Snapping an 0-for-23 slump, Jerry Grote smashed a homer in the ninth inning to make a winner out of Tom Seaver as the Mets defeated the Cardinals, 5-4. The Cardinals stepped off with three runs in the first inning, but the Mets took a 4-3 lead in the third with the aid of a homer by Del Unser before Joe Ferguson tied the score in the sixth with his first circuit clout for the Cardinals since being obtained from the Dodgers. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 5, St. Louis Cardinals 4

Game Played on Wednesday, June 23, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II

Mets 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 5 7 2 Cardinals 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 8 1 Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cardinals AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Phillips ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 .207 McBride cf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .346 Millan 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .243 Kessinger ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .246 Torre 1b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .302 Brock lf 4 1 1 1 0 2 .282 Kingman lf 4 0 1 2 0 1 .237 Simmons 1b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .270 Vail rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .333 Crawford rf 4 0 1 1 0 2 .323 Brown rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .212 Ferguson c 4 1 1 1 0 2 .224 Grote c 3 1 1 1 1 1 .243 Cruz 3b 3 0 1 1 0 1 .205 Staiger 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .184 Fairly ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .273 Unser cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .233 Tyson 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .275 Seaver p 4 1 2 0 0 0 .098 Falcone p 3 0 0 0 0 0 .043 Harris ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .264 Totals 34 5 7 5 1 8 Totals 36 4 8 4 1 11 Time of Game: 2:36 Attendance: 13,922 Left on Base: Mets 4, Cardinals 6 DP: Mets 0, Cardinals 0 Errors: Millan, Torre, Brock Doubles: Kingman (8), Kessinger (12), Simmons (14) Home Runs: Unser (5), Grote (3), Ferguson (7) Stolen Bases: Brock (19) Sacrifice Hits: Phillips (1) Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Seaver W(8-5) 9 8 4 4 1 11 1 37 2.91 Totals 9 8 4 4 1 11 1 37 Cardinals IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Falcone L(5-6) 9 7 5 4 1 8 2 36 4.08 Totals 9 7 5 4 1 8 2 36 Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - John Kibler METS 1ST: Phillips flied out to left; Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Torre struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 0, Cardinals 0. CARDINALS 1ST: McBride struck out; Kessinger doubled to left [Kessinger to third (error by Millan)]; Brock singled to center [Kessinger scored]; Brock stole second; Simmons was walked intentionally; Crawford singled to center [Brock scored, Simmons to second]; Ferguson popped to second; Cruz singled to right [Simmons scored, Crawford to third]; Tyson popped to second; 3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Mets 0, Cardinals 3. METS 2ND: Kingman struck out; Vail popped to first in foul territory; Grote walked; Staiger forced Grote (second to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Cardinals 3. CARDINALS 2ND: Falcone grounded out (pitcher to first); McBride singled to right; Kessinger grounded out (catcher to first) [McBride to second]; Brock struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 0, Cardinals 3. METS 3RD: Unser homered; Seaver singled to third; Phillips was called out on strikes; Millan reached on an error by Brock [Seaver to second]; Torre singled to left [Seaver scored (unearned), Millan to second]; Kingman doubled to left [Millan scored, Torre scored]; Vail grounded out (third to first); Grote was called out on strikes; 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. CARDINALS 3RD: Simmons doubled to right; Crawford struck out; Ferguson struck out; Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. METS 4TH: Staiger lined to third; Unser was called out on strikes; Seaver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. CARDINALS 4TH: Tyson flied out to left; Falcone grounded out (shortstop to first); McBride grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. METS 5TH: Phillips struck out; Millan singled to left; Torre grounded out (pitcher to first) [Millan to second]; Kingman flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. CARDINALS 5TH: Kessinger grounded out (shortstop to first); Brock struck out; Simmons grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. METS 6TH: Vail was called out on strikes; Grote popped to first in foul territory; Staiger flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 3. CARDINALS 6TH: BROWN REPLACED VAIL (PLAYING RF); Crawford struck out; Ferguson homered; Cruz grounded out (third to first); Tyson singled to center; Falcone flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 4. METS 7TH: Unser grounded out (catcher to first); Seaver singled to shortstop; Phillips out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Seaver to second]; Millan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 7TH: McBride popped to shortstop; Kessinger struck out; Brock lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 4. METS 8TH: Torre flied out to center; Kingman popped to second; Brown struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 8TH: Simmons flied out to left; Crawford flied out to left; Ferguson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Cardinals 4. METS 9TH: Grote homered; Staiger lined to shortstop; Unser grounded out (pitcher to first); Seaver grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 5, Cardinals 4. CARDINALS 9TH: FAIRLY BATTED FOR CRUZ; Fairly popped to first in foul territory; Tyson reached on an error by Torre; HARRIS BATTED FOR FALCONE; Harris struck out; McBride struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 5, Cardinals 4.

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