D-Whit - It Was 45 Years Ago Today...Saturday October 4th 1969

October 4^th

After 99 consecutive years of non-divisional play MLB went to a two division format in 1969. The Mets and NL West champion Atlanta Braves met for the first National League Championship Series. 

Game 1 of the 1969 NL Championship Series pitted Tom Seaver against Phil Niekro at Atlanta Stadium. 

The Mets put two on the board when Jerry Grote singled in a run and later in the inning Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Brave catcher, Bob Didier. Clete Boyer’s sac fly in the home half of the second cut the lead to one.

Seaver gave up the lead in the 3^rd when Felix Millan, Tony Gonzalez and Hank Aaron hit back-to-back-to-back doubles, putting Atlanta ahead 3-2. But a two-out, two-run triple by Bud Harrelson gave the Mets a 4-3 advantage. 

In the bottom of the 5^th Tony Gonzalez took Seaver deep, knotting the contest up at 4. 

Hank Aaron followed in the 7^th with a solo HR-putting Atlanta up 5-4. 

In the 8^th Niekro ran into trouble. He gave up a lead off double to Wayne Garrett and then Garrett scored on Cleon Jones’ single. Art Shamsky followed with another single and after Jones stole 3^rd the Mets had runners on the corners with none out. Ken Boswell hit a grounder to third, Jones broke for home and Boyer threw wildly to the plate allowing Jones to score. 

Now up by a run, New York added three more before the inning ended. 

Ron Taylor held the Braves scoreless in their final two at-bats to secure the Mets 9-5 victory.