D-Whit - It Was 45 Years Ago Today...Monday September 1st 1969

September 1^st

Agee goes 4-4 hits 23rd HR in losing effort

The final full month of the season opens with the Mets having an opportunity to gain a half game on the idle Cubs. Things started promising this Labor Day as New York plated two against Dodger starter Jim Bunning. Donn Clendenon continued his hot hitting driving in the first Met run and Ken Boswell followed one batter later with a run scoring double. Los Angeles answered, however, with seven runs in the first 2 innings. Starter Jerry Koosman faced five Dodger hitters, allowing 4 runs and reliever Cal Koonce was pounded for 10 hits and 5 runs over his 5 2/3 innings of work.   

Trailing 9-2, New York tried mounting a comeback. Duffy Dyer’s 2-run HR in the 6^th made it 9-4 and Tommie Agee followed the next inning with his 23^rd dinger, a solo shot, to cut the Dodger lead to four. Later in the 7^th Art Shamsky’s triple drove in J.C. Martin, making it 9-6 for Ken Boswell, who walked, putting runners on the corners for Ron Swoboda. Dodger reliever Ray Lamb ended the threat by striking out Swoboda. The final: Dodgers 10 Mets 6. 

New York, now losers of two straight, were now 76-55 and trailed Chicago by 5 with 31 left to play.