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Giants, Mets history: The 10 greatest games played by Willie Mays

By Bill Felber

NEW YORK - CIRCA 1967: Outfielder Willie Mays #24 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the New York Mets during an Major League Baseball game circa 1967 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Mays played for the Giants from 1951-72. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1967: Outfielder Willie Mays #24 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the New York Mets during an Major League Baseball game circa 1967 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Mays played for the Giants from 1951-72. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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FLUSHING, NY – 1965: Outfielder Willie Mays #24 (left) and firstbaseman Willie McCovey #44 (right) of the San Francisco Giants flank rookie outfielder Ron Swoboda #14 of the New York Mets as they pose for a portrait prior to a game in 1965 at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

3. July 1 and Aug. 10, 1956. Giants 7, Pirates 6. At Forbes Field, Mays’ fifth inning single scored Ed Bressoud to give New York a brief 3-2 lead in the second game of a doubleheader. But the Pirates rallied for four in the bottom of the fifth, and they still led 5-4 when Mays came up with the bases full and two out in the top of the eighth. He doubled to center, clearing the bases and giving New York a 7-6 lead.

And there the matter sat for more than a month. Due to a Pennsylvania Sunday curfew law, the game had to be suspended. When it was resumed and completed on Aug. 10, the Giants completed the victory. Win Probability Added: 0.739.

2. June 12, 1957, Giants 4, Cubs 3. The Cubs seized a quick 3-0 lead in this Wednesday afternoon game played at the Polo Grounds. But the Giants tied the game in the sixth when Daryl Spencer walked, Red Schoendienst reached on a two-out error, and Mays blasted a Bob Rush pitch into the left-center field seats.

Fast-forward to the bottom of the ninth when Schoendienst singled and Mays followed with a walk. Ozzie Virgil grounded into a fielder’s choice, Schoendienst forced at third. Then, after Gail Harris was retired on a shallow fly ball, Mays took off for third on a steal attempt. When Cubs catcher Cal Neeman threw wildly past third baseman Ernie Banks, Mays continued home with the winning run. Win Probability Added: 0.837.

1. May 26, 1962, Giants 7, Mets 6. Earlier we looked at Mays’ heroics during a 7-4 May 24 victory over the Phillies. Two days later, the Mets followed Philadelphia into Candlestick, the Giants still clinging to a small lead on the Dodgers. New York led 3-2 when Mays came to bat in the third, but his triple set up the tying run when Orlando Cepeda’s infield ground out scored him.

The Giants trailed again, this time 5-4, when Mays opened the bottom of the eighth with a game-tying home run into the left field seats. Finally in the 10th, after Felix Mantilla had homered to put New York on top, Mays followed Harvey Kuenn’s base hit with his second home run of the game, a game-winner that easily cleared the fence in deep left-center. Win Probability Added: 1.204.

Next. Remembering Tim McCarver's 10 greatest games. dark

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