie O'Brien | C | |
9 | Rheal Cormier | P | 9 | David Cone | P |
For Cone it was another fine outing he was to pitch as a New York Met. Cone sailed along in the game, he struck out one batter in the 1st inning & then two more in the 3rd. In the 5th inning he walked Milt Thompson ending any early thoughts of a perfect game. He ended that inning striking out Ray Lankford.
Until this point the game was still scoreless as the offensive weak Mets weren't supporting Cone. In the home 6th, Kevin Elster led off with a walk. With two outs Greg Jefferies reached on an error, after a balk got Elster to third. Mark Carreon then delivered with a base hit that proved to be the only run of the game, making it 1-0.
Cone came back after an inning where no one was talking to him in the dug out & got Ozzy Smith out trying to bunt his way on, but Greg Jefferies threw him out. Then Cone struck out Todd Zeile & Pedro Guerrero to end the 7th with a no hitter still in tact.
It was in the 8th inning that Felix Jose led off with a double to deep left centerfield ending the no hit bid. Jose did have a fine year that year batting .305 in 154 games.
This was the 20th one hitter thrown in Mets history & the third by Mets pitching that month. The second from David Cone who combined with Jeff Innis (one inning) a six days earlier.
In this one Cone struck out 11 in the game & walked just one. He would lead the NL in strike outs that year for the second year in a row with 241. He went 14-14 winning 14 games for the second straight year as well.
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