Catfish Hunter Out duels Tom Seaver to win Game 6 of the 1973 World Series

On October 20, 1973 — Catfish Hunter clutch pitching outduels Tom Seaver, and the timely hitting of Reggie Jackson give the A’s a game 6 win. Jackson doubled and drove in Joe Rudi in the first inning and doubled in Sal Bando in the third to give Oakland a 2–0 lead. In the eighth inning, the Mets threatened, knocking Hunter out of the game after Ken Boswell singled in a run. Reliever Darold Knowles put out the fire by striking out the Rusty Staub on three pitches with two men on base. In the bottom half of the inning, the A’s added an insurance run when Jackson singled, advanced to third on center fielder Don Hahn’s error, and scored on Jesús Alou’s sacrifice fly. Rollie Fingers got the save in the ninth inning to force a seventh game.

Oakland Athletics 3, New York Mets 1

World Series Game 6 Played on Saturday, October 20, 1973 (D) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

NY  N    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  6  2
OAK A    1  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  7  0

BOX+PBP
WP: Hunter (1-0)
LP: Seaver (0-1)
SV: Fingers (2)

Play by Play

METS 1ST: Garrett walked; Millan popped to second in foul
territory; Staub singled to center [Garrett to second]; Jones
flied out to center; Milner flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris flied to center; Rudi singled to
right; Bando struck out; Jackson doubled [Rudi scored]; Tenace
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 1.

METS 2ND: Grote flied to left; Hahn popped to shortstop;
Harrelson grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Athletics 1.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Davalillo walked; Johnson grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Davalillo to second]; Green grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Davalillo to third]; Hunter was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 1.

METS 3RD: Seaver flied to center; Garrett popped to shortstop;
Millan flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics
1.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Campaneris popped to first in foul territory;
Rudi struck out; Bando singled to center; Jackson doubled [Bando
scored]; Tenace popped to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0,
Athletics 2.

METS 4TH: Staub popped to second; Jones grounded out (shortstop
to first); Milner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Davalillo grounded out (first unassisted);
Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); Green singled to
center; Hunter flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets
0, Athletics 2.

METS 5TH: Grote singled to left; Hahn struck out; Harrelson
flied out to center; Seaver flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Campaneris grounded out (third to first); Rudi
popped to second; Bando reached on an error by Garrett [Bando to
first]; Jackson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 2.

METS 6TH: Garrett flied to center; Millan grounded out
(shortstop to first); Staub grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Tenace grounded out (third to first); Davalillo
flied to center; Johnson singled to center; Green grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics 2.

METS 7TH: Jones grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner
singled to right; Grote lined to left; Hahn forced Milner
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Athletics
2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Hunter was called out on strikes; Campaneris
struck out; Rudi walked; Seaver threw a wild pitch [Rudi to
second]; Bando flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets
0, Athletics 2.

METS 8TH: Harrelson flied out to center; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
SEAVER; Boswell singled to right; KNOWLES REPLACED HUNTER
(PITCHING); Garrett singled [Boswell to third]; Millan singled
to right [Boswell scored, Garrett to third]; Staub struck out;
FINGERS REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Jones flied out to center;
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 8TH: MCGRAW REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Jackson
singled to center [Jackson to third (error by Hahn)]; Tenace
walked; ALOU BATTED FOR DAVALILLO; Alou hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Jackson scored (unearned)]; Johnson struck out while
Tenace was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Mets 1, Athletics 3.

METS 9TH: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); JACKSON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); TENACE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
FOSSE REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING C ); Milner flied out to right;
Grote grounded out (second to first); KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR HAHN;
Kranepool popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 1,
Athletics 3.

Final Totals R H E LOB
Mets 1 6 2 6
Athletics 3 7 0 7

Other Resources & Links

Retro Sheet PBP & Box Score

Baseball-Reference Box Score