Franchise Fridays: All-Time Mets Greats Fall 7-4 to All-Time Giants Greats at Polo Grounds

Week 4 of Franchise Fridays at Citi Field kicked off with a battle between two branches of the National League family tree: the All-Time Mets and the All-Time Giants. After getting swept by their Dodgers cousins, the Mets hoped to finally get off the schnied against New York’s other historic NL powerhouse. And in this Strat-O-Matic showdown, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver took the mound for the Mets against Christy Mathewson for the Giants at the virtual Polo Grounds—a duel that promised to be as much about strategy as raw talent.

The first few innings were a masterclass in pitching and defense. Seaver and Mathewson kept hitters off balance with a mix of strikeouts, groundouts, and pop flies. The Giants finally broke through in the top of the second. After singles by Orlando Cepeda and Buster Posey, Bobby Bonds followed with an RBI single to give the Giants a 1-0 lead, and another run scored on Posey’s groundball, pushing the score to 2-0.

The Mets answered in the bottom half with authority. Darryl Strawberry launched a leadoff home run, and Gary Carter followed with a solo shot to center field, tying the game at 2-2. It was the first of several thrilling exchanges that would define the afternoon.

Mike Piazza’s RBI single in the bottom of the third gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, showing that they were more than capable of matching the Giants blow for blow. But the Giants weren’t done. In the top of the fourth, Cepeda’s homer to left field tied the game at 3-3, and the lead continued to swing back and forth. David Wright’s solo homer in the bottom of the fifth nudged the Mets ahead 4-3, only for Ott to respond in the top of the eighth with a homer of his own to tie the game again at 4-4.

Both teams battled deep into extra innings, trading strikeouts and tense defensive plays. Seaver gave the Mets nine innings of eight-hit, four-run ball with six strikeouts and three walks, while Mathewson surrendered eight hits and four runs over eight innings, striking out four and walking just one. The relievers took over in the extra frames, with Minton earning the win for the Giants by shutting down the Mets over two innings, while Familia took the loss after giving up three runs on a lone hit in the 12th.

The game ultimately came down to a dramatic 12th inning. With two men on Willie Mays—who had gone 1-for-6 earlier—launched a three-run homer to center field, giving the Giants a decisive 7-4 lead and punctuating a tense, back-and-forth contest.

Offensively, the Mets out-hit the Giants 13-9. Strawberry led the way with four hits, while Beltran added three in six at-bats. Wright, Carter, Strawberry, and Piazza each drove in one run. The Mets turned three double plays and committed zero errors, with Carter making the most plays on defense, recording 13 chances. The Giants, meanwhile, were patient at the plate, drawing six walks and spreading nine hits across Posey, Cepeda, Ott, and Mays, who drove in three runs.

In the end, despite a valiant 13-hit effort and flashes of power from Strawberry, Wright, Carter, and Piazza, the All-Time Mets Greats came up short, falling 7-4 to the All-Time Giants Greats. The fans at the virtual Polo Grounds witnessed a Strat-O-Matic duel full of swings, homers, and pitching brilliance, proving that even in simulated battles, the National League family tree produces plenty of drama.