ATLANTA — One of the craziest games in baseball history complete with extra innings, rain delays and an unexpected home run happened on this day 39 years ago.
On July 4, 1985, the Braves welcomed their rival the New York Mets at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
What started off as a normal game eventually turned into a 19-inning marathon that lasted into the next morning ending just before 4 a.m. But it’s the 18th inning that led the game to be called the “Rick Camp game.”
The teams went to extra innings tied 8-8. Each team scored two runs in the 13th inning and the score remained 10-10 until the 18th inning when the Mets went ahead.
The Braves were down to their final out in the bottom of the inning when Rick Camp stepped up to the batters box. The Atlanta pitcher had to bat for himself because the Braves ran out of pinch hitters.
Braves announcer John Sterling said this during the broadcast as Camp went down 0-2 in the count.
“Ernie, if he hits a home run to tie this game, this game will be certified as absolutely the nuttiest in the history of baseball.”
Camp must have heard Sterling somehow because the Braves pitcher crushed a homer over the left-field fence. The shot kept the Braves alive and woke up the remaining 3:30 a.m. crowd.
The Braves would unfortunately end up losing the game. But the Braves still held a fireworks show after the game and Camp went down in the history books.
Watch the moment below as Sterling and Ernie Johnson Sr. calls the “wackiest, wildest, most improbable game in history.”
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