On This Date in Sports September 15, 1969: Carlton's 19K Can't Derail Miracle Mets
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Steve Carlton of the St. Louis Cardinals becomes the first pitcher in the modern era, to strikeout 19 batters in a nine-inning game. Pitching around two rain delays, Carlton’s record performance comes in a losing effort, as the New York Mets 4-3 beat the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Mets offense was supplied by Ron Swoboda, who had a pair of two-run homers to make a winner of Tug McGraw.
Heading into St. Louis for a two-game series with the reigning National League Champions, the New York Mets had begun to pull away from the free-falling Chicago Cubs, now leading by three and a half games in the National League East with a record of 88-58. The Mets managed by Gil Hodges had Gary Gentry on the mound. While making their stunning run to first place, New York’s pitching staff had been impressing all of baseball, as they had not allowed a home run in 20 straight games. The Cardinals who had been to the World Series the last two seasons, were out of the race, sitting in third place with a record of 79-67.
Steve Carlton’s night started with a bang as he struck out three batters while allowing a single to Donn Clendenon, while Tommie Agee reached on an error. In the second Al Weiss singled as Carlton struck out three more Mets. Buddy Harelson led off the third inning with a single and was picked off, to become the first out not record with a strikeout. After a popup by Amos Otis, Agee went down on strikes to bring Lefty’s total to seven. The Cardinals meanwhile put their first run on the board when Vada Pinson singled home Curt Flood.
In the fourth inning, Clendenon led off with a walk. Next up was Ron Swoboda who struck out in his first at-bat. This time Swoboda would homer to give New York a 2-1 lead. Steve Carlton would strikeout three batters around a single by Jerry Grote, following the home run. In the fifth, Carlton added two more Ks, bringing his total to 12. Meanwhile, the Cardinals regained the lead as Curt Flood singled in Lou Brock and later scored on a hit by Joe Torre.
Rain would be an issue for the entire game, as play was halted twice for a total of 81 minutes. In the sixth, Carlton fanned Ron Swoboda, while Amos Otis went down looking in the seventh. Meanwhile, Tug McGraw relieved Gary Gentry after the rain delay in the seventh inning. In the eighth, Carlton in firm command gave up a single to Tommie Agee. Following a strikeout of Clendenon, Ron Swoboda came up and hit his second two-run home run to give the Mets 4-3 lead. Steve Carlton would later end the eighth with a strikeout of Al Weiss to bring his total to 16.
Tug McGraw mowed down the Cardinals in order in the eighth, while Steve Carlton struck out McGraw, Harrelson, and Otis to get the record in the ninth. Before Carlton, no pitcher in the modern era had struck out more than 18 in a nine-inning game. Tom Cheney had fanned 21 batters with the Washington Senators in 16 innings during the 1962 season. The only 18-strikeout games had been by Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians in 1938, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers who did it twice, first in 1959 than in 1962, followed by Don Wilson of the Houston Astros on July 14, 1968.
While Steve Carlton had the record, he allowed four runs on nine hits, as the Mets led 4-3. The Cardinals would get two runners on base in the ninth with one out. However, Tug McGraw ended the game by getting Flood to flyout and Pinson to groundout to short.
The Mets would go on to win the division, as their win in St. Louis saw them extended their lead to four and a half games as the Cubs lost to the expansion Montreal Expos 8-2.