Remembering Mets History (2000) World Series Game #3- Mets Win First Game of Subway Series In Shea Stadium

 Tuesday October 24th, 2000- World Series Game #3- Shea Stadium, NY: 

This was the first World Series game back at Shea Stadium since the Championship Year of 1986. That was Game Seven when the Mets had won their last Championship. 

A New York crowd of 55,299 came to Shea for Game Three of the Subway Series. **centerfieldmaz was in attendance that night having a blast as we let those other NY fans have it in good fun in the upper deck in left field.**

Bobby Valentine's Mets (94-68) had won the 2000 NL Wild Card spot, then beat the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS in five games. They then defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS in five games as well.

This World Series was the first New York Subway World Series since 1956, when the Brooklyn
Dodgers took on the AL New York team.

The Mets had dropped the first two games of the series, losing a 12-inning nail bitter 4-3 in Game #1. 

In the 5th inning of that game Timo Perez singled to start the inning. With two outs he watched a
Todd Zeile shot to left field he thought was a HR, the ball didn't go over the fence & Perez was nailed at home plate for a big out.

The Mets took the lead in the 7th, with RBI hits from pinch hitter Bubba Trammell & Edgardo Alfonzo. But Armando Benitez couldn't close out the game, blowing another important save. Turk Wendell took the loss in the 12th.

Game #2 was a heartbreaking 6-5 loss where the Mets had scored five runs in the 9th inning & just fell just short of a comeback.  That game also featured another round of the Mike Piazza- Roger Clemens drama. 

When Piazza fouled off a pitch, his bat spit & flew toward Clemens. 

In a fit of rage, Clemens threw the pitch in Piazza's direction, clearing the benches. No punches were thrown & home plate umpire Charlie Relaford restored order, although no discipline was given to Clemens.

On this night it was Game #3 with the Mets down two games to none. For the AL team, Joe Torre sent Orlando Hernandez to the mound & Bobby Valentine sent Rick Reed (11-5 / 4.11 ERA / 121 Ks). 

Rick Reed had taken the Mets only loss in the NLCS losing to St. Louis in Game #3 giving up five runs in 3.1 innings of work.

Rick Reed started out the game by striking out two in the 1st inning. The Mets were retired in order in the 1st inning. In the top of the 2nd, Reed allowed a ground rule double, but struck out three A.L. New Yorkers as well.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Robin Ventura put the Mets on the board first with a lead off HR to right center field, almost hitting the famous HR Apple. 

It was just one of three hits Ventura had in the World Series batting .150 (3-20. In the post season he hit three HRs & drove in eight runs but hit just .169.

After the Ventura HR, Orlando Hernandez struck out Todd Zeile, Benny Agbayani & Jay Payton.

The A.L. New York team scored in the 3rd on a base hit from Derek Jeter & a double from David Justice. In the 4th a leadoff single & a triple from Paul O'Neil gave the A.L. New York team a 2-1 lead. Reed then hit a batter putting two on with two out, he then struck out Jose Vizcaino to end the inning.

Reed went through six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out eight along the way with two walks.

In the home 6th, Mike Piazza led off with a ground rule double due to fan interference. Next, Robin Ventura got aboard on a walk. 

Todd Zeile then followed with a double to left field bringing in Piazza to tie the game up 2-2, much to the delight of the Shea Mets fans. 

Trivia: Todd Zeile led the Mets batting .400 (tied with Bubba Trammell) in the World Series (8-20). This was his only extra base hit & RBI.

Benny Agbayani then drew a walk but with the bases loaded the Mets failed to score, as Jay
Payton & Mike Bordick both went down on strikes.

Turk Wendell came on relief for the Mets & struck out the first two batters of the 7th inning. He then walked Jeter & was relieved by Dennis Cook. 

Cook hit David Justice with a pitch, the first batter he faced but then struck out Bernie Williams to end the threat. The Mets fans went wild in Shea.

The Mets were retired in order in the 7th.

Dennis Cook started the 8th but walked Tino Martinez. John Franco came on to pitch with no one out & a runner on, he got a double play ball to Ventura at third. Ventura to Alfonzo to Zeile for two outs. Franco then gave up a base hit but then retired pinch hitter Glen Allen Hill on a fly ball to right to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 8th, after Robin Ventura struck out, Todd Zeile singled to center. Benny Agbayani, who hit over .350 in the post season, came up big once again, as he doubled to left field scoring Zeile putting the Mets ahead 3-2. 

Joe McEwing was brought in to run for Agbayani. Jay Payton followed with an infield hit advancing McEwing to third. A.L. manager Joe Torre removed Orlando Hernandez & brought in reliever Mike Stanton.

Mets manager Bobby Valentine brought in his hot hitting pinch hitter Bubba Trammell. Trammell delivered with a sac fly to centerfield scoring McEwing with the Mets fourth run. 

Trivia: Trammell led the Mets along with Todd Zeile batting .400 in the series (although he only had five at bats: 2-5). Trammell also drove in three runs in the Series. 

Kurt Abbott came on to pinch hit & struck out to end the inning.

In the 9th, Abbot stayed in the game to play short stop. Joe McEwing also stayed in the game to
play left field. 

Armando Benitez came on to pitch, of course he allowed a leadoff single. Benitez got Luis Polonia to fly out & struck out Jeter looking at a third strike.

Next was a strange play involving defensive interference which put the base runner on second base. 

Benitez managed to get out of it as David Justice popped out to second base to close out the game with a Mets Series win.

Trivia: The Mets ended Orlando Hernandez streak of eight straight post season wins that night. 

John Franco was credited with the win. It was his only World Series victory in his 21-year career. He was 2-0 with a save in his post season career, 15 games posting a 1.88 ERA with ten strike outs in 14.1 innings.

The Mets were still down 2-1 in the Series & that would be it for them in 2000......................