D-Whit - It Was 45 Years Ago Today...Tuesday September 2nd 1969

September 2^nd

Cledenon' 2 HR's pace Mets early, NY holds on to win 5-4

On a two game losing streak with time running short the Mets needed to get back on the winning side. They sent Gary Gentry to the hill to take on the Dodgers’ Don Sutton.  New York struck first on Donn Clendenon’s solo blast in the opening inning. In the 4^th Clendenon rocketed his second homer of the game-11^th of the season-to put New York up 2-0. 

Ron Swoboda’s double to left center tacked on two more runs in the 6^th. A run-scoring single in the 8^th off the bat of Ken Boswell drove in Clendenon with the team’s fifth run. Gentry entered the 9^th in command and seemingly on his way to victory #10. A walk and single ended his hopes for a CG, but Ron Taylor came on to retire Ted Sizemore on a forceout at 2^nd. 

Up comfortably, 5-1, with one out to go Taylor seemed on his way to preserving Gentry’s shutout with a save. Instead he wouldn't make it out of the inning. PH Jim LeFebvre’s RBI single cost Gentry his shutout and Andy Kosco’s 2- RBI single almost cost the Mets the game.  With the tying run on 3^rd and the winning run on 1^st Gil Hodges called on Tug McGraw to snuff out the Dodgers’ late rally-and he did. McGraw earned his 10^th save by striking out Willie Davis. Mets 5 Dodgers 4

Meanwhile at Crosley Field, Ferguson Jenkins and the Cubs downed the Reds, 8-2. New York (77-55) remained 5 games back of Chicago (84-52).