Ultimate Mets Database: Game of July 26, 2008

Andy S.
October 6, 2008
After being a Mets fan for well over 20 years, I finally made my first trip to Shea Stadium for this contest. I've seen many Mets games in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Miami, but never at Shea. So I get a chance in the final year of the stadium, as my brother got me tickets to the game. I flew up to Pennsylvania from Florida and I felt like a little kid, excited with anticipation. The day finally came and it started and ended rough. Journeyman Brandon Knight got the start and looked very journeymanlike in the first, allowing four runs. But the Mets immediately responded with two in the bottom half of the first, and from there it was a see-saw battle. All 14 innings worth. I screamed at the top of my lungs during every Mets highlight, and there were many. Carlos Delgado hitting a pair of long bombs, Fernando Tatis hitting a home run that Cardinal centerfielder Rick Ankiel is still convinced he caught. As he leapt at the fence, and came down...a nervous hush came over the crowd. Did he catch it? When he slammed the ground with his glove, the crowd let out a monstrous roar. The game was tied at 8 in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets had several opportunities in the extra innings to win it, but couldn't come through with the big hit. Everybody's favorite whipping boy Aaron Heilman came into the game in the 12th and was effective for the first two innings. He retired two batters in the 14th and with one on and two outs, he fell behind Albert Pujols 2-0. I kept thinking...it's OK, just pitch around him and go after Ankiel. Sure enough, a fat fastball was grooved and Pujols did his thing. Mets went meekly in the 14th, but all in all I had a wonderful time.

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The Mets suck! They need to trade Smith and get somebody like Jones.
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The Mets suck! Smith made three errors in this game, and hit into a double play, and the Mets blew a 5-0 lead. They need to get rid of Smith and get somebody like Jones.
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