Held to five hits by Tom Seaver, the Pirates lost to the Mets, 6-2, and fell four games behind the Phillies in the East Division race. Dave Kingman and Ed Kranepool whacked homers for the Mets and Jerry Grote drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Kingman's blow was his 35th of the season. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 18, 1976 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      0  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   2  5  1
Mets         0  2  1    0  0  2    1  0  x  -   6  9  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      Mazzilli cf           3   1   0   0     1   0   .143
Moreno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .268      Millan 2b             4   1   2   1     0   0   .283
Zisk lf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .286      Kranepool 1b          4   2   2   1     0   1   .290
Oliver 1b             1   0   0   0     0   0   .329      Kingman rf            4   1   1   1     0   1   .229
  Kirkpatrick 1b      3   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Boisclair lf          3   0   1   0     1   1   .281
Parker rf             4   2   2   0     0   1   .313      Grote c               4   1   2   2     0   0   .274
Hebner 3b             2   0   1   1     0   0   .240      Staiger 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .232
Stennett 2b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Phillips ss           2   0   0   1     0   0   .260
Dyer c                2   0   0   0     1   1   .252      Seaver p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .091
Demery p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .111
  Robinson ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Moose p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Dilone ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Langford p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               29   2   5   1     2   4             Totals               31   6   9   6     2   6

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance: 15,879
Left on Base: Pirates 3, Mets 4
DP: Pirates 0, Mets 1
Errors: Parker, Millan
Doubles: Grote (14), Millan (24)
Triples: Parker (10)
Home Runs: Kingman (35), Kranepool (8)
Stolen Bases: Mazzilli (3)
Caught Stealing: Taveras (10), Boisclair (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Hebner (3), Phillips (5)
GIDP: Stennett (12)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Demery L(10-6)          4     4   3   3   0   4   2  16   3.18
Moose                   1.1   3   2   2   1   1   0   8   3.76
Bair                    1.2   1   1   1   1   1   0   7   2.45
Langford                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   6.86
Totals                  8     9   6   6   2   6   2  34

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver W(14-10)         9     5   2   2   2   4   0  32   2.39
Totals                  9     5   2   2   2   4   0  32

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras singled to center; Taveras was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Moreno grounded out
(pitcher to first); Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Mazzilli grounded out (second to first); Millan
grounded out (third to first); Kranepool grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver grounded out (first unassisted); Parker
tripled to right; Hebner hit a sacrifice fly to center [Parker
scored]; Stennett singled to left [Stennett out at second (left
to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Kingman homered; Boisclair struck out; Grote doubled
to right; Staiger singled to center [Grote to third]; Phillips
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Grote scored]; Seaver struck out;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Dyer was called out on strikes; Demery was called
out on strikes; On a bunt Taveras grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

METS 3RD: KIRKPATRICK REPLACED OLIVER (PLAYING 1B); Mazzilli
grounded out (pitcher to first); Millan popped to first in foul
territory; Kranepool homered; Kingman struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Moreno was called out on strikes; Zisk popped to
first in foul territory; Kirkpatrick grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 3.

METS 4TH: Boisclair grounded out (second to first); Grote popped
to second; Staiger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Parker was called out on strikes; Hebner grounded
out (second to first); Stennett reached on an error by Millan;
Dyer walked [Stennett to second]; ROBINSON BATTED FOR DEMERY;
Robinson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Mets 3.

METS 5TH: MOOSE REPLACED ROBINSON (PITCHING); Phillips grounded
out (second to first); Seaver struck out; Mazzilli grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Moreno
grounded out (second to first); Zisk walked; Kirkpatrick
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
1, Mets 3.

METS 6TH: Millan singled to center; Kranepool singled to right
[Millan to third, Kranepool to second (error by Parker)];
Kingman flied to right; Boisclair was walked intentionally;
Grote singled to left [Millan scored, Kranepool scored,
Boisclair to second]; BAIR REPLACED MOOSE (PITCHING); Staiger
flied to right; Phillips forced Grote (shortstop to second); 2
R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 5.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker singled to second; Hebner singled to center
[Parker to third]; Stennett grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Parker scored (no RBI), Hebner
out at second]; Dyer grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 5.

METS 7TH: Seaver grounded out (third to first); Mazzilli walked;
Mazzilli stole second; Millan doubled to left [Mazzilli scored];
Kranepool struck out; Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first);
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 6.

PIRATES 8TH: DILONE BATTED FOR BAIR; Dilone popped to third;
Taveras flied to left; Moreno lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 6.

METS 8TH: LANGFORD REPLACED DILONE (PITCHING); Boisclair singled
to left; Boisclair was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Grote flied to left; Staiger flied to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 6.

PIRATES 9TH: Zisk grounded out (second to first); On a bunt
Kirkpatrick grounded out (third to first); Parker grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 6.