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Mike Francesa:
“Dog, listen, the Mets had this game right where they wanted it. Up 2-0 in the series, they grab an early lead, and then what happens? Pittsburgh finally wakes up. Fifteen hits, Dog. FIFTEEN. You’re not gonna win when you give up that many baserunners.”
Mad Dog Russo:
“MIKEY! MIKEY! You said it! FIFTEEN HITS! They were all over the place! And Tommy Loder! Seven innings, three hits, only two runs, the guy was terrific! TERRIFIC! Mets could not touch him! Richards hits the homer, Alicea late bomb, but otherwise NOTHING, Mikey!”
Francesa:
“Yeah, and the Pruneda walk, bases loaded, two outs, tie game — that’s where it turned. You cannot walk a guy there, Dog. Peters on the mound, long at-bat, and he loses him. That’s the game.”
Russo:
“Oh! TERRIBLE! You can’t walk him, you can’t! And then you bring in Pineda, BOOM, double by Macias, Pirates pull away. Ballgame. You give a team like that extra chances, you pay for it. And the Mets, they had four hits total until the ninth inning! FOUR!”
Francesa:
“Well, listen, the Mets are still in control here. It’s 2-1, they got another one in Pittsburgh tomorrow. You win that, you go home 3-1, you’re in great shape. But the longer you let the Pirates hang around, the more dangerous it gets.”
Russo:
“EXACTLY! This is why you bury a team when you have the chance, Mikey! You don’t let ‘em back in. Now Pittsburgh’s got life, that ballpark was rockin’, fifty thousand fans! And if Loder’s pitching like that, you got a series!”
Francesa:
“Yeah, but don’t forget, Villalobos almost gave it away in the ninth. He gives up the Alicea homer, then a walk, then another baserunner — tying run at the plate. So, it’s not like the Mets didn’t have their shot.”
Russo:
“Still! Still! You don’t win with five hits in a playoff game! You don’t! Mets gotta bounce back tomorrow or we got ourselves a whole new series, Mikey!”
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