Dave VW
December 31, 2022
Perhaps the most improbable win of the 1993 season for the Mets. Dominated by Danny Jackson all game and losing 4-1 entering the 9th, Bonilla led off with a single that chased Jackson and brought in closer Mitch Williams. "Wild Thing" didn't help much, though. After HoJo popped out, Kent singled and Fernandez walked to load the bases. Gallagher, who homered in the 3rd for the only Mets run so far, followed with a 2-run single, making it 4-3 and forcing Philly to take out Williams and bring in former Met David West. West induced a double play grounder from pinch-hitter Chico Walker, but shortstop Juan Bell booted it for his second error of the game, reloading the bases for Coleman. Vince hit a check-swing liner to first that also could have been a double play but Kruk dropped the ball, though he was still able to get Fernandez out on a force play at home.
So with the bases loaded and 2 out, up comes Charlie O'Brien, who was starting just his second game ever in the #2 hole. With 2 strikes O'Brien did the miraculous, lining a double down the left field line to score 2, though Coleman was thrown out at home as he neglected to slide and just accepted getting tagged out. Now up 5-4, the Mets turned to Jeff Innis to preserve the win as Franco was used in the 8th and pinch-hit for in the 9th. But Innis got the job done, getting two ground outs and Dykstra to fly out to end the game. It's his first save of the season and third of his career. The previous inning Philly fans were marching around the stadium with brooms anticipating the series sweep, but it turned out their celebrations were a bit premature.
It was odd that this game featured 7 different pitchers, and all but 1 was left-handed. The 6-foot-10 Eric Hillman -- the tallest LHP in Mets history -- wiggled out of serious trouble a few times. In the 3rd, his own throwing error allowed 2 runs to score, but then Duncan, Kruk and Hollins all hit laserbeams for outs to limit the damage. In the 5th, Hillman loaded the bases with 2 out and Hollins hit a grounder to SS that Fernandez got Kruk out on a force at second but replays showed Kruk was safe. That erased at least 1 more run for the Phillies.
After the game, Juan Bell was waived by the Phillies, likely a direct result of his 2 errors in this game and overall .200 batting average. He was booed relentlessly by Philly fans (perhaps deservedly so), and when he was claimed off waivers by the Brewers he was asked how he felt about the fans in Philly, to which he replied, "What fans?" Ouch. Unfortunately, Bell died in 2016 from kidney failure at the tender age of 48.
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