A two-run homer by Ed Ott with two out in the eighth inning enabled the Pirates to defeat the Cubs, 2-0, but only after the Pirates used three relievers in the Cubs' half of the eighth to put down a threat. The Pirates' runs were unearned. With one away in the eighth, Bill Robinson was safe on an error by Steve Ontiveros. Al Oliver then forced Robinson before Ott came to the plate and hit his homer. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Friday, September 23, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   2  7  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  2


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .255      De Jesus ss           4   0   1   0     0   2   .256
Garner 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .258      Cardenal cf           2   0   0   0     1   0   .241
Parker rf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .342        Biittner ph,lf      0   0   0   0     1   0   .300
Robinson 1b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .304      Buckner 1b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .290
Oliver lf             4   1   0   0     0   0   .301      Clines lf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .304
Ott c                 4   1   1   2     0   0   .259        Gross ph,cf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .315
Macha 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .254      Ontiveros 3b          3   0   2   0     1   0   .290
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Murcer rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .266
  Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Swisher c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .179
  Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .217      Kelleher 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Moreno cf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .244        G. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .063
Rooker p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .194        Rosello ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .221
  Mendoza 3b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .203      Krukow p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .204
                                                            Trillo 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .276

Totals               35   2   7   2     2   4             Totals               32   0   6   0     3   4

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance:  3,757
Left on Base: Pirates 8, Cubs 8
DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Buckner, Ontiveros
Doubles: Buckner (26)
Triples: Parker (8)
Home Runs: Ott (7)
Stolen Bases: Moreno 2 (48), Garner (30)
Caught Stealing: Taveras (18)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker W(13-9)          7     4   0   0   2   3   0  26   3.15
Tekulve                 0.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.93
Jackson                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.90
Gossage SV(25)          1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.70
Totals                  9     6   0   0   3   4   0  35

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Krukow                  7     5   0   0   2   3   0  29   4.34
G. Hernandez L(8-7)     2     2   2   0   0   1   1   8   3.05
Totals                  9     7   2   0   2   4   1  37

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Bruce Froemming


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras grounded out (second to first); Garner
lined to second; Parker singled to center; Robinson singled to
left [Parker to second]; Oliver forced Robinson (second
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Cardenal
grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner singled to shortstop;
Clines singled to left [Buckner to second]; Ontiveros walked
[Buckner to third, Clines to second]; Murcer lined to right; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Ott grounded out (second to first); Macha grounded
out (third to first); Moreno singled to right; Moreno stole
second; Rooker was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Swisher grounded out (third to first); Kelleher
grounded out (second to first); Krukow grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Garner
singled to center; Garner stole second; Parker popped to
shortstop; Robinson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus was called out on strikes; Cardenal walked;
Buckner doubled to center [Cardenal to third]; Clines hit into a
double play (right to catcher) [Cardenal out at home]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver flied out to right; Ott reached on an error
by Buckner [Ott to second]; Macha flied out to right [Ott to
third]; Moreno was walked intentionally; Moreno stole second;
Rooker flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Ontiveros singled to right; Murcer lined to center;
Swisher struck out; Kelleher flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Taveras popped to third in foul territory; Garner
grounded out (second to first); Parker tripled to left; Robinson
made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs
0.

CUBS 5TH: Krukow flied out to left; De Jesus was called out on
strikes; Cardenal popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Oliver grounded out (second to first); Ott flied
out to center; Macha walked; Moreno forced Macha (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: Buckner flied out to left; Clines grounded out
(shortstop to first); Ontiveros grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Rooker struck out; Taveras grounded out (pitcher to
first); 45 minute rain delay with 0-1 count on Phil
Garner; Garner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: Murcer lined to right; Swisher lined to right;
Kelleher grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 8TH: TRILLO REPLACED KRUKOW (PLAYING 2B); G. HERNANDEZ
REPLACED KELLEHER (PITCHING); Parker was called out on strikes;
Robinson reached on an error by Ontiveros [Robinson to first];
Oliver forced Robinson (pitcher to shortstop); Ott homered
(unearned) [Oliver scored (unearned)]; Macha lined to right; 2 R
(0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 8TH: TEKULVE REPLACED MACHA (PITCHING); MENDOZA REPLACED
ROOKER (PLAYING 3B); Trillo flied out to left; De Jesus singled
to center; BIITTNER BATTED FOR CARDENAL; Biittner walked [De
Jesus to second]; JACKSON REPLACED TEKULVE (PITCHING); Buckner
flied out to right; GOSSAGE REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); GROSS
BATTED FOR CLINES; Gross forced Biittner (shortstop to second);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 9TH: GROSS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BIITTNER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Moreno lined to right; Mendoza popped to
right; Taveras singled to shortstop; Taveras was picked off and
caught stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 9TH: Ontiveros singled to right; Murcer flied out to left;
Swisher struck out; ROSELLO BATTED FOR G. HERNANDEZ; Rosello
popped to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.