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Mets Blowouts and Other Minutiae

Inspired by Eli Marrero (if you read the posting this weekend, you'll understand) and the note from AP that Carlos Beltran had 10 runs scored and 10 RBI this weekend. The Diamondbacks managed to score 9 runs this weekend.

For our purposes, let's define a true blowout as a win by 10+ runs because it's easier for me to look things up in that scenario. Sunday marked the Mets first true blowout win of the season

* The Mets first true blowout win was a 13-2 triumph over Houston on June 23, 1962. Richie Ashburn homered twice and Jay Hook pitched a complete game. The blowout win was sandwiched around two blowout losses (16-3 vs Houston in Game 2 of a doubleheader the day before and 13-3 against Pittsburgh two days later)

* The Mets biggest true blowout was a 19-1 win over the Cubs on May 26, 1964. Dick Smith became the first Mets player with 5 hits in a game. A fan called a newspaper to ask if the Mets won. When told they scored 19 runs, he asked again "Did they win?"

* The Mets have never had a true blowout over the Marlins and Brewers, but have had one against every other NL foe, as well as the Devil Rays, Rangers, and Yankees.

* On July 27, 1985 in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Astros, the Mets won by true blowout, 16-4. All 16 runs were unearned. I was at that game, keeping score at age 10. My tally then was as correct as it is today: 16 unearned runs. That's when I knew I was going to be a nutty fan.

* On August 7, 1971, the Mets scored 20 runs for the first time. The result was a true blowout, a 20-6 win over the Braves. Nolan Ryan was the winning pitcher. The next day, the Mets got shut out by Phil Niekro. So much for carryover.

* Edgardo Alfonzo had his 6-hit game in a true blowout, a 17-1 win over the Astros on August 30, 1999.

* The Mets biggest true blowout shutout was by a 14-0 score. It happened first against the Cubs in Game 1 of a doubleheader on July 29, 1965, (Johnny Lewis, 2 HR, Galen Cisco on a 4-hit shutout) and then again against the Reds on April 19, 1998 (Bernard Gilkey had 2 doubles, 5 runs scored, and kicked the extra point on the second touchdown).

* Only once have the Mets allowed 10 runs and won by true blowout. That came on August 16, 1987, when they beat the Cubs, 23-10. Greg Maddux was the losing pitcher for the Cubs that day, one in which the Mets set a team record for runs scored.

* The Mets have won on Opening Day 28 times but have never had a true Opening Day blowout. In fact, their biggest Opening Day margin of victory is a measly 5 runs (1982 vs Phillies, 2004 vs Braves).

* The 1986 Mets had 2 true blowouts and both occurred within a week. The first was on July 11, an 11-0 win over the Braves. The other was a 13-2 romp of the Astros and Nolan Ryan on July 17. Amazingly, the 1969 Mets did not record a true blowout the entire season.

Comments

Ryan Dragoon said…
Good post, I enjoy reading these kind of facts.

Btw, I was wondering if we could swap links? I'm brand new to the Mets blogging community and I am trying to get some exposure.

Thanks,
http://godblessbuckner.blogspot.com/

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