National League Standings, August 20, 1998
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE AUGUST 20, 1998 GAME:
Mets2Moon
September 27, 2001
The Home Run Chase brings a sellout crowd (myself included) to Shea. McGwire is cheered when he comes to bat, cheered when he strikes out, and cheered when he hits a solo HR in the 7th off Willie Blair. A towering blast into the LF bleachers. That HR happened to be his 50th on the season, on his way to what may very well be the former record of 70.
Dave VW
February 21, 2024
Brian Jordan and McGwire go yard back-to-back to lead off the 7th inning, giving Donovan Osborne all the run support he'd need as the Mets are shut out for the first time since June 7.
Willie Blair, in his first start as a Met, was pitching a gem up to that point, too, holding St. Louis to just 1 hit over the first 6 innings. He retired 15 in a row until Jordan clubbed a 2-0 meatball over the LF wall. After that, as Mets2Moon mentioned, McGwire hit #50, making him the first in MLB history to hit 50 HRs in 3 consecutive seasons. He'd make it a 4th in 1999, a record that has only been tied by Sammy Sosa. It's really something that, for as much credit as McGwire and Sosa get for making baseball popular again in 1998, that neither one has even come close to going into the Hall of Fame. I understand why that is, but it seems a bit ironic that they've been shunned for doing what helped save the sport.
The Mets offense looked lethargic, perhaps a byproduct of all the doubleheaders they've been playing. They didn't get their first hit until the 6th, and none of their 4 hits were for extra bases. It didn't help that Valentine benched John Olerud and Brian McRae, two of the team's hottest hitters, for Game 1. Olerud had a big chance to come through as a pinch-hitter in the 7th, batting with 2 on and 2 out. But he grounded out to first to end the threat, and the Mets went 6 up and 6 down after that.
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