A passed ball on a third strike with two out in the ninth inning proved a break for the Pirates, who tied the score on the freak play and went on to defeat the Cubs in the 10th, 5-4, to win the East Division title over the Cardinals, who were rained out at Montreal. If the Pirates had lost, the Cards and Expos would have played the following morning, but that game was canceled after the Pirates won.

The Cubs scored all their runs off Jim Rooker in the first inning. Rick Monday walked and crossed the plate on singles by Don Kessinger and Jose Cardenal. Richie Hebner threw wildly to second after fielding a grounder by Bill Madlock, allowing Kessinger to score. Jerry Morales and Rob Sperring followed with singles, each driving in a run. The Pirates began their comeback with a run in the third on a walk to Frank Taveras, single by Rooker, a fly by Rennie Stennett sending Taveras to third after the catch, and infield out by Hebner. Taveras singled in the fifth and came around to score his second run when Rick Reuschel threw wildly on an infield hit by Stennett.

In the ninth, Reuschel lost his control and walked both Richie Zisk and Manny Sanguillen. Ed Kirkpatrick sacrificed. Pinch-hitter Dave Parker hit a bounding ball off Reuschel's glove to Sperring, who threw out the batter as Miguel Dilone, running for Zisk, scored. Bob Robertson batted for Dave Giusti and struck out on a 3-and-2 pitch, but the ball got away from catcher Swisher and bounced 15 feet to the left of the plate. Swisher still had time to throw out Robertson at first, but his peg hit the runner on the right shoulder and bounded away as Sanguillen scored the tying run.

In the 10th, with Ken Frailing pitching for the Cubs, Hebner struck out but Al Oliver hit an opposite-field triple to the left field corner. The Cubs walked Willie Stargell and pinch-hitter Gene Clines intentionally to load the bases before bringing Oscar Zamora to the mound. Sanguillen fouled off the first pitch and then topped a slow roller in the direction of third base. Madlock tried for a barehanded pick-up, but could not come up with the ball and it went for an infield hit that scored Oliver with the division-winning run. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 4

