(Updated Feb. 3, 2019)
No National League night game has gone more innings than the one played by the Cardinals and Mets on Sept. 11-12, 1974.
Beginning at 8:08 p.m. on Sept. 11 and ending at 3:15 a.m. on Sept, 12, the Cardinals beat the Mets, 4-3, in 25 innings at New York’s Shea Stadium. Started before a crowd of 13,460, it ended before about 1,000 spectators, including baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn.
The Cardinals-Mets marathon remains the longest National League night game in innings played.
In the longest major-league game by innings, the Dodgers and Braves played to a 1-1 tie in 26 innings on May 1, 1920. That National League game was played on a Saturday afternoon at Braves Field in Boston. Boxscore
Only one 25-inning game has been played in the major leagues since the Cardinals-Mets classic in 1974. In an American League game, the White Sox, managed by Tony La Russa, beat the Brewers, 7-6, in 25 innings at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. That night game began on May 8, 1984, was suspended after 17 innings with the score tied at 3-3 and completed on May 9. Boxscore
With no National League curfew, the Cardinals and Mets played their 25-inning game without a stop in play.
When it ended, Cardinals outfielder Reggie Smith told his teammates, “There’s no way that your wives are going to believe you guys were out playing baseball all night.”
Reitz to the rescue
The Cardinals trailed, 3-1, entering the ninth. After Joe Torre struck out, Ted Simmons singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Larry Herndon. Herndon went to second on a wild pitch by starter Jerry Koosman, but Bake McBride struck out.
With the Mets an out away from victory, the Cardinals’ last hope, Ken Reitz, hit a two-run home run, tying the score at 3-3.
“I was looking for a fastball, a strike, and I got it,” Reitz said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Cardinals reliever Claude Osteen, who had a clear view of the home run from his perch in the bullpen, held his hands less than a foot apart when he told United Press International the ball “went out by about that much.”
Scoreless relief
For the next 15 innings, Cardinals and Mets relievers threw shutouts.
Al Hrabosky, Rich Folkers, Ray Bare, Osteen and Sonny Siebert were the Cardinals relievers who stopped the Mets in extra innings. Osteen pitched 9.1 innings _ the equivalent of a complete-game shutout.
A pair of former Cardinals, Harry Parker and Bob Miller, joined Bob Apodaca and Jerry Cram as the Mets relievers who stopped the Cardinals. Cram pitched eight innings.
They escaped several jams.
_ Torre was out at the plate trying to score on a single by McBride in the 13th.
_ In the 20th, the Cardinals had runners on first and second, no outs, but Smith was picked off at second and the threat fizzled.
_ In the 23rd, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs before Cleon Jones flied out.
_ Both teams loaded the bases with two outs in the 24th but failed to score.
Bake was cooking
Hank Webb relieved Cram in the 25th inning. McBride led off with an infield single and Reitz was up next.
Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst gave the hit-and-run sign. Webb made a pickoff throw, but it sailed over first baseman John Milner and rolled into foul territory in right field.
“I figured I could get to third,” McBride told the Associated Press. “Then, when I turned second, I said to myself, ‘I’m going all the way.’ ”
McBride raced around third without looking toward coach Vern Benson, who was showing the stop sign. “I didn’t see any sense in sending him home with nobody out,” Benson said.
Milner retrieved the ball and fired a throw to catcher Ron Hodges. McBride and the ball arrived at the plate about the same time. Hodges dropped the ball before he could attempt a tag.
“I don’t think he would have had me, even if he had held the ball,” McBride said. “He was out in front of the plate and I was past him.”
Benson saw it differently. “It was a good throw by Milner, and Hodges probably would have got McBride if he hadn’t taken his eyes off the ball,” Benson said.
The Cardinals led, 4-3, but the Mets still had their turn to bat.
Happy ending
Siebert retired the first two batters, Ken Boswell and Felix Millan, on fly outs.
Brock Pemberton, appearing in his second big-league game, batted for Webb and singled, prolonging the drama with his first big-league hit. When the ball was removed from the game so Pemberton would have a keepsake, Mets pitcher Tom Seaver quipped from the dugout, “Don’t give it to him. It’s the last ball we’ve got left.” (Fifteen dozen balls were used in the game, The Sporting News reported.)
Milner, the Mets’ top home run hitter, batted next.
Siebert struck him out, ending the game at 7 hours, 4 minutes. Boxscore
Dizzying stats
The Cardinals used 26 players and the Mets, 24. The Cardinals stranded 20 base runners and the Mets, 25.
Nine players played the entire game. They were McBride, Reitz, Smith, Torre and Ted Sizemore for the Cardinals; Millan, Milner, Wayne Garrett and Dave Schneck for the Mets.
“Ordinarily, I get two hits and it’s a decent night, but 2-for-11?” Schneck said to the New York Daily News.
McBride, Reitz and Millan each had four hits in 10 at-bats. Garrett was 0-for-10 with four strikeouts. Lou Brock, the Cardinals’ future Hall of Famer, was 1-for-9 and was caught stealing in his lone attempt.
The home plate umpire, Ed Sudol, also had worked the plate in a 23-inning game between the Mets and Giants in 1964 and a 24-inning game between the Mets and Astros in 1968.
“My legs feel like a couple of lead posts,” Sudol said.
Asked to sum up the long night, Mets pitcher Tug McGraw said, “The only thing I regret now is that all the eating places are closed. I’ll have to go home and make myself a baloney sandwich.”
Previously: Reggie Smith and the Cardinals’ after-hours club
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Cardinals first baseman Johnny Mize won the 1939 league batting title with a .349 mark in 153 games. At that time, a player needed to appear in 100 games in a season to qualify for the National League batting crown.
