while the skies are overcast and temperatures in the mid-50s for the rubber match in this three-game series,

the first of the 1969 season. Today it will be left-hander Larry Jaster for the Expos,

and young right-hander Gary Gentry making his Major League debut for the New York Mets.

Larry Jaster has a lifetime record of five victories and two defeats.

Against the Mets last year, he beat them twice and was beaten twice while with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jaster, of course, was drafted by the Montreal Exposed on October 14th in the National League draft.

Well, working with me on the play-by-play broadcast of today's game is Dave Van Horn.

And Dave, how about stepping in to stay alone?

All right, Russ, thank you very much.

And good afternoon once again, everybody.

Well, it's cool. The skies are

overcast, bit cloudy, but the weatherman says he's going to cooperate this afternoon, so we should

get this one in, okay. It's been very interesting in the Eastern Division. We've got Chicago

in Pittsburgh without a loss after the first two days. And the Mets and our ball club, the Expos, of course,

split this two-game series so far with one game to go.

Today is the third game of the series.

And then Philadelphia and St. Louis still looking for a victory.

So what we've been saying all along prior to the start of the season,

starting to come true,

and I think it'll be very exciting throughout the year to watch this divisional play because there'll be a lot more action and a lot more excitement to have two races to watch in each leg

rather than just the one.

So we're off to a great start in this 1969 baseball season, beginning of the second 100 years, professional baseball.

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