Game Played on Wednesday, October 2, 1974 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Cubs 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 10 3 Pirates 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 - 5 7 1 Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Pirates AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Monday cf 3 1 2 0 2 0 .294 Stennett 2b 4 0 1 0 1 0 .291 Kessinger ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .259 Hebner 3b 5 0 0 1 0 1 .291 Cardenal lf 5 1 2 1 0 0 .293 Oliver cf 5 1 1 0 0 1 .321 Madlock 3b 5 1 1 1 0 0 .313 Stargell lf 3 0 0 0 2 3 .301 Morales rf 4 0 1 1 1 1 .273 Zisk rf 2 0 0 0 2 0 .313 Fanzone 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .190 Dilone pr,rf 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Swisher c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .214 Clines ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .225 Sperring 2b 4 0 2 1 0 1 .206 Sanguillen c 4 1 3 1 1 0 .287 Reuschel p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .221 Kirkpatrick 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .247 Frailing p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Taveras ss 2 2 1 0 1 0 .246 Zamora p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Parker ph 1 0 0 1 0 0 .282 Mendoza ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .221 Rooker p 2 0 1 0 0 1 .305 Popovich ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .217 Giusti p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .111 Robertson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .229 Augustine pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Hernandez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Totals 36 4 10 4 3 8 Totals 33 5 7 3 8 7 Time of Game: 2:57 Attendance: 22,725 Left on Base: Cubs 7, Pirates 9 DP: Cubs 3, Pirates 1 Errors: Swisher, Reuschel 2, Hebner Triples: Oliver (12) Caught Stealing: Morales (12), Sperring (2) Sacrifice Hits: Reuschel (9), Kessinger (7), Kirkpatrick (4) GIDP: Morales (14), Hebner (13), Zisk (12) Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Reuschel 9 5 4 2 6 6 0 37 4.31 Frailing L(6-9) 0.1 1 1 1 2 1 0 4 3.88 Zamora 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3.12 Totals 9.1 7 5 3 8 7 0 42 Pirates IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rooker 7 9 4 2 2 4 0 31 2.78 Giusti 2 0 0 0 1 4 0 7 3.32 Hernandez W(5-2) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.75 Totals 10 10 4 2 3 8 0 41 Passed Balls: Swisher (6) Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Shag Crawford CUBS 1ST: Monday walked; Kessinger singled to center [Monday to second]; Cardenal singled to center [Monday scored, Kessinger to third]; Madlock reached on an error by Hebner [Kessinger scored, Cardenal to third]; Morales singled to second [Cardenal scored (unearned), Madlock to second]; Fanzone made an out to shortstop; Swisher flied out to right [Madlock to third]; Sperring singled to right [Madlock scored (unearned), Morales to third]; Reuschel was called out on strikes; 4 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 0. PIRATES 1ST: Stennett walked; Hebner grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to first) [Stennett out at second]; Oliver struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 0. CUBS 2ND: Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Kessinger grounded out (second to first); Cardenal grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 0. PIRATES 2ND: Stargell struck out (catcher to first); Zisk walked; Sanguillen made an out to second; Kirkpatrick grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 0. CUBS 3RD: Madlock flied out to left; Morales walked; Fanzone singled to left [Morales to second]; Morales was caught stealing third (catcher to third) [Fanzone to second]; Swisher struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 0. PIRATES 3RD: Taveras walked; Rooker singled to right [Taveras to second]; Stennett flied out to center [Taveras to third]; Hebner grounded out (second to first) [Taveras scored, Rooker to second]; Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 1. CUBS 4TH: Sperring singled to left; Reuschel out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Sperring to second]; Monday singled to center [Sperring to third]; Sperring was caught stealing home (catcher to third to catcher) [Monday to second]; Kessinger made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 1. PIRATES 4TH: Stargell struck out (catcher to first); Zisk reached on an error by Reuschel; Sanguillen singled to left [Zisk to third]; Kirkpatrick hit into a double play to center [Zisk out at home (center to catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 1. CUBS 5TH: Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to first); Madlock singled to center; Morales forced Madlock (second to shortstop); Fanzone struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 1. PIRATES 5TH: Taveras singled to left; On a bunt Rooker struck out; Stennett singled to pitcher [Taveras scored (error by Reuschel) (unearned), Stennett to second]; Hebner flied out to center; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. CUBS 6TH: Swisher flied out to center; Sperring flied out to left; Reuschel struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. PIRATES 6TH: Stargell walked; Zisk grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Stargell out at second]; Sanguillen singled to center; Kirkpatrick grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. CUBS 7TH: Monday singled to center; Kessinger out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Monday to second]; Cardenal flied out to left; Madlock made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. PIRATES 7TH: Taveras grounded out (third to first); POPOVICH BATTED FOR ROOKER; Popovich grounded out (second to first); Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. CUBS 8TH: GIUSTI REPLACED POPOVICH (PITCHING); Morales struck out; Fanzone was called out on strikes; Swisher struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. PIRATES 8TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Oliver flied out to left; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. CUBS 9TH: Sperring struck out; Reuschel grounded out (shortstop to first); Monday walked; Kessinger flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 2. PIRATES 9TH: Zisk walked; DILONE RAN FOR ZISK; Sanguillen walked [Dilone to second]; Kirkpatrick out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Dilone to third, Sanguillen to second]; PARKER BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Parker grounded out (second to first) [Dilone scored, Sanguillen to third]; ROBERTSON BATTED FOR GIUSTI; Robertson struck out but Sanguillen advanced to home and Robertson advanced to second on a passed ball; Bob Robertson was hit on the shoulder by Steve Swisher's throw 4 minute delay to remove bottles from the field; AUGUSTINE RAN FOR ROBERTSON; Stennett grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (1 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 4. CUBS 10TH: DILONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); MENDOZA REPLACED PARKER (PLAYING SS); HERNANDEZ REPLACED AUGUSTINE (PITCHING); Cardenal singled to center; Madlock forced Cardenal (shortstop to second); Morales grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Madlock out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 4. PIRATES 10TH: FRAILING REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Hebner struck out; Oliver tripled to left; Stargell was walked intentionally; CLINES BATTED FOR DILONE; Clines was walked intentionally [Stargell to second]; ZAMORA REPLACED FRAILING (PITCHING); Sanguillen singled to third [Oliver scored, Stargell to third, Clines to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Cubs 4, Pirates 5.

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