The Pirates moved to within one game of first place in the N. L. East by sweeping a doubleheader from the Mets, 7-4 and 7-0. The Pirates trailed, 4-2, going into the bottom of the seventh inning of the first game but rallied to go ahead. Ed Ott singled, advanced to second and third on passed balls and trotted home ahead of a home run by Bill Robinson off Met starter Roy Lee Jackson. The Bucs pushed across the go-ahead tally when Phil Garner singled off reliever Skip Lockwood, stole second and scored on a single by Frank Taveras off reliever Kevin Kobel. The Pirates got two more in the eighth on a homer by Ott.

In the second game, Ott singled home the Pirates' first run in the first inning and doubled in two more in the third frame as Jim Bibby pitched a three-hitter. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 7, New York Mets 4 (Game 1)

Game Played on Monday, September 4, 1978 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Mets 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 11 0 Pirates 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 x - 7 13 1 Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Pirates AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Randle 3b 5 1 2 1 0 1 .244 Taveras ss 4 0 1 1 0 1 .273 Foli ss 5 0 2 1 0 0 .257 Moreno cf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .235 Mazzilli cf 5 0 1 1 0 0 .269 Parker rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .316 Montanez 1b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .258 Stargell 1b 2 1 1 1 0 0 .293 S. Henderson lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .273 Ott c 4 3 3 2 0 0 .269 Kobel p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 B. Robinson 3b,lf 4 1 3 2 0 0 .241 Maddox rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .263 Milner lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .279 Hodges c 3 1 1 0 1 0 .270 Berra 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .169 Flynn 2b 4 2 1 0 0 0 .237 Garner 2b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .266 Jackson p 3 0 2 0 0 0 .667 Rooker p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .176 Lockwood p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Whitson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Youngblood lf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .249 Boyland ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Stennett ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .247 Jackson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Totals 35 4 11 3 4 1 Totals 32 7 13 7 1 5 Time of Game: 2:42 Left on Base: Mets 8, Pirates 4 DP: Mets 3, Pirates 2 Errors: B. Robinson Doubles: Ott (13) Home Runs: B. Robinson (10), Ott (9) Stolen Bases: Milner (5), Garner (23) Caught Stealing: Randle (11), Foli (5), Moreno (16) Sacrifice Flies: Stargell (3) GIDP: Randle (5), Milner (4), Parker (8) Hit by Pitch: Stargell (6,by Jackson) Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Jackson 6 8 4 4 1 3 1 24 6.00 Lockwood L(7-13) 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 3.57 Kobel 1.2 4 2 2 0 2 1 9 2.62 Totals 8 13 7 7 1 5 2 35 Pirates IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rooker 6.2 11 4 2 3 0 0 31 4.41 Whitson W(4-6) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2.70 Jackson SV(5) 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 7 2.70 Totals 9 11 4 2 4 1 0 39 Passed Balls: Hodges 2 (7) Hit by Pitch: Jackson (1) Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - John McSherry METS 1ST: Randle singled to left; Randle was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to first to second); Foli singled to third; Mazzilli popped to first; Montanez singled to left [Foli to second]; S. Henderson walked [Foli to third, Montanez to second]; Maddox flied out to right; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Mets 0, Pirates 0. PIRATES 1ST: Taveras made an out to second; Moreno singled to center; Parker singled to right [Moreno to third]; Stargell sacrifice flied into a double play (right to catcher to shortstop) [Moreno scored, Parker out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 0, Pirates 1. METS 2ND: Hodges singled to shortstop; Flynn singled to right [Hodges to second]; Jackson forced Hodges (third to shortstop) [Flynn to second]; Randle singled to right [Flynn scored, Jackson to third]; Foli reached on a fielder's choice [Jackson out at home (third to catcher), Randle to second]; Mazzilli flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 1, Pirates 1. PIRATES 2ND: Ott doubled to right; B. Robinson lined to shortstop; Milner singled to center [Ott scored]; Milner stole second; Garner struck out; Rooker was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 1, Pirates 2. METS 3RD: Montanez grounded out (shortstop to first); S. Henderson grounded out (third to first); Maddox flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 1, Pirates 2. PIRATES 3RD: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Moreno walked; Moreno was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Parker lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 1, Pirates 2. METS 4TH: Hodges walked; Flynn reached on an error by B. Robinson [Hodges to second, Flynn to first]; On a bunt Jackson singled to shortstop [Hodges to third, Flynn to second]; Randle grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Hodges scored (unearned) (no RBI), Flynn to third, Jackson out at second]; Foli singled to center [Flynn scored (unearned)]; Foli was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. PIRATES 4TH: Stargell was hit by a pitch; Ott forced Stargell (second to shortstop); B. Robinson singled to center [Ott to second]; Milner grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to pitcher) [B. Robinson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. METS 5TH: Mazzilli flied out to right; Montanez singled to center; S. Henderson lined into a double play (pitcher to first) [Montanez out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. PIRATES 5TH: Garner lined to left; On a bunt Rooker grounded out (third to first); Taveras struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. METS 6TH: Maddox grounded out (third to first); Hodges lined to third; Flynn flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. PIRATES 6TH: Moreno singled to center; Parker grounded into a double play (first to shortstop) [Moreno out at second]; Stargell popped to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Pirates 2. METS 7TH: Jackson singled to right; Randle forced Jackson (pitcher to shortstop); Foli grounded out (shortstop to first) [Randle to second]; Mazzilli singled to left [Randle scored, Mazzilli to second (on throw to home)]; Montanez walked; WHITSON REPLACED ROOKER (PITCHING); S. Henderson grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 4, Pirates 2. PIRATES 7TH: Ott singled to right; Hodges allowed a passed ball [Ott to second]; Hodges allowed a passed ball [Ott to third]; B. Robinson homered [Ott scored]; LOCKWOOD REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); Milner flied out to center; Garner singled to left; BOYLAND BATTED FOR WHITSON; Garner stole second; Debut game for Doe Boyland; KOBEL REPLACED S. HENDERSON (PITCHING); YOUNGBLOOD REPLACED LOCKWOOD (PLAYING LF); STENNETT BATTED FOR BOYLAND; Stennett struck out (strikeout was charged to Boyland); Taveras singled to center [Garner scored, Taveras to second (on throw to home)]; Moreno grounded out (pitcher to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Pirates 5. METS 8TH: JACKSON REPLACED STENNETT (PITCHING); BERRA REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING 3B); B. ROBINSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Maddox flied out to left; Hodges grounded out (pitcher to first); Flynn grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 4, Pirates 5. PIRATES 8TH: Parker flied out to left; Stargell singled to left; Ott homered [Stargell scored]; B. Robinson singled to left; Berra flied out to right; Garner struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Pirates 7. METS 9TH: Youngblood walked; Randle struck out; Foli forced Youngblood (third to second); Mazzilli forced Foli (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 4, Pirates 7.

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