Dave VW
April 24, 2023
After a great rookie campaign in 1994, Jason Jacome looks like a complete bust and is undone by a 6-run 3rd inning as the Expos win their home opener. Jacome looked fine in the 1st but squirmed out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 2nd, thanks to a strikeout, a nice play by Todd Hundley saving a wild throw by Edgardo Alfonzo to get the lead runner out at home, and then a force out at second base. But his luck ran out in the 3rd, as he surrendered 6 hits and 2 walks before getting relieved by Dave Mlicki after 10 batters came to the plate. Though the Mets fought back, they never got closer than 2 runs behind. The downward spiral would unfortunately continue for Jacome, as he'd pitch himself back to the minors after 3 more starts, and then eventually get traded to Kansas City in July.

The weirdest thing that happened in the game happened in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Expos were penalized for batting out of order. In the top of the inning Montreal had brought in Luis Aquino as their new pitcher and also brought in Cliff Floyd to take over at 1B for Shane Andrews. Andrews was batting 5th and the Expos were going to start their half of the 6th with the #3 hitter up first, so it made no sense to perform a double switch. And apparently they didn't, but the replacement umps (who were thankfully in their last game before the real umps were back) mistakenly recorded it as a double switch. So when Floyd came up to bat, the umps told the Expos he was not the correct batter, and manager Felipe Alou completely lost it and was ejected. Despite knowing he was out of order, Floyd batted anyway (perhaps because he had to since the umps shouldn't be allowed to tip off a team to batting out of order). But oddly, after he was called out, the pitcher Aquino had to bat next, which means when a team bats out of order, it doesn't automatically go to the next hitter, it goes to the hitter who that spot in the order actually belongs to. I'm not sure if that's the right call or if the replacement umps blew that too. Whichever the case, Aquino ironically got a single -- the last of 4 hits he had in his career. It was an odd inning to say the least.

Speaking of odd, Dallas Green started Bobby Bonilla at 1B -- his first start at the position since May of 1993. My only guess for why is because he wanted all righties facing the left-handed Jeff Fassero, and so regular starters like Rico Brogna and Brett Butler got the day off. That also meant Ricky Otero received his first ML start, and Alfonzo started in lieu of Bonilla at 3B. Alfonzo cranked an RBI double in the 4th for the first hit of his career. However, he was later pinch-hit for with Bill Spiers in the 8th, something that seems completely unfathomable knowing the type of hitter Alfonzo would end up being in time.

NYB Buff
October 25, 2023
Dave VW, you overlooked a significant fact about Edgardo Alfonzo in this game. He became the 100th third baseman in Mets history. Third base was a problem position with the Mets for over forty years before a guy named David Wright came along.