April 24, 1965: Napoleon's Bases-Loaded Triple
From The Met Wiki
| Date: April 24, 1965 |
| Mets starter: Tom Parsons |
| Mets: 7 |
| Giants: 6 |
| Winning pitcher: Gary Kroll |
| Key player(s): Danny Napoleon, Ed Kranepool |
| Key play: Kranepool's home runs, Napoleon's triple |
The Mets faced the Giants on a Saturday afternoon at Candlestick Park. In the game, the Mets came up with a total of five unearned runs off of two San Francisco errors. They emerged with a 7-6 win on Danny Napoleon's three-run triple in the ninth inning.
In the top of the first, Johnny Lewis led off with a single. Roy McMillan followed with a bunt on which Giants' first baseman Willie McCovey made an error to put runners at second and third base. After an out, San Francisco starter Jack Sanford intentionally walked Joe Christopher to load the bases. Lewis came in to score on Jim Hickman's ground out and a single by Charley Smith brought home McMillan for another Met run. The Giants then scored when Tom Haller singled home Jesus Alou in the bottom of the second inning.
Ed Kranepool homered in the top of the third to extend the Mets' lead to 3-1. In the bottom half, Jose Pagan and Matty Alou led off with singles against Mets' starter Tom Parsons. A one-out single by Willie Mays scored Pagan before Matty Alou came home on a single by his brother, Jesus. Mays then crossed the plate on a force play grounder to put the Giants ahead, 4-3.
Following two scoreless innings, Kranepool hit his second homer off Sanford to tie the game in the sixth. Mets' reliever Gary Kroll retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning. Kroll then struck out all three San Francisco batters in the seventh to keep the score at 4-4.
Mays led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off Kroll. Willie went to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Jim Ray Hart singled. With two out in the inning, Bob Shaw hit a single on which Hart came home for a two-run Giants lead. Kroll then got Pagan on a fly ball to end the inning.
Smith got a bunt single off Shaw to start the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Chris Cannizzaro reached first base on Shaw's error. Pinch-hitting for Kroll, Warren Spahn grounded out to move Smith to third and pinch-runner Al Jackson to second. Shaw then issued an intentional walk to Lewis, loading the bases for the Mets.
Napoleon came up to pinch-hit for McMillan. Danny hit a triple to right field off Shaw, driving home three runs and putting the Mets in front. Giants' reliever Bob Hendley ended the inning by striking out Kranepool.
In the bottom of the ninth, Mays was at third base with two out. Mets' reliever Dennis Ribant got Jesus Alou on a ground ball to shortstop Smith for the final out of the game. The Mets had a dramatic comeback victory.
Notes
- Napoleon's triple was the only one of his major league career.
- The win was the 3,000th for Casey Stengel as a manager in major and minor league baseball.
