The Mets scored in the first inning when Gil Hodges hit in Charlie Neal. The Giants got on the board in the second inning, with Harvey Kuenn hitting a RBI double, scoring Jose Pagan. In the top of the third inning, Elio Chacon hit a single to left field scoring Frank Thomas and Hodges. The Giants responded in the bottom of the third when Orlando Cepeda had a ground out, scoring Willie Mayes. The score was tied 3-3.
In the fourth inning, Gaylord Perry relieved O'Dell. New York took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Neal. Pinch runner Rod Kanehl scored on the play. The Mets increased its lead to two runs in the top of the sixth inning on a homerun by Joe Christopher. San Francisco answered with a RBI single by Jim Davenport, scoring Felipe Alou. Don Larsen relieved Perry in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mayes hit a solo homer, tying the game 5-5 and ultimately sending the game to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, the Mets took the lead on a solo homerun by Felix Mantilla and kept Hook on the mound. In the bottom of the inning, with Kuenn on base, Chuck Hiller bunted and got on base on a fielder's choice. Mayes came to bat and smashed a two run shot, winning the game. The San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 7-6.
Larsen got the win, going to 3-0. Hook, who pitched a complete game fell to 3-4. Hook struck out one while O'Dell struck out four, Perry struck out three and Larson struck out two. San Francisco improved to 31-14, first in the NL. The Mets fell to 12-25, ninth in the NL. The Giants ended the season winning the NL Pennant, but losing to the New York Yankees in seven games. The Mets made history by ending the season with the worst record in modern history at 40-120.
Trivia
- There were 4 Hall of Famers playing or managing in this game: Manager Casey Stengel for the Mets, and Willie Mayes, Orlando Cepeda, and Gaylord Perry for the Giants.
- This was Stengel's first season with the Mets. He managed the team from 1962-65. He also managed the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934-36, the Boston Bees/Braves from 1938-43, and of course the New York Yankees from 1949-60. He led the Yankees to seven World Series championships (five straight from 1949-53) and three AL Pennants. The Braves were named the Bees from 1936-40.
- Stengel played from 1912-25 with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1912-17), Pittsburgh Pirates (1918-19), Philadelphia Phillies (1920-21), New York Giants (1921-23), and Boston Braves (1924-25).
- This was Alvin Dark's second season managing the Giants, leading to the NL Pennant, losing to the Yankees in seven games. Dark also managed the Kansas City A's from 1966-67, Cleveland Indians from 1968-71, Oakland A's from 1974-74, and the San Diego Padres in 1977. In his return to the A's in 1974, Dark led the team to the World Series Championship, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
- Dark played for the Boston Braves (1946, 1948-49), New York Giants (1950-56), St. Louis Cardinals (1956-58), Chicago Cubs (1958-60), Philadelphia Phillies (1960), and the Milwaukee Braves (1960).
- Met's catcher Harry Chiti would only play six more games in the majors. His last game was two weeks later on June 10 against the Chicago Cubs, who he played for from 1950-56. His career spanned from 1950-62.
- Giants' outfielder Harvey Kuenn went on to manage the Milwaukee Brewers for a game in 1975 and from 1982 to 1983. He led the Brewers to the World Series in 1982, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
- Mets' first baseman Gil Hodges went on to manage the team from 1968-71, leading the Miracle Mets to the 1969 World Series title. Hodges was a long time player for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943, 1947-61).
- Giants' outfielder Felipe Alou went on to manage the Montreal Expos from 1992-2001. He managed the Giants from 2003-06.
- Alou's brother Matty was a teammate. They were teammates with the Giants from 1960-63.
Game stats can be found at Baseball-Reference.com on the box score page at New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants - May 26, 1962.
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