Though the game officially only had 2 errors, I think 5 or 6 could have been ruled. Specifically, Jeff Kent probably could have been called for a pair - on a bobble in the 3rd that allowed a run to score, and on a mistake in the 6th trying to tag out a runner instead of throwing the ball to the base, which allowed another run to score. Also, Padres SS Andujar Cedeno probably could have been charged with two as well, as he kicked the ball around a couple times but the home-field scorer decided to give the Mets hits instead. Outside of the home runs, I'd say almost every other run that scored in this game was a result of bad defense.

That didn't result in bad starts from either Andy Benes or Bobby Jones, however, who were both locked in. Jones had allowed just 2 runs over 7 innings when his spot in the lineup came up in the bottom of the 7th with a runner on 2nd and 2 outs. For some reason, despite his team trailing 2-1, Dallas Green let Jones hit, and the pitcher grounded out to end the inning. I was shocked he didn't go to a pinch hitter, and the decision was made even worse as an obviously tiring Jones allowed another run to score in the top of the 8th. Meanwhile, Benes entered the game 7-3 with a 1.81 ERA in 12 starts vs. the Mets ... but was also winless in his last 14 starts, dating back to the previous July (which, coincidentally, was a 1-hit victory over the Mets). He looked on his way to snapping his skid until the 8th when he was relieved by Brian Williams with 2 on and 1 out. Williams allowed a bloop RBI single to Bonilla, then uncorked a wild pitch on a swinging strike 3 by Joe Orsulak (who was celebrating his 33rd birthday). That loaded the bases with 2 out for Jose Vizcaino, who hit a chopper up the middle that Cedeno tried to bare-hand but the ball bounced away, allowing 2 more runs to score and gave the Mets their first lead of the day.

But in typical Franco fashion, John gave up a bomb to the first batter he faced, Eddie Williams. Obviously pissed at himself, he threw his hat and glove into the dugout after the inning was over. The Mets put the leadoff man on in the bottom of the 9th and got him to 2nd with 1 out with Edgardo Alfonzo coming up. The rookie dunked one down the RF line that landed foul by mere inches, just missing a walk-off hit. He then lined out to short and Tim Bogar flew out to put the game into extras. In the 10th, Alfonzo committed a throwing error trying to get lead-off hitter Bip Roberts out, and Roberts eventually scored on a Ken Caminiti groundout, setting up the Mets comeback in the bottom of the frame.

The Padres brought in Trevor Hoffman, who I recall being absolutely deadly against the Mets over his career. But it was not meant to be on his day, as he would suffer his first career blown save vs. the Mets. Bonilla led off and hit a deep drive that Steve Finley caught running into the wall in left-center field. But then Kent and Orsulak hit back-to-back singles, and Jones came up as the pinch-hitter for Franco. His flyball to LF just cleared the wall, making it the first walk-off pinch-hit homer for the Mets since Tim Teufel in 1987. Jones would amazingly do it again just 2 months later, and he'd be the only player to hit a walk-off homer for the Mets in all of 1995.

Going back to Benes, he actually became the Padres all-time strikeout leader when he fanned Ryan Thompson (who was in just his second game back from the DL) in the 5th inning, surpassing Eric Show. Benes currently sits second in San Diego history, having since been overtaken by Jake Peavy. On the Mets side, Alberto Castillo had been thrust into starting catching duties with Todd Hundley and Kelly Stinnett banged up. I thought Castillo looked completely overmatched at this stage, and in fact wouldn't start another game for the Mets until July as Hundley was recovered at this point from a foot injury that cost him 7 games. I was also surprised to see Bonilla now playing in LF, where he hadn't started a game since 1987 when he was with Pittsburgh. He looked ok out there, but did misjudge one flyball that resulted in a double. The WWOR team also addressed rumors of Bonilla potentially getting traded to Baltimore, to which the Mets stated there was absolutely no truth to. And yet, just 2 months later, Bonilla would be an Oriole, so I guess the moral of the story is to always believe rumors over a team's front office.