Not a No-Hitter, a One-Hitter, or a Two-Hitter

There is nothing wrong with a three-hit complete game shutout.

* The Mets have had 52 of them actually (including postseason), now that Johan Santana threw one on Sunday afternoon.

*It was the first three-hit shutout by a Mets starter since Mike Hampton finished off the Cardinals with one in Game 5 of the 2000 NLCS.

* It was the first three-hit shutout by a Mets starter in the regular season since Rick Reed put the Mets into a tie for the wild card with one game remaining, beating the Pirates, 7-0 on October 2, 1999.

* On September 12, 1969, the Mets beat the Pirates in a doubleheader, 1-0, and 1-0, with the pitcher driving in the winning run in each game. In the opener of the doubleheader, Jerry Koosman pitched a three-hit shutout.

* David Cone struck out 19 Phillies in pitching a three-hit shutout on October 6, 1991.

* I attended a three-hit shutout by a Mets starter, when Bob Ojeda blanked the Pirates, 1-0, on July 29, 1988, with the lone run coming on Kevin Elster's eighth-inning home run.

* Four different starters- David Cone, Sid Fernandez, Frank Viola, and Bob Ojeda threw a three-hit shutout for the Mets in 1989.

* Mets starters have thrown 11 three-hit shutouts against the Pirates, accounting for 21 percent of their three-hit shutouts.

* Every starter to throw a three-hit shutout for the Mets has done so in a nine-inning game.

True Metouts know... Tom Seaver is the Mets all-time leader in three-hit shutouts with 9. Jerry Koosman ranks second with 4.