Jun 11 2011

Weirdest Mets Game Ever

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time, but I never take the time to do it.  I was reminded about this game once again today, and since I have the time, I have decided not to put it off any more.

The weirdest Mets game I’ve ever attended took place on August 23rd, 2009.  What was so weird about it?  Well,

  • DJ AM (who I admit I’d never heard of) threw out the first pitch, in what would be his last public appearance before his untimely death five days later.
  • Pedro Martinez, who was a beloved Met for four years, was the visiting Phillies’ starting pitcher after the Mets essentially ignored him during the off-season.
  • Pedro would have his first at-bat before he threw his first pitch.
  • Oliver Perez gave up six runs in the first inning.  (If you know anything about Perez, that part isn’t so weird.)  Not only did he not get out of the first inning, he was pulled during Pedro Martinez’ at-bat with a 3-0 count.  Nelson Figueroa would come in and finish the at-bat, striking Pedro out to end the inning.
  • Mets center fielder Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run and a traditional home run.
  • Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur caught a ball hit by Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett in shallow right in the top of the 9th that the first base umpire initially ruled a trap.  The umps got together to discuss it, and wound up overturning the first base umpire’s initial ruling, making the third out in the inning.
  • Bruntlett would get his revenge on Francoeur in the bottom of the ninth when, down by two runs, with two runners on and no outs, Francoeur lined out to Bruntlett, who then stepped on second and tagged out Daniel Murphy, who was on the back end of an attempted double steal.  Bruntlett therefore ended the game with an unassisted triple play — only the 15th in the history of Major League Baseball, the second ever to end a game, and the first ever to end a National League game.  Had Bruntlett been standing literally anywhere else in the stadium, that ball would have gone through for a hit, and the Mets would have scored one run and likely two to tie the game.  See for yourself:  Eric Bruntlett\’s Unassisted Triple Play (YouTube)

Pedro Martinez, in his first game against the Mets since May 28, 1997, won for the first time as a Mets opponent since April 26, 1997.  Perez took the loss in, if I remember correctly, what would turn out to be his last appearance for the Mets that season.  That was a long drive home.