METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE JULY 14, 2005 GAME:
Mets2Moon
July 18, 2005
I always enjoy attending the first game back after the All-Star Break. It feels like a Mini-Opening Day. Especially when the All-Star Break feels a year long. So I was in attendance this night for one of the better games I've seen this season.Walking into the Stadium, there was a certain buzz in the air. Maybe it was because the Braves were in, or maybe everyone was thinking like me and just wanted to go to the "Second Opening Day." Or maybe they just wanted a Mets Mousepad. Who knows. Benson and Horacio Ramirez basically duked it out for the early part of the game. David Wright led off the second with an absolute bomb of a HR over Andro Jones' head, and over the 410 mark in CF. Benson had retired the first 10 batters before allowing a single to Pete Orr, who then stole second and scored on an Andro Jones single (Andro Jones, it seems, has become the new most hated Brave at Shea, especially with LARRY out of the lineup). But the Mets forged back in front on Wright's second HR, a rocket into the bleachers in Left. Benson cruised into the 7th, when he finally ran out of gas, and Adam LaRoche launched a 2 run HR to give Atlanta their first lead. Things looked dim, especially when, with Wright on 3rd and 2 outs in the last of the 7th, Willie sent up Jose Offerman to Pinch Hit. Perched in the Upper Deck, my friend and I couldn't quite see him come out of the dugout. My friend turned to me and said, "Who's number 35?" I scoff and say "Jose Offerman! Good God, it's Jose Awfulman!" Of course Jose shut me up by pounding a single through the left side to score Wright and re-tie the game. Then in the 8th, it was that familiar sight from so many games and great moments of years past that would turn the game in favor of the Mets. After Beltran lined a 2B off the wall (his 4th hit of the game, no less), and Floyd walked on 4 pitches, who else but the Greatest Hero in Mets History, Mike Piazza, comes up and blasts a towering, majestic, Vintage Mike Piazza Home Run off the side of the Loge section in Right. And, of course, the crowd goes nuts, and Mike gets the Curtain Call. Looper came in for the 9th and got the side in order. And, YES! A great victory in front of a large crowd. A great way to start off what will hopefully be a successful second half of the season.
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