1973 – In the first game of a scheduled make-up doubleheader at Wrigley Field, a day after the regular season ended, the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 6 – 1, to capture the National League East flag. The Mets, who were 11 1/2 games behind and in last place on August 5th, by winning their 82nd game (the lowest number of victories ever to win a title), clinch the division, making the second game of the twin bill unnecessary.
The Pirates miss scoring in the top of the 13th inning when Dave Augustine’s ‘home run’ bounces off the top of the fence into the glove of left fielder Cleon Jones, who relays the ball to Wayne Garrett in time for the third baseman to nail Richie Zisk at the plate. In the bottom of the frame, Mets rookie catcher Ron Hodges ends the Shea Stadium contest, which will become known as the ‘Ball on the Wall Game’, with a one-out single off Bucs’ reliever Dave Giusti, plating John Milner for the 4-3 victory.
Willie Mays of the New York Mets hits the final home run of his Hall of Fame career
Mets outfielder Cleon Jones becomes the first player in franchise history to collect a 1,000 hits when he doubles off Jim Rooker in the team’s 5-1 victory over the Pirates at Shea Stadium. The Mobile, Alabama native will add another 196 hits before being traded in 1975 to the White Sox.
On June 27, 1973 In the opener of a twin bill at Shea Stadium, Buzz Capra pitches four innings of no-hit relief against the Philadelphia Phillies to get the save for starter George Stone as the Mets beat the Phillies, 7-6. A few hours earlier, the 25 year-old right-handed reliever had attended his dad’s funeral…
The New York Mets defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 – 3, in 19 innings at Dodger Stadium. The Mets’ Rusty Staub gets five hits, including the game-winning double, and George Stone pitches six shutout innings in relief for the win. The Dodgers get 19 hits, all singles, six of them by Willie Davis. The game ends at 1:42 AM Pacific Time (4:42 AM Eastern Time) the next morning.
On a rainy night at Shea Stadium, the seventh-inning line drive off the bat of Atlanta’s Marty Perez strikes Jon Matlack’s forehead so hard that the ball ricochets into the Mets dugout. Fortunately, the 23 year-old southpaw sustains only a hairline fracture of his skull, and will return to the mound on May 19 to blank the Bucs for six innings at Pittsburgh.
In an exhibition game played in Puerto Rico, Willie Mays substitutes for New York Mets manager Yogi Berra and leads his team to a 8 – 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Braves trade southpaw George Stone and second baseman Felix Milan to the Mets for hurlers Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry, who will combine to win just nine games for Atlanta over the next three seasons. New York’s acquisitions will play key roles in the team’s success next season when their recently acquired infielder hits .290, and their new left-hander posts a 12-3 record along with an ERA of 2.80 for the National League champions.
At Montreal’s Parc Jarry, the Mets end the 1972 campaign beating the Expos, 3-1. Although New York finishes ten games over .500, they will become the first club in baseball history to finish a season without any player collecting 100 hits.
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