Mets Down Cards Again — NL Race Uncertain

Oct. 3, 1964 - Casey Stengel’s amazing 10th-place Mets downed the Cardinals today for the second straight time, 15-5, knocked them into a tie for the lead with the Cincinnati Reds, and forced that National League pennant race into its final day as a three-team free-for-all.

The Mets crashed five home runs and 12 other hits off eight pitchers thrown into the game by the desperate Cardinals, who had seized the league lead on Tuesday from the Reds, who had seized it Sunday from the Phillies, who had held it since July 16.

As a result, the most dramatic race in baseball history turned into its final day with the Cardinals, Reds, and Phillies all in contention after 161 games and with the Giants finally fading out today, eliminated by the Cubs.

When the 3-hour-14-minute rout had ended before 18,650 disbelieving fans, St. Louis had used 21 players, and harried baseball officials were rushing forward with multiple plans for two-way, three-way, and four-way playoffs — any one of which would delay the World Series.

The only way the Cardinals now could win the pennant without having to earn it in a playoff would be a combination of a St. Louis victory and a Cincinnati defeat tomorrow. Similarly, the Reds could take the cake without having to do an encore if they win their game tomorrow with Philadelphia and the Cards lose.

If both Cincinnati and St. Louis win tomorrow, a league playoff will be necessary. If the Phillies and Mets win tomorrow, the result would be a three-way tie for the league lead involving the Phillies, Cards, and Reds.

“The situation is still in our hands,” said St. Louis manager Johnny Keane (pictured) after today’s defeat. “We’ve bounced back from shellackings all year. Baseball is a game of bounces. The clubs that didn’t or couldn’t bounce are not in the position we are.

“We have no excuses, we just got bombed. We changed pitchers. That’s all you can do when you get hit hard.”

Asked if Bob Gibson would be in the bullpen tomorrow, the manager replied, “He might.”

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