Battling Expos Ousted by Mets at Ross Park

The season ended on a high note for the Expos with an eventual loss to the first-place Mets. The Expos matched the Mets in the hit category (14), but only plated six (9 LOB) in the 16-6 loss at Ross Park.

Starting pitcher, Rick Reynolds got his third win of the season against the Expos (only three runs allow, two earned), and while the Expos were racking up hits against him (a lot of bloopers, according to Reynolds, a disputed description by coach Moravec, but as we all say in the dugout, they're line drives in the book, LOL), Reynolds would miraculosly give up no walks and strike out five hitters in five innings pitched. Dave Schultian pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, effectively giving Reynolds a break, as Reynolds would return to pitch in the sixth, while Brian Biggs pitched the final frame. Expos starting pitcher Todd Garula kept the Mets at bay for the first four innings, scattering just four walks, three hits, and striking out two.

With the Mets leading by a narrow 4-3 margin in a tightly contested game to this point, the tides would change dramatically for the Mets in their half of the fifth inning. After enticing a routine groundout to short, walking two, and getting a soft popout to second, Garula appeared to be setting the table for an Expos upset. That outcome would not happen as the Mets' top of the lineup carved out three consecutive RBI hits, a walk to Dave Schultian, and three more hits by Kyle Hensley, Reynolds, and John Vogele before Brian Biggs would eventually make the last out of the inning, eight runs later.

The Mets would push across four more runs off Expos' relief pitcher Doug Price in the sixth inning, while three runs didn't prove enough of a comeback for the Expos in the top half of the 7th with a two-out rally against Biggs. Five Expos hitters had two hits, including pitchers Price and Garula, Jamie Stidham, Shay Burnett, and coach and 63 year-old catcher Moravec, who appeared to be exhausted at the end of the night (duly noted by Reynolds that one of Moravec's hits was a bloop, but otherwise characterized by Moravec's video as a hustled infield hit). Toby Lay added a late-game triple to the mix. The Mets were led in hitting by Dave Bodner (2-3 + BB), Jeff Brokamp (2-3 + BB), and Hensley (2-4). Brian Koury added a two-run double in the big 5th inning for the Mets.

The Expos end their inaugural season with a respectable 10-8 record, while the Mets move on to the championship, with a best-of-3 series against the Ducks next weekend. The Ducks won earlier in the day 9-5 at Ross Park against the Reds in front of a paltry crowd of just five people on a hot Sunday afternoon.

This description was provided through the use of the Expos scorebook and the creative license of the Expos' coach Dave Moravec. Any disputes of descriptions can be made at www.gotakeaflyingleap.com or by messaging Moravec directly.

Date: August 17, 2025     Time: 7:00pm      Venue: Ross Park