The Mets did not want to head home down two games to none in the World Series. Even with the home field advantage for the middle three games, loosing game two would insure the Mets would have to win the World Series on the road if they were to win it at all.

Their best pitcher was less than the best in game one. Seaver gave up four runs and did not match the pitcher he was while winning his last eight decisions. The Mets batters had looked lifeless against the Orioles ace Mike Cuellar in game one. In game two, the Mets turned to their number two pitcher Jerry Koosman to hold the fort and give the likes of Agee, Clendenon, Jones, and Swoboda to get something going offensively.

October 12, 1969, World Series Game 2

Memorial Stadium – Jerry Koosman won 17 regular season games against nine losses. His ERA was an impressive 2.28 with a career high 180 strike outs. Koosman did not have the stature of Tom Seaver. But under pressure, as fans would soon learn, Koosman had ice running through his veins.

Dave McNally was just as formidable. The left handed McNally won twenty games in ’69 and had an era of 3.22. The game had the potential of being a great pitcher’s dual. This is one time when the predictions became a reality.

McNally retired Tommie Agee, Bud Harrelson, and Cleon Jones in order in the first. Koosman countered by striking out Don Buford, then getting Paul Blair and Frank Robinson to fly out. The Mets got a runner as far as second base in the second inning but did not score. In the O’s second, Koosman retired Boog Powell and Brooks Robinson before walking Davey Johnson. But catcher Andy Etchebarren lined out ending the inning.

The first hit of the game came in the Mets third when second baseman Al Weis singled to center. Agee grounded out forcing Weis at second. Harrelson later walked putting runners on first and second but Cleon Jones lined out hard to Buford in left to end the inning. In the bottom of the third, Koosman once again retired the Orioles in order.  Through three innings there was no score with the Mets recording the only hit.

In the top of the fourth, Donn Clendenon hit a McNally fast ball over the right field fence to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. It was the first lead the Mets ever had in a World Series game. McNally retired the next three batters with the inning ending on a stellar play by Brooks Robinson. Koosman kept mowing down the Orioles however. In fact neither team did anything over the next two innings. Through six, the Mets led 1-0 and the Orioles had not one hit, just a walk back in the second inning. Since then, Koosman retired 13 batters in a row.

The Mets threatened in the seventh. With one out, Ed Charles doubled down the left field line. After Grote popped out, Orioles manager Earl Weaver elected to walk Al Weis and pitch to Koosman. Hodges left Koosman in but the pitcher grounded out to end the inning.

The Orioles broke up the no hit bid when Paul Blair singled to lead off the seventh. But Koosman got Frank Robinson to line out to Agee and Powell to pop up to Harrelson. But with two out, Blair was able to steal second just ahead of Grote’s throw. On the very next pitch, Brooks Robinson singled up the middle. Blair scored tying the game at one. Davey Johnson grounded out ending the rally.

In the eighth, Koosman and McNally took control again and retired the side in their respective half innings. It was on to the ninth and you could cut the tension with a knife.

In the Mets ninth, Clendenon struck out and Swoboda grounded out to first. With two out, Ed Charles singled to left. With the hit and run on, Grote singled to left as Charles made it all the way to third. Orioles pitching coach George Bamberger (who would one day manage the Mets) visited the mound to talk things over with McNally. The light hitting Al Weis came up with runners on first and third. Gil Hodges had great faith in his players and had no intentions of pinch hitting for Weis who he felt was his best option against the left handed McNally.

Weis did not disappoint as he lined the first pitch he saw into leftfield, the Mets third hit in a row. Charles scored and the Mets had a one run lead. Another manager might have pinched hit for Koosman but not Hodges. He knew that pitching was how his club reached this unprecedented point of the season. Koosman came up to bat and grounded out to end the inning. It wasn’t as if Hodges was hoping Koosman would somehow get a hit. He just liked his chances with Koosman on the mound to protect the 2-1 lead in the ninth.

As NBC broadcaster Curt Gowdy stated, Koosman appeared to be getting stronger than he was earlier in the game.  He retired the first two hitters without difficulty in the ninth. Then Hodges did something not in the standard play book. He moved Al Weis to leftfield along the line, moved Jones into left center, Agee into right center and Swoboda near the line in right. The Mets played with four outfielders and no second baseman. Hodges wanted to protect from a ball hit into the gaps or down the line. But the strategy went for naught as Robinson worked out a walk. On a three-two count Powell walked too. That final out became elusive enough that it prompted Hodges to remove Koosman and bring in right handed reliever Ron Taylor to face the right handed Brooks Robinson.

With the tying run on second and the winning run on first, Brooks grounded the ball hard down to third. But Hodges had correctly positioned Ed Charles and Clendenon in the no doubles defense along the lines. Charles scooped the ball and ran to third. I remember not breathing as Frank Robinson beat Charles to the bag. The Mets third baseman changed his mind realizing the futility of trying to force Robinson and fired to first where Clendenon stretched and got Brooks Robinson out by a couple of steps. The Mets held on to win as Mets fans everywhere took a collective breath. This was simply an outstanding ballgame.

Record  Mets  1, Orioles 1, in best of seven series.

The series was tied one to one. The New York Mets had won their first World Series game in history. The series would now move to New York where 55,000 people would be waiting to scream and yell in game three at Shea Stadium.