While I was watching the Red Sox-Rays game tonight, Sox announcers Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo showed the hand operated scoreboard in left field (it's part of the Green Monster). They pointed out that the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals game was scoreless in the 16th inning.
I remembered the Mets-Cardinals matchup was the FOX Saturday Baseball Game of the Week. So I quickly flipped over and sure enough the game was now in the 17th inning.
It was at this time that I told my roomie Christopher that I nearly went to a game between the Montreal Expos and the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 1989 that lasted 22 innings. The Dodgers won the game 1-0 on a solo home run by Rick Dempsey off Dennis Martinez. Curiously, both were teammates on the 1983 World Series champion Orioles (now those are four words you won't hear this year).
The Cardinals ran out of pitchers and began using position players to pitch. Infielder Felipe Lopez pitched for the Redbirds in the 18th while outfielder Joe Mather pitched in the 19th and 20th innings.
The Mets broke the deadlock in the top of the 19th on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Jeff Francoeur to score Jose Reyes. But Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez couldn't close the door. A single by Yadier Molina scored Albert Pujols to tie the game back up. Actually, the Cardinals had a chance to win but inexplicably Ryan Ludwick attempted to steal second while Pujols was at the plate.
A sacrifice fly by Jose Reyes in the top of the 20th gave the Mets a 2-1 lead and Mike Pelfrey recorded his first major league save. The game lasted 6 hours and 53 minutes. Both teams are thanking their lucky stars that their next match up tomorrow is a night game.
Believe it or not, this isn't the longest game these two teams have played. On September 11, 1974, at Shea Stadium, the Cardinals defeated the Mets 4-3 in 25 innings when Bake McBride (who would be named NL Rookie of the Year in '74) scored the winning run on a botched pick off move. It took more than 35 years for the Mets to get even.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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1 comment:
I’m normally not a fan of low-scoring games, but the Mets-Cardinals game was a classic! I didn’t think this game would ever end. I heard the announcers say that there was supposed to be a high school game taking place afterwards. I wonder if that game was actually played.
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