Thursday, September 1 1, 1969 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Nine Thursday, September 11, 1 969 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Mets reach top for first time in histor Red-hot New Yorkers take'two from Expos NEW YORK R--Hysteria rocked Shea Stadium last night when the New York Mets rolled into first place in the Na- tional League's East Division by sweeping a doubleheader from the Montreal Expos by scores of 3-2 in 12 innings and 7-1. The double victory, coupled with the Chicago Cubs' 6-2 loss at Philadelphia, gave the Mets a full game advantage over the Cubs, who had been in first place since the opening day of the season in April. Actually, the Mets paraded to the top after their first game victory but when the Cubs-Phillies score flashed on the scoreboard ,they were assured of the second game outcome. At that point, the crowd's roar was deafening. Huge banners were hoisted. One said: "On to the World Series, Mets!" Another: "We're No. 1!" The Mets' historic rush to the top began Aug. 13 when the club was 9, games behind the Cubs. Since then, New York has won 22 of 28 games while Chicago has slumped to 11-16. In their first seven seasons, the Mets finished last five times and ninth twice. They escaped a cellar finish for the first time in 1966 when they left last place for the Cubs. Last season, their first under Manager Gil Hodges. they were ninth again, finishing one game ahead of Houston in the 10-team single league. Ken Boswell ripped five hits in the doubleheader, including the two-outs single in the 12th inning that won the opener for the Mets and moved the once-hapless New Yorkers into first place for the first time in their eight-year his- tory. Nolan Ryan, 6-1, pitched a three-hitter and rode a six-run third inning explosion to the nightcap victory that widened the Mets' lead to a full game over the Cubs, beaten 6-2 at Philadelphia. The double victory stretched the Mets' current winning streak to six games, while Chicago has dropped six straight. New York has won seven of the last eight in the romp to the top of the East Division, New York came from behind in both games of the double- header-the 30th and 31st times this season that the Mets have won games after trailing. of remaining there regardless dailyr sports NIGHT EDITOR: ELLIOTT BERRY The sweep p~ut New York's rec- ord at 84-57. The Mets have won the same number of games as Chi- cago and lost two less than the Cubs, who had led the East Divi- sion since opening day. A six-hit explosion including four in a row broke the nightcap open in the third inning. Wayne Garrett, Cleon Jones and Boswell all drove in runs with hits during the big inning, while a wild pitch and two Expo errors allowed three more runs to score. Mike Wegener and Jim Mc- Andrew hooked up in a masterful pitcher's duel in the first game. Both starters eventually left for pinch hitters - McAndrew after allowing only one hit in the last nine innings he pitched and Weg- ener after striking out 15 Mets. With two out in the 12th, Cleon Jones singled against Expos reliever Bill Stoneman. Rod Gas- par coaxed a walk, and Boswell followed with his game-winning single. After the jubiliant Mets romp- ed off the field, Mrs. Joan Payson, the club's principal owner, left her box seat alongside the Mets' dug- out for a triumphant stroll behind home plate. The crowd gave her a standing ovation and she waved happily. CLEON JONES, 21, of the New York Mets nears home plate to score the winning run in the 12th inning of the first game of last night's twin bill with the Montreal Expos. That run sent the Mets flying into first place of the National League East. Ken Boswell had singled Jones home from second to provide the 3-2 margin. Could it be the same Mets? Cubs lose 7th, 6-2 By The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA - T h e slumping Chicago Cubs fell out of first place for the first time this season in the Na- tional League's Eastern Divi- sion as they lost 6-2 to the hapless Philadelphia Phillies last night. The Cubs' seventh straight de- feat combined with New York's victories over Montreal put the Mets into first place. John Briggs' seventh-inning single scored Don Money, break- ing a 2-2 tie. Money walked to start the inning, and after win- ning pitcher Rick Wise struck out attempting to sacrifice, took second on an infield out. The Phillies, who snapped a losing streak, took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out single by Rich Allen and Deron Johnson's triple off the top of the right field wall. Chicago tied it in the fourth on an error by Allen on Glenn Beck- ert's grounder, Billy Williams' sin- gle and Ron Santo's infield out, In the bottom of the fourth. rookie Dave Watkins slammed his fourth home run of the season to send the Phillies ahead again, 2-1. Don Kessinger's leadoff double, an infield out and Santo's sacri- fice fly tied it again in the ninth. S * . ATLANTA - Hank Aaron trig- gered a three-run fourth inning