The Mets scored two runs in the first inning with the aid of an error by Bob Gibson and defeated the Cardinals, 2-1. Bud Harrelson led off with a pop double and when Felix Millan bunted, Gibson bobbled the ball. John Milner singled to score Harrelson. After Rusty Staub rolled out, Cleon Jones hit a sacrifice fly to produce what proved to be the winning run.

Jose Cruz homered in the seventh for the Cardinals' run off Tom Seaver, who needed help from Phil Hennigan to preserve his victory. Hennigan retired Cruz on a pop fly after taking over with two men on base in the eighth. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 2, St. Louis Cardinals 1

Game Played on Thursday, April 12, 1973 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II

Mets 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 6 1 Cardinals 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 5 2 Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cardinals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Harrelson ss 5 1 2 0 0 0 .313 Brock lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .318 Millan 2b 3 1 0 0 0 1 .267 Sizemore 2b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .250 Milner 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .385 J. Cruz cf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .333 Staub rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .154 Torre 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .444 Jones lf 2 0 0 1 1 0 .308 Simmons c 3 0 1 0 1 0 .118 Garrett 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Reitz 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .111 Chiles cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .125 Carbo rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .143 Dyer c 4 0 0 0 0 3 .071 Busse ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .059 Seaver p 3 0 1 0 0 2 .250 McCarver ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Hennigan p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Tyson ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gibson p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Totals 33 2 6 2 2 7 Totals 31 1 5 1 2 7 Time of Game: 1:51 Attendance: 6,356 Left on Base: Mets 8, Cardinals 5 DP: Mets 1, Cardinals 0 Errors: Garrett, Busse, Gibson Doubles: Harrelson (1), Chiles (1), Sizemore (1), Simmons (1) Home Runs: J. Cruz (1) Sacrifice Hits: Millan (1) Sacrifice Flies: Jones (1) GIDP: Simmons (2) Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Seaver W(2-0) 7.2 4 1 1 2 7 1 29 0.59 Hennigan SV(2) 1.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.00 Totals 9 5 1 1 2 7 1 33 Cardinals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Gibson L(0-1) 9 6 2 1 2 7 0 37 2.76 Totals 9 6 2 1 2 7 0 37 Passed Balls: Simmons (4) Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Augie Donatelli METS 1ST: Harrelson doubled; Millan reached on an error by Gibson on a sacrifice bunt [Harrelson to third]; Milner singled [Harrelson scored, Millan to third]; Staub grounded out (first unassisted) [Milner to second]; Jones hit a sacrifice fly to left [Millan scored (unearned), Milner to third]; Garrett flied out to left; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore struck out; J. Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 2ND: Chiles grounded out (second to first); Dyer struck out; Seaver singled; Simmons allowed a passed ball [Seaver to second]; Harrelson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 2ND: Torre grounded out (second to first); Simmons walked; Garrett dropped a foul fly hit by Reitz for an error; Reitz flied out to right; Carbo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 3RD: Millan grounded out (second to first); Milner was called out on strikes; Staub walked; Jones forced Staub (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 3RD: Busse was called out on strikes; Gibson popped to first in foul territory; Brock grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 4TH: Garrett grounded out (second to first); Chiles doubled; Dyer was called out on strikes; Seaver struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 4TH: Sizemore doubled; J. Cruz flied out to center [Sizemore to third]; Torre lined to second; Simmons flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 5TH: Harrelson singled; Millan forced Harrelson (shortstop unassisted); Milner popped to third; Staub flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 5TH: Reitz grounded out (third to first); Carbo struck out; Busse grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 6TH: Jones grounded out (catcher to first); Garrett singled; Chiles popped to third in foul territory; Dyer popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 6TH: Gibson was called out on strikes; Brock grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. METS 7TH: Seaver struck out; Harrelson flied out to center; Millan was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 7TH: J. Cruz homered; Torre struck out; Simmons doubled; Reitz grounded out (third to first) [Simmons to third]; Carbo flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 1. METS 8TH: Milner grounded out (second to first); Staub reached on an error by Busse; Jones walked [Staub to second]; Garrett flied out to center; Chiles grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 1. CARDINALS 8TH: MCCARVER BATTED FOR BUSSE; McCarver singled; On a bunt Gibson struck out; Brock flied out to center; Sizemore walked [McCarver to second]; HENNIGAN REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); J. Cruz popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 1. METS 9TH: TYSON REPLACED MCCARVER (PLAYING SS); Dyer struck out; Hennigan grounded out (pitcher to first); Harrelson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 1. CARDINALS 9TH: Torre singled; Simmons grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Torre out at second]; Reitz flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 2, Cardinals 1.

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