'70 Amazin's take 2 of 3 from 'Stros

70 Mets take 2 of 3 from the 03 Astros as the Mets try to stay in the playoff hunt

Game 1  in Houston

Mets 14 Astros 4

Mets with a 17 hit attack rout the Stros. The New Yorkers score SEVEN runs in the second inning against starter and loser Wade Miller (1-2).  Wayne Garrett hit a 2 run HR (1) to get things started and later in the inning Tommie Agee drove in two with a single before Art Shamsky capped things off with a 3 run blast (1).

Houston tried to come back, closing to 8-4 before the Mets continued to pile it on. Ken Boswell was 3-6 with a double, triple, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Garrett was 3-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Jerry Grote was 3-5.

Nolan Ryan (1-1) got the win, going 5 innings and allowing only 4 hits although he walked six. Danny Frisella pitched four shutout innings in relief to earn a save.

Game 2 in Houston

Mets 6 Astros 5

An exciting game as the Astros nearly came back from a 6-0 deficit. Once again the Mets scored early and often. A Cleon Jones RBI single in the first gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Leading 2-0 in the fourth, the New Yorkers scored four times with the big hit being a 2 RBI single by Tommie Agee.

Tom Seaver (4-1) was cruising along with a shutout going into the 8^th when he began to tire. Eric Bruntlett pinch hit a double to make it 6-1 and then Jeff Kent hit a 3 run HR to make it 6-4. Seaver came out for the 9^th but a clearly tiring Tom Terrific walked the leadoff hitter Morgan Ensberg. Tug McGraw came on in relief and was promptly greeted by Adam Everett with a single to right sending Ensberg to third. Houston was threatening big time! Then came the big play of the game as Brad Ausmus hit one down to third where Wayne Garrett started a huge 5-4-3 DP! A run scored on the play to make it 6-5 but there was now no one on base for pinch hitter Orlando Merced. The lefty swinging Merced lined to 2B Boswell and the game was over.

The Mets breathed a sigh of relief as they took the 6-5 win.

Seaver struck out 6 over 8 innings and got the win. McGraw got his second save of the year. Tim Redding (2-2) started and took the loss for the Stros. Jeff Kent was 2-4 with a double, HR and 3 RBIs.

Game 3 in New York (Shea Stadium)

Astros 6 Mets 3

With the Mets now 12-11 and Houston now 14-9, the final game of the series was huge as the Mets had the opportunity to pull within one game of the Stros in the playoff race. It was not to be.

In the most exciting game of the series, the Astros took an early 3-0 lead only to see the Mets tie it in the 7^th. Then Jeff Bagwell hit a 3 run HR in the 8^th to win it for Houston!

Ron Villone started for Houston as the Astros finally got a good performance from a starting pitcher. And Villone did it at the plate as well as on the mound, driving in 2 runs in the second inning with a single off starter Jerry Koosman.

Morgan Ensberg doubled in Bagwell in the third to make it 3-0. Meanwhile, Villone was holding the Mets scoreless until they broke through with a run in the 5^th on a walk, a hit and an RBI ground out by Bud Harrelson. 3-1 after 5.

In the 7^th, Bud Harrelson (having a terrific season) tripled to score Joe Foy to make it 3-2. Wayne Garret’s RBI grounder tied the game.

Tug McGraw came on in the 8^th for the Mets and got into trouble right away when he walked the light hitting backup catcher Geoff Zaun. Everett bunted him to second. Berkman then drew a semi intentional intentional walk to set up the DP with one out and Bagwell up. But the strategy backfired as the future Hall of Famer hit a shot down the left field line that cleared the fence for his 6^th HR of the season – and none was bigger!

Brad Lidge (2-1) and Billy Wagner (11^th save) closed out the game for Houston allowing only 1 hit in 2 2/3 innings. McGraw (2-1) took the loss.

Houston is now 15-9, third in the NL West pending the outcome of this week’s games for division leading (15-6) 73 LA and 93 SF.

The Mets are now 12-12, fourth in the NL East but right up there with 64 Philly and 83 Atlanta, both of whom are 11-10 going into this week’s games. 49 SL leads the division at 13-8.

Next week: The Mets will play those NL West leading 73 Dodgers while Houston will play the NL East leading 49 Cardinals – as the Mets and Astros get a chance to help each other out!

--submitted by Alan Raylesburg--