with a multiple-milestone homer and Atlanta went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-4 last night. Despite the loss, the Giants maintained their one-half game lead in the tight National League West. Cincinnati, a 2-1 loser to San Diego, is second, just .002 percentage points back, and the Braves, also 2 game out, are just .004 points behind San Francisco. Aaron's homer was his 40th of the season and the 550th of his career, and it enabled him to tie Willie Mays National League rec- ord of having hit 40 or more for six years. The Brvaes got two more runs in the fourth on a single by Rico Carty, a walk to Orlando Cepeda and singles by Bob Aspromonte and Gil Garrido, chasing San Francisco starter-loser Ron Bry- ant, 3-2. HOUSTON - Denis Menke sparked a three-run first inning with a three-run double and Jim Wynn slammed a two-run homer. powering the Houston Astros past Los Angeles 8-1 and into a fourth- place tie with the Dodgers in the hectic National League West race. Houston's victory left the As- tros and the Dodgers each two games behind first-place San Francisco which lost 8-4 to Atlanta. Veteran Danny Lemaster, 11-14, limited the Dodgers to six hits while the Astros pounded Don Sutton, 15-15. Houston's first run was forced in by Sutton when he hit Doug Rader with a pitch with the bases loaded. Rader then followed with his double. CINCINNATI--San Diego com- bined Roberto Pena's triple with Woody Woodward's, error for a run in the eighth inning that gave the Padres a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati last night. Pena lashed his triple off the center field wall with two out in the eighth, then came in when Julio Morales' sharp grounder got through Woodward. Clay Kirby, Padres right-hand- er, allowed three hits in winning only his fifth game of the year TIe Mes i1are inumbier one By The Associated Press The Mets, believe it or not, are in first place. Yes, the Mets. They wear the same uniforms that Casey Stengel and Rod Ka- nehl and Mary Throneberry and Elio Chacon once wore. But there is one important difference. These Mets win. These Mets aren't very funny to the rest of the National League. "I remember when I played, for Pittsburgh." said Donn Clenden- on. who made Tuesday's key vic- tory a little easier with a two-run homer. "We'd coni' into New York feel- ing we were going to win a series. We were playing the Mets and we knew they'd make a mistake- mental or otherwise and we'd take advantage and win." Suddenly, the shoe is on the other foot, and it pinches. Tuesday night. moments before Clendenon hit his homer, Art Shamsky was trapped in a run-down but slid safely into second when Glenn Beckert of the Cubs dropped a throw. Clendenon followed with his homer. It was a scene resminiscent of the Mets in 1962. Ah, yes, 1962, that was the year Mrs. Joan Payson invested just over $2 million for a team stocked with some beautiful names but not very many talented players, The Mets weren't very good. but at least they showed up every day. And day after day, they lost. They lost an almost unbelievable 120 times that first season. They lost' in almost every way known to baseball - organized and other- wise. For their first four seasons. the Mets always had one pitcher who would lose at least 20 games. Now. suddenly, they have a pitcher who has won 20 games. In tact, Tom Seaver, whose five-hitter beat the Cubs Tuesday night, has won 21 games -- tops in the National League. The talk around the league when the Mets started making waves this season was that, event- ually they'd fold. After all, the argument went, these were the good, old Mets. "I wonder if they're believers now." said Seaver, grinning. "The Met chances at this moment are the best of anybody in the league. We've got a bunch of young play- ers who believe they can do it." Do it? You mean. win the pen- nant? The Mets? The same team that finished 24 games out. of first place last year? The Mets' move toward first place has excited the fans as well as they players. They flock to Shea Stadium early, yell their lungs out and more often than not, go home happy. "The enthusiasm carries over to the field," said shortstop Bud Harrelson. "You know. it's funny." said Ken Boswell, who drove in the first two Met runs Tuesday with a first-inning double against loser Ferguson Jenkins. "I knew we had a team capable of being where we are, but still it's a sur- prise .. . to everybody." . "It's exciting, sure," said Bos- well. "But I said exciting ... not pressure. If anybody's feeling pressure in this room, he's doing an awfully good job of hiding it. We're just loose and happy." "It doesn't matter that these guys have never been in a pen- nant race before," said Gil Hodges. "What counts is that they've played their way into one now." "We're doing to everybody else what they used to do to us," said Harrelson. "We're loose and re- laxed. We're playing the same steady ball every day. We're happyr and loose." Harrelson is one of the young veterans of