Zeile Makes Like Hernandez
On the surface it would look like another frustrating start for a Mets pitcher. The starter only went 5 innings. But in this case it was alright since it was Al Leiter‘s first start since coming off the DL. The Senator allowed only 3 hits but walked 4. Overall Leiter looked good. The bullpen held it together too, allowing 6 hits, 1 run and 1 walk over the next 6 innings en route to a 4-1, 10-inning victory over the Phillies.
But the hero of the night was Todd Zeile. Zeile hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the game and then won it in the tenth with a double. The thing that impressed me was what Zeille did before he hit the double. With Kaz Matsui on first base Art Howe called for a hit-and-run play. The Phillies anticipated Matsui running and called for a pitchout. Zeile, realizing that as the batter in a hit-and-run play it was his responsibility to protect the runner, threw his bat at the ball. The move caused just enough of a disruption to allow Matsui to slide safely into second base. I remember seeing Keith Hernandez do the same thing in the late ’80’s. This allowed Matsui to score the game winning run easily on Zeile’s double.
Vance Wilson added a 2 run homer to ice the game.
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