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The Mets exploded for an eight-run, 10-hit fourth inning – their most productive outburst since 2006 – to top the Atlanta Braves 9-4 at Citi Field Tuesday night.
It was the Mets’ best single-inning performance since an 11-run sixth-inning effort at Wrigley Field on July 16, 2006 (More on that later). The 10 hits set a new team record for most hits in an inning.
New York had spotted Atlanta an early lead.
Starter Oliver Perez held a no-hitter through 1 1/3 innings, but he lost it in the second when Yunel Escobar singled, advancing our NoNoHitters.com count to 7,601 New York Mets games without a no-no. Garret Anderson also singled, and Matt Diaz knocked them both home with a three-run homer to left. Adam LaRoche added a solo shot in the third inning to make it 4-0.
But the Mets answered back loudly in the fourth on a rally that began when Angel Pagan hit a comebacker off Derek Lowe’s glove for an infield hit. Luis Castillo followed with a single to right for first-and-third with nobody out, and Gary Sheffield drove the next pitch into the right-center-field gap for a double to cut the Braves lead to 4-2.
After Daniel Murphy advanced Sheffield to third on a ground out, Jeff Francoeur doubled off the left-center-field wall for the Mets’ third run and Fernando Tatis sneaked an RBI single between third and short to tie the game.
Omir Santos dropped a bloop single just shy of ex-Met Ryan Church, and Anderson Hernandez pulled a slider just past second-baseman Omar Infante to score Tatis for a 5-4 lead.
Even Perez got into the rally. After failing to execute a sacrifice bunt, Perez pulled back the bat and lined a base hit to right to load the bases.
Pagan grounded into what should have been a 4-6-3 double play, but Pagan beat out the throw to first and Santos scored. After Pagan stole second, Castillo singled just past Infante to score Hernandez and Pagan and give the Mets a 8-4 lead.
The Braves finally went to the bullpen, but Sheffield greeted Kris Medlen with a double down the left-field line that was hit too hard to score Castillo. Medlen finally ended the inning by striking out Murphy.
The Mets’ best inning during their 47-plus year history was the sixth inning of a July 16, 2006, 13-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley. They scored 11 runs (only three of them earned) on eight hits and two errors. Here’s the breakdown:
- Chris Woodward flied out to center
- Carlos Beltran reached on an error
- Carlos Delgado singled to center
- David Wright singled to right
- Cliff floyd hit a grand slam
- Xavier Nady walked
- Ramon Castro reached on a fielder’s choice and Nady advanced to second on an error
- Pinch-hitter Endy Chavez singled home Nady
- Valentin hit an infield single
- Woodward hit into a 5-2 that forced out Castro
- Beltran hit a grand slam
- Delgado doubled to left
- Wright hit a two-run homer
- Floyd walked
- Nady walked
- Castro flied out to center
Some information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at www.retrosheet.org.
