Ultimate Mets Database: Game of June 6, 1998

Greg Gentry
July 13, 2008
I was at this game with a friend in Boston, the only run scored was on a balk.

Incredible pitchers duel. Wakefield only gave up one hit through 8.

It was a game Wakefield should have won, but I was glad to see the Mets come out on top.

D.C.
August 14, 2013
My first Mets game courtesy of tickets from my uncle who lived in the Boston suburbs.

Strangely in a series that featured Al Leiter and Pedro during his peak pitch the night before, this game turned out the pitcher's duel of the three. I was only seven, but I do remember the Mets getting a run on a Wakefield balk and Bobby Jones making it stand for eight inning before ceding the game to John Franco for a rare non-ulcer inducing ninth.

Dave VW
December 13, 2023
One of 4 1-0 Mets wins in 1998, and the first since Opening Day, which Bobby Jones also started. The game featured just 6 hits, all singles, but I think it should have been 7 as the official scorer robbed John Olerud of a base hit in the 4th when he scalded a ball past Mo Vaughn at 1B.

It was indeed Brian McRae who scored on Tim Wakefield's balk in the 6th. He had led off with a walk, took second on a delayed steal, advanced to third on a groundout by Olerud, and scored when he made a fake-break towards home that momentarily broke Wakefield's concentration and caused the balk. The Mets' dugout erupted as if it was the biggest run they had scored all year, telling you how invested they had become in winning during this era. It was Wakefield's only balk in 216 innings pitched in 1998.

Jones was awesome, as he didn't give up another hit after Troy O'Leary singled to lead off the 2nd. He was already over 100 pitches when he was sent back out for the 8th inning, and I thought for sure his day was done when he walked Darren Bragg during a 10-pitch AB with 2 outs, but he stayed in there and got Darren Lewis to ground out on 1 pitch to get out of it.

The lack of offense for the Mets could somewhat be blamed on a lineup missing Mike Piazza, who was plunked on the hand with a pitch by Pedro Martinez the previous game. They told a story on FOX that Piazza, while waiting to get x-rayed at the hospital, was signing autographs with his hurt hand for the kids there. It's stories like that that explain why it was so easy for us to fall in love with the guy.

I also just learned Wakefield passed away this past October from brain cancer. Very sad.

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The Mets suck! Smith made three errors in this game, and hit into a double play, and the Mets blew a 5-0 lead. They need to get rid of Smith and get somebody like Jones.
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