Ultimate Mets Database: Game of June 5, 1999

straightjacketk
August 19, 2002
The absolute, hands down, no contest low point of the 1999 season. After my man Franco blew the game against the Reds to make it six straight, I kept thinking how they were going to pull it together and avoid a sweep (school being the day after the final game of the series, I was bearing for the worst type of punishment from my Yankee fan friends). They were in absolute free-fall, but in some ways, this losing streak made the season that much more memorable, because they had to overcome the worst to stun the Diamondbacks and battle the Braves.

Dave VW
May 1, 2024
You're not wrong in the least, straightjacket. This was the Mets 8th straight loss, their longest losing streak since August of 1996 -- during which Bobby Valentine took over managing duties for Dallas Green. This loss also dropped the Mets to under .500 for the first time since Opening Day, and the first time this deep into a season since May 9, 1997.

After the Mets built up a 3-0 lead, it all fell apart as Masato Yoshii allowed 3 runs in the 3rd, 2 more in the 4th, and one in the 5th before the bullpen held the Yankees scoreless the rest of the way. Allen Watson did a fine job in relief in what would be his second-to-last appearance as a Met. He'd get traded to Seattle, released, then signed by the Yankees a month later, and would go on to win the World Series with the Bronx Bombers. Good for him.

The Mets had a golden opportunity in the 7th, putting runners on the corners with no one out. But then John Olerud, Mike Piazza and Bobby Bonilla struck out in succession to completely take the air out of any chance of a comeback. Piazza had a particularly rough day, tying a season high with 3 strikeouts.

El Duque got the win for the Yankees. This was the game he had his famous glove toss to first when the ball got stuck in his glove after fielding a Rey Ordonez comebacker in the 2nd inning. I'm sure we all got sick of seeing those replays. Meanwhile, Yoshii got saddled with the loss. He allowed a season-high 9 hits and recorded a season-low 0 strikeouts.

But this was as low as the Mets would sink, as they'd win 15 of their next 18 games to climb out of their slump and back into the playoff picture. I'm very interested to watch the following game to pinpoint what exactly got the Mets turned back around.

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