April 28, 1962: Mets' First Home Win
From The Met Wiki
| Date: April 28, 1962 |
| Mets starter: Jay Hook |
| Mets: 8 |
| Phillies: 6 |
| Winning pitcher: Roger Craig |
| Key player(s): Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal, Roger Craig |
| Key play: Thomas's & Neal's home runs in 6th |
The Mets faced the Phillies on a Saturday afternoon at the Polo Grounds. The teams combined for nine home runs in a high-scoring game. The Mets ended up with an 8-6 win for their first home win in their history.
Jay Hook got shelled in the first inning. He walked Tony Taylor to lead off and Johnny Callison singled. Tony Gonzalez then hit a three-run homer to give the Phillies an early lead. Don Demeter added a solo homer for the Phils' fourth run, removing Hook from the game.
Leading off the bottom of the second, Charlie Neal hit a home run off Philadelphia starter Jim Owens. The Phils answered in the fourth when Clay Dalrymple homered off Bob L. Miller. Demeter then hit his second homer of the game leading off the sixth against Dave Hillman. The Phillies had a 6-1 lead.
Owens walked Gus Bell to start the bottom of the sixth. Frank Thomas followed with a two-run homer and Neal followed with his second home run of the game. Gil Hodges then hit the Mets' third consecutive homer off Phils' reliever Jack Hamilton to make the score 6-5. Later in the inning, Ed Bouchee came to bat with two out. Chris Short threw a wild pitch on which John DeMerit scored from third base and Rod Kanehl came all the way home from second to put the Mets in front, 7-6. Bouchee then fouled out to end the inning.
Jim Hickman homered off the Phils' Ed Keegan in the bottom of the eighth. Craig then retired the side in order in the ninth to end the game. The Mets had their first ever victory at home.
