Amazin’ Look Back – 8/31/1973: Mets Edge Cardinals

Tonight at Busch Stadium, the Mets erased an early deficit before downing the Cardinals in 10 innings.

Aug 3, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baseball bats ready for use rest in the Colorado Rockies dugout before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis jumped all over starting pitcher Ray Sadecki in the first inning, plating three runs on three consecutive hits.  After a bunt single by Ted Sizemore, Joe Torre delivered an RBI double, Ted Simmons stroked an RBI single, and Tommie Agee followed with an RBI triple.

The Mets fought back with single runs in the third and fourth, before tying things up in the sixth when Ed Kranepool drove in Cleon Jones with an RBI single.

The game remained tied until the top of the 10th.  It was then, that the Mets staged a three run rally after there were two outs and nobody on base.  The damage was done on five consecutive singles by Wayne Garrett, Felix Millan, Cleon Jones, Rusty Staub, and Ed Kranepool, the latter three of the run scoring variety.  That gave the Mets a 6-3 lead.

Tug McGraw pitched the bottom of the 10th for New York and allowed a run on an RBI groundout, but nailed down the save without further incident.

The win moved the Mets to 62-71 on the season, and pulled them back within 5.5 games of first place in the N.L. East.

Here’s the box score and starting lineups from the game:

New York Mets

St. Louis Cardinals

1.

, 3B

1.

, LF

2.

, 2B2.

, 2B

3.

, LF

3.

, 1B

4.

, RF

4.

, C

5.

, 1B

5.

, CF

6.

, C

6.

, RF

7.

, CF

7.

, 3B

8.

, SS

8.

, SS

9

.

, P

9.

, P

Next Up:

The Mets play the third game of their four game set with the Cardinals tomorrow.

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