the club. He was play- ing shortstop when the 'Mets were regular tenants of 10th place. "I remember when I first came up." he recalled. "We'd be ahead in the seventh, eighth innings' and I'd be out there half scared to death. We lost because of that.! Now we go out there confident and if we're leading in the late innings, we'll win.'' Clendenon, who came to New York from Montreal in a mid- June trade, offered the perspec- tive gained from watching his new teammates from the other side of the field. "The last few years, they've had the good pitching. Sooner or later that's going to win ball games for you," said the veteran first baseman. "When I was with the Pirates a few years ago, if anyone had suggested that the Mets might win a pennant before we did, I'd say they were crazy. But it's not" so crazy now." Only time will tell how far these Mets will go. But one thing is certain. Somebody here certain- ly knows how to play this game' now. Lolich masters Indians; Baltimore crown closer CLEVELAND Mickey Lolich hurled a five-hitter, tripled in one run and scored another as Detroit' whipped Cleveland 4-1 last night. Lolich, 18-8, also was backed by Jim Northrup's 21st homer, a solo blast in the first. Northrup, wlho also doubled, has hit safely in nine straight games. Lolich hit his two-out triple in the fourth and scored on a single by Mickey Stanley. BALTIMORE - Don Buford cracked his 10th home run to feature a six-run fourth inning and the Baltimore Oi'ioles held on totdefeat the Boston Red Sox 8-7 last night when Boog Powell scored on a force-out. The victory, Baltimore's fourth in 'a row and ninth in its last eleven starts dropped the Orioles magic number to five to clinch the American League East champion- ship. The Orioles trailed 4-1 going into the fourth but an error, three walks and a fielder's choice tied the score before Buford hit his homer with two men aboard. The Red Sox tied it in the sixth on run-scoring hits by Reggie Smith and Tony Conigliaro. The Orioles deciding tally came in the seventh when Powell dou- bled. Brooks Robinson singled and Powell scored. when Dave Johnson beat an attempted double play throw to first base. Syd O'Brien accounted for the first three Boston runs with his 10th homer and a pair of run- scoring singles. Carl Yastrzemski lashed his 36t.h home run for the fourth Bos- ton tally. It was also the 1,500th hit by the Red Sox left fielder. CHICAGO Don Pavletich cracked a solo homer and singled in another run to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota last night. Pavletich led off the sixth in- ning with his sixth homer of the season after staking the White Sox to an early lead with his RBI single in the first. The White Sox added another run in the eighth against the American League's West Division leaders when Bob Christian singled with two out. Bobby Knoop fol- lowed with a single to center and when the ball got by Cesar Tovar. Christian scored. BACH4 cLUB The Twins scored in on two straight wild Tommy John 7-11. the seventh pitches by Major League Standings They aded another run in the ninth when Carew's grounder.as bobbled by Tom McCraw. WASHINGTON - Jimmie Hall lined a double to left centei with one out in the eighth inning to bi'eak up Dick Bosnian's no-snit bid last nightibut the Washington Senators right-hander coasted to a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees behind home :uns by Frank Howard and Ken M:Mul- len. Jerry Kenney followed Hall v.ith a single for the only Yankee run as Bosman, 12-.. finished x Ah a two-hitter. The right-hander also walked two. Bosman earlier hitched a one- hitter against Cleveland Mar 2 Toward's 46th homer in the fifth with two on tied him for the league lead with Oakland's Regzie Jackson. AERO FYING CLUB s accepting members now FLY FOR LESS The least expensive way to learn .A1IERICAN LEAGUE Eastern Division 1 ,1 Pet. Baltimore 98 45 .683 Detroit 8'? 60 .577 Boston 76 64 .543 Washington 73 70 .510) New fork 70 71 .196 Cleveland 56 87 .39? Western ivision Minnesota 86 55 .610 xOaklandi 7N 63 .547 California 60 78 .435 Kansas ('ity 58 8? .4141 Chicago 55 84 .396 xSeattle 54 85 .388 x--Late gamne not inctdc(d Yesterday's Results Baltimore 8, Boston 6 Detroit 4, Cleveland 1 Washington 6. New for kI Kansas City at California Chicago 3, Minnesota ' Seattle at Oakland (inc.) G 13 151,. 2'. -2 9 30 31 NATIONAL LEAGUE Eastern Division IV L. Pct. Ne 4 Yor{: 84 57 .596 Chicago 841 59 .587 St. Louis ii 65 .542 Pittsburgh 75 64 .540 P'hiladelphiia 56 84 .400) Montreal 14 99 .308 Western Division San Francisco 78 64 .549 Cincinnati 76 63 .547 Atlanta 78 65 .545 Los Angeles ?5 65 .536 Hlouston 75 65 .536 San Diego 45 97 ,317 Yesterday's Results Philadelphia 6, Chicago 2 New York 3, Montreal 2, 1st New York 7, Montreal 1, 2nd St. Louis 11, Pittsburgh 2, 1st St. Louis 2, Pittsburgh 1, 2nd Houston 8.,tLos Angeles 1 San Diego 2, Cincinnati I Atlanta 8. San Francisco 4l 1 8 271. 41 DR. 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