An error by Matty Alou, who dropped a fly by Willie Smith with two out in the ninth inning, opened the gates for the Cubs, who rallied for two runs to defeat the Pirates, 3-2, and tighten the East division race. The Pirates remained in first place, one-half game ahead of the Mets, while the Cubs pulled within one length of the leaders.

The Cubs scored initially in the second inning on a single by Ernie Banks, a forceout by Johnny Callison and singles by Bill Hands and Don Kessinger. The Pirates came back with a pair in the fourth. Al Oliver singled, moved up on an infield out and scored on a single by Manny Sanguillen. Following a passed ball, Sanguillen counted on a double by Jose Pagan.

In the Cubs' ninth, after Alou dropped Smith's fly for a two-base error, Ken Rudolph took over as a pinch-runner and scored the tying run on a single by Kessinger. Glenn Beckert then singled to kayo Steve Blass and Billy Williams added a single off reliever George Brunet to drive in the winning run. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Game Played on Sunday, September 13, 1970 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Pirates 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 9 3 Cubs 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 3 8 1 Pirates AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Patek ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .252 Kessinger ss 5 1 2 2 0 0 .275 Alou cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .294 Beckert 2b 5 0 1 0 0 0 .301 Oliver rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .274 Williams lf 4 0 1 1 1 0 .323 Stargell lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .264 Santo 3b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .264 Robertson 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .289 Pepitone cf,1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .264 Sanguillen c 4 1 3 1 0 0 .322 Banks 1b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .254 Pagan 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .261 James pr,cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .211 Cash 2b 2 0 0 0 1 0 .309 B. Davis ph,cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Blass p 3 0 0 0 0 1 .125 Callison rf 4 1 0 0 0 0 .266 Brunet p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .150 Hundley c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .260 Popovich ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Hands p 2 0 1 0 1 0 .125 Smith ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 Rudolph pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .100 Totals 33 2 9 2 1 3 Totals 36 3 8 3 3 2 Time of Game: 2:33 Attendance: 22,567 Left on Base: Pirates 5, Cubs 10 DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 1 Errors: Patek, Alou, Robertson, Beckert Doubles: Pagan (14) Caught Stealing: Patek (2) GIDP: Pagan (6), Santo (16) Pirates IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Blass L(9-12) 8.2 7 3 1 3 2 0 38 3.40 Brunet 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4.38 Totals 8.2 8 3 1 3 2 0 39 Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Hands W(17-12) 9 9 2 1 1 3 0 34 3.54 Totals 9 9 2 1 1 3 0 34 Passed Balls: Hundley (3) Umpires: HP - Al Barlick, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Andy Olsen PIRATES 1ST: Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou singled to center; Oliver singled to left [Alou out at third (left to third)]; Stargell singled to left [Oliver to second]; Robertson forced Stargell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 0. CUBS 1ST: Kessinger reached on an error by Patek [Kessinger to first]; Beckert popped to third; Williams popped to third in foul territory; Santo singled to pitcher [Kessinger to second]; Pepitone flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 0. PIRATES 2ND: On a bunt Sanguillen singled to third; Pagan flied out to left; Sanguillen was picked off first (pitcher to first); Cash grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 0. CUBS 2ND: Banks singled to right; Callison forced Banks (second to shortstop); Hundley struck out; Hands singled to left [Callison to second]; Kessinger singled to center [Callison scored, Hands to second]; Beckert flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 1. PIRATES 3RD: Blass was called out on strikes; Patek was called out on strikes; Alou flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 1. CUBS 3RD: Williams walked; Santo grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Williams out at second]; On a bunt Pepitone singled to third; Banks grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 1. PIRATES 4TH: On a bunt Oliver singled to third; Stargell flied out to right; Robertson grounded out (second to first) [Oliver to second]; Sanguillen singled to right [Oliver scored]; Hundley allowed a passed ball [Sanguillen to second]; Pagan doubled to left [Sanguillen scored (unearned)]; Cash was walked intentionally; Blass grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 4TH: Callison grounded out (shortstop to first); Hundley grounded out (shortstop to first); Hands grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. PIRATES 5TH: Patek grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou reached on an error by Beckert [Alou to first]; Oliver forced Alou (second to shortstop); Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 5TH: Kessinger grounded out (third to first); Beckert grounded out (shortstop to first); Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. PIRATES 6TH: Robertson grounded out (third to first); Sanguillen singled to pitcher; Pagan grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sanguillen out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 6TH: Santo walked; Pepitone reached on an error by Robertson [Santo to second, Pepitone to first]; On a bunt Banks forced Santo (first to third) [Pepitone to second]; JAMES RAN FOR BANKS; Callison popped to shortstop; Hundley struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. PIRATES 7TH: JAMES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); PEPITONE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Cash grounded out (second to first); Blass grounded out (shortstop to first); Patek singled to left; Patek was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 7TH: Hands walked; Kessinger flied out to center; Beckert popped to shortstop; Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. PIRATES 8TH: Alou grounded out (second to first); Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Stargell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 8TH: Santo flied out to center; Pepitone popped to shortstop; B. DAVIS BATTED FOR JAMES; B. Davis flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. PIRATES 9TH: B. DAVIS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Robertson grounded out (third to first); Sanguillen grounded out (second to first); Pagan grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 1. CUBS 9TH: Callison grounded out (second to first); POPOVICH BATTED FOR HUNDLEY; Popovich grounded out (second to first); SMITH BATTED FOR HANDS; Smith reached on an error by Alou [Smith to second]; RUDOLPH RAN FOR SMITH; Kessinger singled to right [Rudolph scored (unearned)]; Beckert singled to left [Kessinger to second]; BRUNET REPLACED BLASS (PITCHING); Williams singled to left [Kessinger scored (unearned), Beckert to second]; 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 2, Cubs 3.

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