Game 20: May 7, 1964 (Cincinnati at Mets)

Maloney, Reds Throttle Mets, 8-2

Flushing, NY-- Jim Maloney made one mistake and it left the ballpark. Other than that, he was superb---and even his mistake didn't prove costly.

Maloney pitched a four-hit complete game, leading the Cincinnati Reds to an easy 8-2 victory over the hapless New York Mets yesterday at Shea Stadium.

Maloney struck out six, walked one---and surrendered a two-run homer to Hawk Taylor, his only mistake of the afternoon.

"Couldn't do a thing with him," Mets manager Casey Stengel said of Maloney's performance. "But then again, he haven't been able to do a thing with anyone this year."

The Mets fell to 2-18 in losing their seventh straight.

Until the ninth, Maloney had only given up the home run to Taylor in the fourth inning and a single to Frank Thomas in the seventh.

Vada Pinson slugged a two-run, inside-the-park homer for the Reds. Pinson finished with three RBI.

Cincinnati jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third, partly thanks to two Mets errors in the frame.

After Taylor drew the Mets to within 3-2, the Reds added two runs in the fifth and three more in the eighth to coast to victory.

Maloney: one mistake, lots of success

The Mets remain winless in their new ballpark, falling to 0-6 at home.

"This is unbelievable," Thomas said of his team's offensive struggles. The Mets have scored just 54 runs in their first 20 games. "All we can do is keep plugging away."

"Everyone is trying to be the hero," Ron Hunt said. "That's what happens in a hitting slump---people try to do it all and it just makes things worse."

As for Maloney, he doesn't see the Mets as a laughingstock, despite their record.

"Any big league team can beat you," Maloney said. "I take every opponent seriously. After I gave up the homer, I was mad and just went after them."

The Mets best not make any pitcher mad, apparently---as if they don't have enough problems.

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Mets record: 2-18, .100 (Last 10: 1-9; streak: L-7); Actual: 4-16

Home: 0-6; Away: 2-12

Runs scored: 54

Runs against: 124