Mets2Moon
August 13, 2006
In 2005, it seemed like every game I went to was an unmemorable clunker. This season has been the exact opposite.
The atmosphere is always electric at these Mets/Yankees matchups. Of course, this year was no different. I give kudos to the Mets fans this year. When I attended a Subway Series game at Shea last season, I was surrounded by hordes of smack-talking Yankee fans. This year, there were a few scattered here and there, but the park was mostly packed with Mets fans.
Jeremi Gonzalez started this one for the Mets and was promptly smacked around but good in the 1st. Damon, Jeter, Giambi and A-Fraud all reached on hits, and each one smoked the ball. A-Fraud got thrown out at 2nd on his hit, although he was probably safe, and that was finally the first out. But the Yankees weren't done. Cano and Bernie Williams drilled back to back doubles with 2 outs, and before many fans had even settled in their seats, the Yankees had a 4-0 lead with Randy Johnson pitching.
4 years ago, I would have left.
Randy Johnson isn't what he used to be. We found this out when he came out and started firing the ball all over the place. He walked Reyes, and allowed a bloop hit to LoDuca before Beltran smoked a long 3-run HR over the bleachers in LF, and before the paint had even dried on the Yanks lead, the score was 4-3.
Gonzalez would settle down and get through the 2nd, but in the 3rd, he would get into trouble, allowing a run on a walk, a hit and a Sac Fly by Cano to make it 5-3.
But again, Johnson struggled with command, and after getting the first 2 out in the Mets half of the 3rd, he allowed a single to Wright and Nady followed with a long HR over the 371 mark in Right to erase the Yankees lead and tie the game at 5-5.
A real pitchers duel, indeed.
The Yanks regained the lead in the 4th. After Jeter led off with a 2B, Willie mercifully pulled Gonzalez (who was nothing short of terrible), and brought in Oliver, who would allow Jeter to score on an RBI single from Kelly Stinnett (the immortal), before getting out of the inning.
It is important to note that Bernie Williams' single with 2 out in the 4th was not only the last hit the Yankees would get, but he would be the last Yankee to reach base against the Mets bullpen, which was fabulous this night.
The Mets would battle back in the 5th against Johnson, who was, by this point, well over 100 pitches and still struggling. Again, it was a key 2-out hit, this time by Kaz Matsui, to score Wright.
Then, the bullpens took over. Aaron Heilman came in for the 6th and was absolutely lights out. 3 innings, nothing. Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth were just as effective for the Yanks. The score remained 6-6 going into the 9th.
Of course, Billy Wagner came into the game with "Enter Sandman" blaring, extra loud just to annoy the Yankee fans.
Wagner would quickly strike out the side on 12 pitches.
The Yanks countered with Rivera for their half. LoDuca would nail a 2B with one out. After Beltran struck out, Rivera walked Delgado intentionally for David Wright, who worked the count to 2-2 before taking a cutter off his shoetops and drilling a long shot to deep center. Damon, who was playing unnecessarily shallow, had to run back...back...back...But it was hit too far. It grazed his mitt, dropped down on the Warning Track, and bedlam erupted as LoDuca scored the winning run, capping off a bizarre, frenetic and ultimately scintillating ballgame to kick off the 2006 Subway Series.
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