Bob P
May 8, 2003
The Mets came into this doubleheader with a 77-56 record, just half a game behind the first place Pirates. Long-time nemesis Zane Smith pitched game one for Pittsburgh. Keith Miller led off the game with a single, then Smith retired the next eight batters before walking Miller with two outs in the third. From that point forward, Smith retired the final 19 Mets to come to the plate. The Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on a bases loaded single by Barry Bonds (after Bobby Bonilla was intentionally walked with one out and runners at second and third). Frank Viola pitched well for 8 innings, but it went down the drain.

Zane Smith gave up a single to the leadoff batter in the game, then got 27 outs without giving up another hit!! That has only happened three other times since September, 1990. Thanks to Jayson Stark of espn.com and retrosheet.org for that info.

The Mets lost the second game of the doubleheader and lost again the next night to the Pirates. They wound up scoring just two runs and collecting just 11 hits in the three games, and the first collapse of the Buddy Harrelson era was underway.

Dave VW
August 1, 2022
Zane was insane after getting acquired by Pittsburgh in 1990, going 6-2 with a 1.30 ERA over 11 appearances, with this performance likely his best. He needed only 92 pitches to go the distance; in comparison, Viola reached that pitch count in the 6th inning. I'm not so sure I would say Viola "pitched well" here; more like he bent but didn't break, as he allowed a baserunner every inning, walked 5 and needed to dance out of trouble seemingly the entire game. Still, this was a matchup of arguably the two best left-handers in the NL in 1990, as Smith (2.55) and Viola (2.67) finished the year second and third, respectively, in ERA among lefty starters (John Tudor of the Cardinals finished first at 2.40). Pittsburgh acquired Smith from Montreal that year in exchange for Scott Ruskin, Willie Greene and a player to be named later, who turned out to be none other than Moises Alou!

As for the Mets, this was their second straight 1-0 loss, and their first time being 1-hit since Sept. 29, 1987, by Philadelphia southpaw Don Carman. They'd again get 1-hit a couple weeks later by Montreal's Chris Nabholz, another lefty! They were just dreadful against left-hand pitching during this era. In 1990, they collectively hit just .233 vs. LHP, the worst in all of baseball.

In regards to the game itself, the pivotal play came after Gary Redus led off the bottom of the 9th with a single off John Franco. Jay Bell was looking to sacrifice but his bunt barely got beyond home plate. Charlie O'Brien quickly picked it up and fired to second, where Redus was a dead duck, but the throw bounced and skipped past Hojo covering the base, and everyone was safe. Van Slyke then got down his own sac bunt, moving runners to 2nd and 3rd, and Bob explained what happened from there in his post. Franco had fell behind Bonds 2-0 but then evened the count before Bonds hit his walk-off single, which was really just a routine flyball to left but since everyone was playing in, McReynolds just let it sail over his head. It marked Franco's first loss of his Mets career. After a brilliant start during his first season in New York, Franco faltered in September, losing 3 games, blowing 3 saves and allowing 10 runs in 10.2 innings.