Playing before a record opening-day crowd of 45,777 at Wrigley Field, the Cubs gained a dramatic victory when Larry Biittner hit the first pitch thrown by Jim Bibby in the ninth inning for a homer to beat the Pirates, 5-4. After the Cubs jumped off to a 3-0 lead, the Pirates tied the score in the sixth and went ahead when Willie Stargell came up as a pinch-hitter and homered in the eighth. The Cubs pulled even in their half with a single by Manny Trillo and double by Ivan DeJesus to set the stage for Biittner's blow. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 4

Game Played on Friday, April 14, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 - 4 6 3 Cubs 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 - 5 10 0 Pirates AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Taveras ss 5 0 1 0 0 0 .241 De Jesus ss 5 0 2 2 0 0 .367 Brye cf 2 0 0 0 2 0 .375 Clines cf 3 1 2 1 0 0 .222 Moreno cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Gross ph,cf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .214 Parker rf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .185 Buckner 1b 1 0 1 0 0 0 .455 B. Robinson lf 2 1 1 1 2 0 .353 Biittner 1b 3 1 2 1 1 0 .333 Fregosi 1b 2 1 0 0 1 1 .200 Murcer rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .250 Stargell ph,1b 1 1 1 1 0 0 .231 Kingman lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .192 Stennett 2b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .143 Trillo 2b 3 2 1 0 0 0 .391 Garner 3b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .118 Cruz 3b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .214 Sanguillen c 3 0 0 0 1 0 .167 Rader c 3 1 0 0 1 0 .200 Reuss p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Fryman p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Gonzalez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .083 Moore p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Tekulve p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Ontiveros ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .100 Jackson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hernandez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Bibby p 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Totals 31 4 6 4 7 4 Totals 33 5 10 4 4 5 Time of Game: 2:36 Attendance: 45,777 Left on Base: Pirates 7, Cubs 10 DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 2 Errors: Taveras, Stennett 2 Doubles: Parker (2), Buckner (2), De Jesus (2) Triples: B. Robinson (1), Biittner (1) Home Runs: Stargell (1), Biittner (1) Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (1) GIDP: Parker (1), Moreno (1), Rader (2) Hit by Pitch: Trillo (1,by Reuss) Pirates IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Reuss 5 6 3 2 1 4 0 24 4.50 Tekulve 1.1 1 0 0 2 0 0 6 1.93 Jackson 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5.40 Bibby L(1-1) 1.1 3 2 2 1 0 1 8 2.84 Totals 8 10 5 4 4 5 1 39 Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Fryman 7 4 3 3 6 4 0 30 4.15 Moore 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 4 3.00 Hernandez W(1-0) 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 1.93 Totals 9 6 4 4 7 4 1 38 Hit by Pitch: Reuss (1) Wild Pitches: Reuss (1) Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Joe West, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Nick Colosi PIRATES 1ST: On a bunt Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first); Brye walked; Parker grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Brye out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 0. CUBS 1ST: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Clines reached on an error by Stennett [Clines to first]; Buckner doubled to right [Clines scored (error by Stennett) (unearned) (no RBI)]; Reuss threw a wild pitch [Buckner to third]; Murcer struck out; Kingman struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 1. PIRATES 2ND: BIITTNER REPLACED BUCKNER (PLAYING 1B); B. Robinson walked; Fregosi was called out on strikes; Stennett grounded out (first to pitcher) [B. Robinson to second]; Garner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 1. CUBS 2ND: Trillo was hit by a pitch; Cruz singled to center [Trillo to second]; Rader forced Cruz (shortstop to second) [Trillo to third]; Fryman struck out; De Jesus singled to left [Trillo scored, Rader to second]; Clines singled to center [Rader scored, De Jesus out at home (center to first to second to catcher), Clines to second (on throw to home)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. PIRATES 3RD: Sanguillen grounded out (first unassisted); Reuss grounded out (shortstop to first); Taveras grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. CUBS 3RD: Biittner tripled to right; Murcer popped to second; Kingman reached on a fielder's choice [Biittner out at home (shortstop to catcher)]; Trillo reached on an error by Taveras [Kingman to second, Trillo to first]; Cruz forced Trillo (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. PIRATES 4TH: Brye walked; Parker was called out on strikes; B. Robinson walked [Brye to second]; Fregosi popped to second; Stennett forced B. Robinson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. CUBS 4TH: Rader walked; Fryman struck out; De Jesus lined to center; Clines singled to left [Rader to second]; Biittner forced Rader (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. PIRATES 5TH: Garner flied out to right; Sanguillen flied out to right; Reuss struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. CUBS 5TH: Murcer grounded out (second to first); Kingman flied out to center; Trillo grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 0, Cubs 3. PIRATES 6TH: Taveras popped to first; Brye grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker doubled to center; B. Robinson tripled to right [Parker scored]; Fregosi walked; Stennett singled to right [B. Robinson scored, Fregosi to second]; Garner singled to left [Fregosi scored, Stennett to third, Garner to second (on throw)]; Sanguillen was walked intentionally; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR REUSS; Gonzalez flied out to right; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Pirates 3, Cubs 3. CUBS 6TH: TEKULVE REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Cruz walked; Rader grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Cruz out at second]; On a bunt Fryman grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 3, Cubs 3. PIRATES 7TH: Taveras popped to catcher in foul territory; Brye grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 3, Cubs 3. CUBS 7TH: De Jesus lined to center; GROSS BATTED FOR CLINES; Gross singled to left; Biittner walked [Gross to second]; JACKSON REPLACED TEKULVE (PITCHING); Murcer struck out; BIBBY REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); Kingman popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 3, Cubs 3. PIRATES 8TH: GROSS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); MOORE REPLACED FRYMAN (PITCHING); B. Robinson grounded out (first unassisted); STARGELL BATTED FOR FREGOSI; Stargell homered; Stennett flied out to center; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 4, Cubs 3. CUBS 8TH: STARGELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); MORENO REPLACED BRYE (PLAYING CF); Trillo singled to right; Cruz out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Trillo to second]; Rader grounded out (shortstop to first) [Trillo to third]; ONTIVEROS BATTED FOR MOORE; Ontiveros walked; De Jesus doubled to left [Trillo scored, Ontiveros to third]; Gross flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Pirates 4, Cubs 4. PIRATES 9TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED ONTIVEROS (PITCHING); Sanguillen grounded out (first to pitcher); Bibby walked; Taveras singled to left [Bibby to second]; Moreno grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Taveras out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Pirates 4, Cubs 4. CUBS 9TH: Biittner homered; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Pirates 4, Cubs 5.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".