Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

[gern11]

Mets head into August on the heels of a solid performance in July.

Their lead in the NL East peaked at 5 1/2 and is currently 4 1/2 over the Pirates.


At the plate...TAKE NOTE!! Clemente is still over .400


On the bump...


Against the field...

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Mets drop an 8-4 decision to the Cardinals in St. Louis as we head to Pittsburgh for a pivotal four-game set with the Pirates.

Mets hold a four-game edge of the second-place Pirates entering the early August weekend series. I never thought I'd see myself typing such a thing, but there is concern in the opening matchup because Steve Carlton gets the ball.

This seaon - and frankly the early portion of his career with the Mets - has not been kind nor fun to endure for Lefty. His disappointing numbers (2-12, 5.52 ERA) don't in any way resemble the dominating ace we thought we drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1963 MLB Draft.

Carlton will oppose Ted Wills (5-2, 4.35).

Sidenote in Clemente's pursuit of .400...he comes into the weekend hitting .404.

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Joe Morgan went 3 for 4 with a homer, three runs scored and two RBI to pace an offense that offered enough support to enable Steve Carlton to pick up the win as the Mets tamed the Pirates, 5-3, in the series opener.

The win ensures the Mets will leave town in first place...now it becomes a matter of how vast the gap we can build before exiting town.

[gern11]

If you are a lifelong Mets fan, chances are you know what I'm talking about.
I'm pretty certain it's not just me.

We get that win in Pittsburgh to open the series and the pessimism that haunts me IRL when it comes to my Mets pervasively finds its way into the OOTP world. I can't help but think we drop the next three, rather than gain the split at minimum let alone take three or even dare I wish sweep, which would have given us significant breathing room.

Lo and behold, the Mets drop the last three games of the series and we leave Pittsburgh with a two-game lead as opposed to something wider. It's never easy.

Grant Jackson, who has been terrific, gets tagged for five runs and bows out after three innings Game 2. We lose, 8-5. Jackson was pitching to a 2.51 ERA, which moved to 2.73 after the loss.

As good as he's been at the plate, Tony Perez has been suspect at best defensively. His 18th error of the season cost one of the runs.

Deja Vu in Game 3 as Jim Rooker gets tagged for three in the first en route to a 5-3 setback. Wasn't that close. We got two in the 9th.

Finale, Rollie Fingers gets rocked for five in the second as we absorb a 7-2 lumping.

Tough pill to swallow. We are better than them at nearly every position, can rake up and down our lineup. Gotta see the pitching tighten up.

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A 2-8 tailspin has put us in a precarious spot, just a game up on the Pirates as of August 19.

A move I'll have to sit with is releasing Richie Ashburn after 1962 season. I anticipated he would not be around much longer and his best years were certainly in the rearview mirror. How wrong I was.

Ashburn has haunted us with his continued high-level performance since departing New York and for the last seven years since that exit, he's thrived in Pittsburgh.

[gern11]

Stepped away from the dynasty for a little bit but fired things back up this morning. And, once again, the Mets can sniff it.

Here's a look at where things stand as of Sept. 15, 1970...


We'll have to hold our water over the next two weeks...we see the Pirates for four this coming weekend and catch them for three more a week later. That span will decided the NL East.

PS..the chase for .400 appears to be over. Clemente is batting .389.

[gern11]

Lets goooo!!!!

Mets make a statement, winning three of four to open 8 1/2-game cushion on Pirates.

Johnny Bench set the tone in the opener, blasting two homers and a double en route to piling up a stunning franchise-record eight RBIs as the Mets throttle Pittsburgh, 16-9. The score was only cosmetically closer because Vida Blue got tagged for seven runs in the top of the ninth.


Jim Rooker spins gem on Saturday and Don Mincher collects two hits, including his 39th homer as Mets prevail, 4-1.


Sunday, Bench goes 4 for 4 with homer, Buddy Harrelson knocks in two during a five-run outburst in bottom of the first and Steve Carlton gets a step closer to .500 as Mets win third straight.


Chance for the sweep fell by wayside in the nightcap of the doubleheader as Pirates take the final contest, 10-4.

A fruitful weekend has the standings looking like this...


Hit the road for two in Philly before catching up with Pirates for three more in Pittsburgh.

[gern11]

Look at me, sleeping at the wheel.

Getting so wrapped up in putting distance on the Pirates, I failed to check the magic number after the series. That said, look who just claimed the franchise's first divisional crown!!!!

