D-Whit - It Was 45 Years Ago Today...Tuesday August 5th

August 5^th

The Mets split a pair at Crosley but fell to 8 back as the Cubs won game number 70 of 1969-defeating the Astros 5-2. 

In game 1 Tom Seaver lasted 3 innings as the Reds pounded the Met ace for 4 runs and 5 hits. Bobby Tolan’s 2 run shot in the 1^st and Pete Rose’s solo blast in the 4^th accounted for 3 of Cincinnati’s early 4 runs. Arts Shamsky’s 2 run HR in the 4^th off Red starter Gary Nolan narrowed the deficit but Met relievers Cal Koonce and Jack DiLauro were ineffective. 

Koonce gave up back to back run scoring hits-a double to Tolan and an Alex Johnson single. Tony Perez took DiLauro deep for two runs in the 7^th to put the Reds up 8-2. New York answered with three in the 8^th thanks to RBI singles from Cleon Jones and Wayne Garrett.  It wasn’t enough as Clay Carroll squelched the rally inducing three groundball outs. Final: Reds 8 Mets 5

The Mets rolled in the nightcap, however, winning 10-1. Nolan Ryan went the distance, giving up one run and striking out seven. New York scored all its runs in the first 5 frames against starter Gerry Arrigo (6) and reliever Pedro Ramos (4). The onslaught began with Jerry Grote’s RBI single in the 2^nd. They broke it open the following inning. Tommie Agee led off the 3^rd with a double but scored as a result of two errors-one by CF Bobby Tolan and the other from 1B Lee May.  Bobby Pfeil walked, Cleon Jones was HBP and then Donn Clendenon cleared the bases with his 7^th longball of the season. 

The Mets weren’t done. Ron Swoboda later greeted Ramos with a run-scoring double to put New York up 6-0. By the time the inning ended it was 8-0. Tommie Agee’s 17^th HR in the 5^th put the Mets in double figures on the scoreboard. 

The 10 runs were the most the Mets scored since winning 11-6 en route to a double header sweep of the Pirates on July 4^th. It’s also the most runs they’d score in a regular season game the rest of the 1969 season.