Amazin' Away Games: Philadelphia. Mets losing 16-0 after 2 Innings! Lose 26-7

Now that the Trade Tracker has tracked its final trades, the next series will look at the craziest, wildest, most memorable games the Mets have played in every one of the 63 venues they have played in.

Here's a trivia question: Which is the only stadium the Mets have only played one game? If you knew it was Bowman Field in Williamsport, PA at the site of the Little League World Series, you win a Freddy Peralta jersey from his jersey day that was cancelled August 19 at Citi Field.

We kick off the series in Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia. June 11, 1985, to be exact. I didn't have to research the date because I was there on my 21st birthday. How did you spend your 21st? I spent it at the worst loss in Mets history. Philadelphia 26, New York 7. Wait! There was one highlight! Doug Sisk pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and had an RBI. THAT'S how crazy this game was.

It is referred to as the "Von Hayes Game."

Here's a great Hayes quote: " I’ve been struggling. … But when I came to the park and saw the lineup, with me leading off, I was kind of embarrassed,” he said after the game. “I’d never led off for the Phillies. Two days ago, when I was taken out of the lineup, I was hitting cleanup. "

Even though he had never led off for them before, he certainly made the most of it. Hayes hit a leadoff homer, but he wasn't finished yet. The Mets had an emergency starter due to injuries to the starting pitchers. It was left-hander Tom Gorman. "Gorfax" to Keith Hernandez.

Gorman gave up 6 runs while only retiring one batter.

There had been 21 previous times that a batter had hit two homers in one inning, but it had never happened in the first inning before or since. Hayes's second homer in the first was a grand slam.

Hayes finished the game with three hits, four runs scored, and 6 RBI.

Here are some marvelous quotes from the radio team of Bob Murphy and Gary Thorne. Murphy said, "If this were a prizefight, Gary, they'd stop it!" (Read it to yourself in Murph's voice!) And, "If it weren't for those first 15 runs, this would be a ballgame!" Thorne had perhaps the most quoted line in the post game story, "The turning point of the game was the National Anthem."

The Mets started the game by having two base runners thrown out on the bases. After a Wally Backman single, he was thrown out trying to steal. Howard Johnson (I don't remember him hitting second too often) flew out. Hernandez singled to left, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Of course, Hayes, the leftfielder, made that play.

After Hayes hit his leadoff homer, the Phillies got RBI singles from Glenn Wilson and Bo Diaz. Mets Manager Davey Johnson (like all of us) had seen enough, and brought in Calvin Schiraldi. I hope you are chanting CAALLL - VINNN at this time. Calvin always had that scared face when he pitched. He had it in the 86 World Series and he has it in the photo with this article. Schiraldi hit his first batter, Luis Aguayo, with a pitch to force in another run. He struck out the starting pitcher, Charles Hudson, but then Hayes hit his Grand Slam. 9-0 after one. Happy Birthday to me.

The Mets went out in order in the second, but the Phillies did their best impression of the Gashouse Gorillas from Bugs Bunny in the bottom of the second, scoring 7 more runs off of Schiraldi before being replaced by the (heroic) Doug Sisk.

I just want to mention that last week was the first time in a 1986 reunion that Sisk was not booed. Sisk was actually very good to spectacular in four of his five Mets seasons. Ironically, it was only 1985, with a 5.30 ERA, that he was awful. Do you think the few fans at last week's ceremony finally remembered that fact?

I don't think I've ever seen veterans being replaced so early, but with the score 16-0 after two, the Phillies replaced Aguayo and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. After the Mets scored a pair in the third, they replaced Hernandez and Gary Carter. You might have guessed Ronn ( two Ns) Reynolds replaced the catcher, but you didn't know John Christensen went to the outfield and starter Danny Heep moved to first. Was Davey Johnson sending a message? George Foster played the entire game.

The Mets were in a deep hitting slump most of the year, but they actually scored 7 runs on 13 hits in the first five innings! But since we are talking about the Mets, they went hitless the rest of the way.

Two Mets relief pitchers, Schiraldi and Joe Sambito GAVE UP TEN RUNS EACH in relief. Two different relief pitchers both giving up ten runs in one game? Fernando Tatis, Sr., may have hit two grand slams in one inning, but we will certainly never see two ten run relief pitchers again.

Strangely, the Mets brought in closer Jesse Orosco to pitch the bottom of the 8th. The only possible reason was the Mets wanted to avoid giving up the 28th run, which was the National League record.

The Mets had NEVER had a position player take the mound until infielder Bill Pecota did it during the Worst Team Money Can Buy year of 1992. The next Met position player to pitch, Matt Franco wouldn't pitch for another 7 years. So from 1962 to 1999, the Mets had one instance of this happening.

The Phillies set their club record for runs, hits (27), extra base hits (13), and total bases (45). It was the Mets club record for runs and hits allowed.

When the Mets lost 25-4 to the Nationals in 2018, and pitcher Jose Reyes was grooving meatballs in the eighth inning, I was quite pleased the Nats didn't reach 26 runs. However the 21 run deficit is the current Mets record.

Philly third baseman Rick Schu had 4 hits on the day. They had Schu at third and Schmidt at first for a long stretch that year. Future Met Juan Samuel had 5 hits. Samuel was another star that forgot how to play when he put on the Mets pinstripes. Wilson and Diaz each had three RBI. Relief pitcher Dave Rucker also had two hits! Have you seen a relief pitcher get two hits before?

Do you have any memories of games in Veteran's Stadium? Write them in the comments.