April 23, 1962: Mets' First Win
From The Met Wiki
| Date: April 23, 1962 |
| Mets starter: Jay Hook |
| Mets: 9 |
| Pirates: 1 |
| Winning pitcher: Jay Hook |
| Key player(s): Jay Hook, Felix Mantilla, Elio Chacon |
| Key play: Hook's two-run single, Chacon's RBI singles |
After starting their first season with nine straight losses, the Mets came to Pittsburgh's Forbes Field to face a Pirates' team that had won its first ten games. Jay Hook turned things around with a complete game five-hitter and his own offensive support to lead the Mets to victory for the first time. The score was 9-1 in favor of New York.
The Mets started off with two first inning runs off Pirates' starter Tom Sturdivant. Gus Bell and Frank Thomas got sacrifice flies scoring Felix Mantilla and Elio Chacon, respectively, for the early lead.
In the second, Diomedes Olivo came in to relieve Sturdivant. Hook greeted the new Pittsburgh pitcher with a bases loaded single to score Charlie Neal and Jim Hickman. Mantilla then hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Chris Cannizzaro. Chacon's single sent Hook across the plate and the Mets were up, 6-0.
Chacon singled to score Hook again in the sixth to increase the Met lead to seven runs. The Pirates scored in the bottom of the inning, ending Hook's shutout bid. The scoring concluded with Bobby Gene Smith's triple off Jack Lamabe that scored Mantilla and Chacon in the top of the eighth.
Hook finished off the game with a scoreless ninth inning. He got Roberto Clemente to hit into a force play for the final out. The Pirates were no longer undefeated and the Mets had their first win ever.