The Mets topped the Phillies, 6-3, to clinch the NL East title! Having fallen short in 1969, it put us behind schedule in this dynasty but this marks the Amazins first post season appearance and hopefully our ascent into sustained prominence.

[ayaghmour2]

Congrats on the division! Next stop: championship!

[gern11]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Congrats on the division! Next stop: championship!

Thank you!

[gern11]

The Mets will face the San Francisco Giants - a long-time nemesis - in the National League Championship Series.

Mets went 3-9 versus the Giants this season with our starters taking it on the chin to a good degree. Much of the damage was self-inflicted. How so?

Just Mets' starters alone issued 43 walks in those 12 games, with Jim Rooker being responsible for 18 in three starts.

Thought long about how to attack them from a mound perspective. Although Carlton and Rooker each finished exceptionally strong to close out the regular season, I gotta go with Lew Krausse to open the series. He was the starter in all three wins against SF.

So, think we are looking at...

Game 1: Krausse (14-6) vs. Marichal (19-3)
Game 2: Rooker (17-8) vs. Peters (18-11)

Game 3: Coombs (10-10) vs. Carlton (10-12)

Only exception may be sliding Grant Jackson into either Game 2 or 3. Want to see how we do in Game 1.

Since I started the dynasty in 1962, the Giants have won three World Series titles ('68, '66, '65). This marks the Mets' first post-season appearance.

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The Mets delivered an early salvo, rocking Juan Marichal for four runs in the top of the first, but it was the three they crossed in the top of the 9th that were the necessary blows to secure an 8-6 triumph in Game 1 at Candlestick.

Ken Boswell proved the unthinkable hero with a clutch two-run single in the 9th that stamped an improbable two-out rally and got the Amazins off on the right foot.

Below are the boxscore and game log.

[gern11]

#LFGM!!!!

For the second consecutive game, it was a late-game, two-out rally that revealed the grit of the Amazins...and delivered a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.

This time it was the immortal Roberto Clemente who came through - which should come as no surprise. Clemente ripped in a two-run triple that plated Tom Grieve, who led off with a double, and Joe Morgan, who connected for a one-out single. The timely swing snapped a wild 9-9 deadlock and catapulted New York to an 11-9 victory at Candlestick Park.

[gern11]

SWEEP!!!!

The Mets emphatically vanquished the Giants with a 10-2 thrashing in Game 3 of the NLCS to complete the sweep at Shea Stadium.

It marks an historic victory for the Mets, who claim the first National League pennant and now have the unenviable task of tackling the Chicago White Sox in the upcoming World Series.

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The New York Mets landed Game 1 of the 1970 World Series, fueled by a red-hot Lefty and an unlikely lightning strike.

Carlton was outstanding against a potent White Sox lineup and diminutive SS Buddy Harrelson, he of the four regular-season home runs, unloaded a grand slam as the Mets seized an 8-3 triumph.

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Roberto Clemente tagged a pair of home runs and drove in three runs but all in a losing cause as the Mets dropped Game 2 of the 1970 World Series, 5-4, to the Chicago White Sox, who evened the series at a game apiece.

Back-to-back RBI singles from Tom Savage and Donn Clendenon in the top of the seventh spotted the Chisox a 5-2 lead.

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Game 3 looked bleaked for the Amazins, who trailed, 8-1, through five innings. However, Johnny Bench unloaded a two-run homer in the top of the sixth and another two-run blast in the seventh, spurring an eight-run outburst that spanned the two frames and ignited New York to an 11-8 triumph, giving the Mets a 2-1 edge in the series.

Bench finished with five RBI.

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The White Sox tagged starter Lew Krausse for three runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to a 7-1 victory in Game 4 to even the World Series at two games apiece.

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Don Mincher snapped an 8-8 deadlock with a solo homer in the top of the seventh as the Mets outlasted the White Sox in a wild 11-8 victory that sends them back to Shea Stadium one win away from the organization's first World Series title.

[gern11]

After falling ever so slightly behind in our dynasty's ultimate pursuit, the Mets proved good things come to those who can wait.

Johnny Bench belted a two-run homer - his fourth of the post season - to key a three-run second inning and Reggie Smith knocked in a pair with a triple in the fourth as the Mets built a 7-0 cushion and survived a few harrowing late-inning threats to stave off the White Sox, 7-5, in Game 6 to claim the organization's first World Series championship!!!!

#LFGM