Friday, October 23, 2020 at 1:47:00 P.M. EDT
As the New York Times continued to complain about the lack of minority players on the Mets roster, manager Nicholas Stix smiled broadly while holding up the headline on the Times’ website: “Mets Whitewash Yankees in game two, 4-0 behind Syndergaard.”
“I’ll take my White players over any squad the Times would prefer I have. Whitewash? That’s an appropriate way to describe it,” he laughed.
Starter Noah Syndergaard outdueled Masahiro Tanaka, and toyed with a perfect game of his own for six innings, before settling for a one-hit shutout, while Brandon Nimmo broke a scoreless tie with an RBI triple in the 5th to start the New York Mets on their way to a 4-0 victory and enable them to tie the 2020 faux World Series at 1 game apiece.
Back-to-back-to-back home runs by Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, and Ryan Zimmerman in the 8th inning supplied insurance for the visitors, who outhit the Yankees 8-to-1.
“It took a perfect game to beat us (in game one) said Trout, “the odds were, it wasn’t going to happen again.”
The confident Mets agreed with that analysis to a man.
A crowd of 55,342 viewed the proceedings on a cool, clear night.
The teams will move to Citifield for the next three games starting Friday night, with Rick Porcello (17-10, 3.09 ERA) squaring off against Yankee starter J.A. Happ (18-9, 2.95 ERA).
--GRA
[Previously:
“Mets vs. Yankees in World Series (not LAD/TB—Contrary to What You May Have Read Elsewhere)”; and “Yankees Stun Mets at Yankee Stadium 1-0 in 10 Innings, as Double Perfect Game Ends on Walk-Off HR.”]
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STIX,LASORDA(AND FRIENDS) TEAM UP TO WIN GAME THREE IN
SLUGFEST,30-25.
Friday evening,the fictional Fall Classic venue shifted 10 miles from Yankee Stadium to the Mets' baseball playground--Citifield Park--for game three of the subway series--even at one game each.
For this tie-breaking third game,Mets' skipper Nicholas Stix chose Tommy Lasorda to be his guest bench coach.Lasorda,in turn,insisted on bringing along HIS coaches from the one,memorable Met game Lasorda managed in May--those coaches,of course--his old friends,"Frank Sinatra" and "Don Rickles".
Once again,the task to find lookalikes for the two superstars,was successfully completed by assistant GM Allard Baird and once again,celebrity impersonators Brian Dupree(Sinatra)and Mike Walter(Rickles)filled the bill and they--along with Mets' greats from the past were introduced in pre-game festivities.A moving tribute to Tom Seaver--with career highlights--was shown on all the big screens around the park.
After a brief pause, faux Frank Sinatra walked to the mound to sing the national anthem,a rendition that received loud,sustained applause and cheers.He then announced,"Hey,we have two New York teams in the World Series baby,so we HAVE to do ,"New York,New York"--right?"
The crowd went berserk--and perform it he did-- for ten rousing minutes.He left to a standing ovation.
Afterwards,in the dugout,Mets' announcer Ron Darling talked to Lasorda about "Sinatra" and "Rickles" as they sat nearby.
"Look at these two guys,will ya?",Lasorda exclaimed,"they haven't aged a day in 30 years.What the hell is your guy's secret?"
"Sinatra" laughed and replied,"Godfather,if we told you--we'd have to kill you."
"Rickles" added--"And at Tommy''s age, that would be easy--all you'd have to do is walk up to him and say,'BOO'."
By the time Darling was ready to ask the 93 year old Lasorda another question,Godfather was thirty seconds into his 8:15pm nap.
Then it was time for baseball and game three was for those fans that like to see offense.This wasn't "perfect" baseball,but it was exciting baseball--starting with a 6 run first inning by the visiting Yankees-topped by a 10 run response from the Mets in the home half of the first.A five run Yanks second;a four run Mets third.
And that's how it played out the entire game.8 home runs by the Yankees(Aaron Judge with two roundtrippers) and 7 by the Mets--the difference being 2 grand slams by Mike Trout,the second of which pushed the Mets two run lead to six after 8 innings.Pete Alonzo chipped in with 2 home runs on the night as well and 5 RBIs.
A shaky ninth by new closer Michael Wacha was successfully completed and the 30-25 final gave the Mets a 2-1 Series lead.
"That was fun,"Mike Trout yelled out in the winning clubhouse.
Joe Torre said "it wasn't fun,"in the losing clubhouse.
Tommy Lasorda woke up for the last out and said, to reporters in the post-game interview,"ya know baseball is a much faster game now than when I managed the Dodgers."
"Rickles" laughed and said,"Tommy,we won--you ready to go get some broads?"
"Always ready,"Lasorda said,drifting off into his 11:45pm nap.
"He's always ready--but we never get those broads,he's been married 70 years.Only Frank gets the broads."
And with that,the day,the game and the press conference were done.
"That WAS fun,"said manager Stix,"damn fun."
Next game is scheduled for Saturday night with Jordan Montgomery(11-2 ,2,90 ERA)facing Steven Matz(13-4,3,30 ERA).
-GRA
Not enough Spanish. Not enough blacks. Not enough orientals. Not enough American Indians. Anyone else?
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