Ultimate Mets Database: Game of June 28, 1995

Dave VW
June 2, 2023
As Michael mentioned, this was Saberhagen's last win as a Met. He'd get 4 more starts with New York before getting traded to Colorado. But by no means was this win a walk in the park. In fact, Saberhagen struggled mightily over the first 6 innings, giving up 10 hits -- including a 2-run homer by future Met Kurt Abbott -- and several other hard-hit flyballs that were caught deep in the outfield.

The turning point in this game I feel happened in the bottom of the 6th. Leading 3-1, Florida put its first 2 batters on the corners with singles and then pitcher John Burkett -- despite collecting hits in his first 2 ABs -- was instructed to sacrifice the runner on first to second. That brought up a pair of former Met farmhands in Quilvio Veras and Chuck Carr. Veras worked the count to 2-1 before dropping down a suicide squeeze bunt. However, he hit it a little too hard and Sabes pounced on it off the mound and flipped to Todd Hundley, who just barely put the tag on the runner before he reached the plate for the out. On the very next pitch, Carr put down a drag bunt attempt that Rico Brogna picked up and shoveled to Saberhagen, who dashed to first and stepped on the bag just before a diving Carr reached it. Three bunts, three outs, and the Mets got out of danger still down by just 2.

From there, the Mets scored 7 unanswered runs, while the Marlins didn't get another hit. Jeff Kent homered in the 7th and Ryan Thompson followed with an RBI double to tie the score. In the 8th, after two quick outs, the Mets put on their rally caps, as Brogna doubled off the wall and Bobby Bo was intentionally walked to allow Burkett to face the right-hand-hitting Kent. It was a poor move on paper by Marlins manager Rene Lachemann, as Kent had a career average of almost .500 vs. Burkett and had already homered against him. Kent worked a walk to load the bases and, in another poor decision, Lachemann brought in reliever Randy Veres to face Hundley, who hit a game-winning single off Veres the previous night. Hundley came through again here, singling to RF to score 2 and give the Mets the lead. As Michael mentioned, Jones followed with a 3-run dinger, and the Fish were pretty much fried after that.

I give credit to Dallas Green for staying with Saberhagen as long as he did, as I probably would have pinch hit for him with the game tied at 3-3 and Thompson on second base with two outs in the 7th. And even though Bret grounded out, he went on to fire 3 perfect innings after that, allowing him to stick around long enough to earn the win and collect his last of 12 complete games as a Met.

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