Nolan Ryan gained his first victory since August 7 as the Mets ended a string of six straight losses to the Cubs by winning, 5-4. Donn Clendenon homered in the second inning, Leroy Stanton drove in two runs with a double in the fifth and Bob Aspromonte supplied the decisive hit with a two-run single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 5, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Thursday, September 23, 1971 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Mets         0  1  0    0  2  0    0  2  0  -   5  8  4
Cubs         2  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   4  7  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Foli 2b               5   1   1   0     0   0   .227      James cf              4   2   1   0     0   0   .286
Stanton rf            4   1   2   2     0   0   .375      Popovich 2b           4   1   1   0     1   1   .227
Jones lf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .319      Williams lf           3   0   0   0     2   0   .302
Clendenon 1b          4   1   1   1     0   1   .250      Bourque 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .147
Agee cf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .284        Fanzone ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Jorgensen pr,cf     0   0   0   0     0   0   .215      Santo 3b              4   0   3   2     1   0   .270
Aspromonte 3b         4   0   1   2     0   0   .225      Hiser rf              3   0   0   0     1   2   .200
Grote c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .269        Hickman ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .258
Harrelson ss          3   0   1   0     1   0   .254      Kessinger ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .254
Ryan p                3   1   0   0     0   0   .128      Fernandez c           3   0   0   0     1   1   .145
  Milner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Pizarro p             3   1   1   0     0   0   .152
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .235        Colborn p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Davis ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .263
                                                            Tompkins p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   5   8   5     2   4             Totals               35   4   7   2     6   6

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  2,579
Left on Base: Mets 5, Cubs 11
DP: Mets 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Foli, Agee, Grote, Ryan, Fernandez
Doubles: Stanton (1), Pizarro (1)
Home Runs: Clendenon (11)
Stolen Bases: Williams (6), James (6)
GIDP: Pizarro (4)
Hit by Pitch: James (6,by Ryan)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(10-13)           8     7   4   2   6   5   0  39   3.79
McGraw SV(8)            1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.78
Totals                  9     7   4   2   6   6   0  42

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pizarro L(7-6)          7.2   8   5   5   2   3   1  33   3.34
Colborn                 0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   6.30
Tompkins                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.30
Totals                  9     8   5   5   2   4   1  37

Passed Balls: Fernandez (2)
Hit by Pitch: Ryan (15)
Wild Pitches: Ryan (6)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Ken Burkhart, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Bob Engel


METS 1ST: Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); Stanton
grounded out (pitcher to first); Jones grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: James was hit by a pitch; James was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Ryan [James to second]; Popovich
walked; Williams walked [James to third, Popovich to second];
Bourque struck out; Santo singled to left [Popovich scored,
James scored, Williams to second]; Williams stole third; Hiser
struck out (catcher to first); Kessinger grounded out (pitcher
to first); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 2.

METS 2ND: Clendenon homered; Agee was called out on strikes;
Aspromonte flied out to right; Grote grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 2ND: Fernandez struck out; Pizarro doubled to right; James
flied out to center; Popovich reached on an error by Agee
[Popovich to second, Pizarro scored (unearned) (no RBI)];
Williams was walked intentionally; Bourque made an out to
shortstop; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 3.

METS 3RD: Harrelson walked; Fernandez allowed a passed ball
[Harrelson to second]; Ryan flied out to left; Foli popped to
catcher in foul territory; Stanton grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 3.

CUBS 3RD: Santo walked; Hiser made an out to shortstop;
Kessinger flied out to left; Fernandez made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 3.

METS 4TH: Jones grounded out (second to first); Clendenon flied
out to center; Agee singled to center; Aspromonte forced Agee
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 3.

CUBS 4TH: Pizarro grounded out (shortstop to first); James made
an out to shortstop; Popovich singled to center; Williams
reached on an error by Foli [Popovich to third]; Bourque made an
out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 3.

METS 5TH: Grote struck out; Harrelson singled to left; Ryan
forced Harrelson (pitcher to shortstop); Foli singled to left
[Ryan to second]; Stanton doubled to right [Foli scored, Ryan
scored, Stanton to third (error by Fernandez)]; Jones grounded
out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 5TH: Santo singled to left; Hiser struck out; Kessinger
singled to right [Santo to third]; Fernandez walked [Kessinger
to second]; Pizarro grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Fernandez out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 3, Cubs 3.

METS 6TH: Clendenon flied out to center; Agee grounded out
(shortstop to first); Aspromonte grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 6TH: James grounded out (third to first); Popovich grounded
out (second to first); Williams flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Cubs 3.

METS 7TH: Grote flied out to left; Harrelson popped to first in
foul territory; Ryan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 7TH: Bourque flied out to right; Santo singled to third;
Hiser walked [Santo to second]; Kessinger forced Hiser
(shortstop to second) [Santo to third]; Fernandez grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Cubs 3.

METS 8TH: Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); Stanton
singled to left; Jones singled to center [Stanton to second];
Clendenon struck out; Agee walked [Stanton to third, Jones to
second]; JORGENSEN RAN FOR AGEE; Aspromonte singled to right
[Jones scored, Stanton scored, Jorgensen to third]; COLBORN
REPLACED PIZARRO (PITCHING); Grote struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: JORGENSEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); DAVIS BATTED
FOR COLBORN; Davis grounded out (second to first); James singled
to center; James stole second [James scored on a wild pitch
(error by Grote) (unearned)]; Popovich struck out; Williams
flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 4.

METS 9TH: TOMPKINS REPLACED DAVIS (PITCHING); Harrelson flied
out to left; MILNER BATTED FOR RYAN; Milner grounded out (second
to first); Foli grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 4.

CUBS 9TH: MCGRAW REPLACED MILNER (PITCHING); FANZONE BATTED FOR
BOURQUE; Fanzone grounded out (third to first); Santo flied out
to left; HICKMAN BATTED FOR HISER; Hickman struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 4.