After the Mets won the first game of a doubleheader, 3-2, the Cubs came back to post a 5-4 victory in the second game and clinch third place in the East division. The Mets put over the deciding run in the opener when Steve Henderson singled with two out in the fifth inning, Willie Montanez walked and Dan Norman singled.

In the nightcap, Jerry White's first homer of the season in the second inning and two hits by Manny Trillo and Dave Rader in the third enabled the Cubs to gain their victory. The Mets, who finished in last place in the division as a result of the defeat, fell short with a four-run rally in the seventh that included a homer by Henderson with two men on base. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 3, Chicago Cubs 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Friday, September 29, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Mets 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 - 3 8 2 Cubs 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 - 2 8 0 Mets AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Flores cf 5 1 2 0 0 1 .276 De Jesus ss 5 1 2 0 0 0 .276 Foli ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257 Gross cf,rf 5 1 1 0 0 1 .269 S. Henderson lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .265 Buckner 1b 4 0 2 0 1 0 .320 Montanez 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .254 Meoli pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .111 Norman rf 3 0 1 1 1 0 .220 Murcer rf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .281 Hodges c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257 Thompson cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Maddox 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .257 Kingman lf 4 0 0 1 0 2 .258 Koosman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .086 Trillo 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Flynn 2b 3 0 1 1 1 1 .239 Rader c 4 0 3 0 0 0 .202 Espinosa p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .209 Scott pr,3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .278 Randle 3b 0 0 0 0 1 0 .234 Kelleher 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Biittner ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257 Clines ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .260 Blackwell c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .223 R. Reuschel p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .137 Johnson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .232 Moore p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267 Totals 33 3 8 2 4 4 Totals 36 2 8 1 2 6 Time of Game: 2:33 Left on Base: Mets 8, Cubs 11 DP: Mets 0, Cubs 1 Errors: Foli, Flynn Triples: Flynn (8) Stolen Bases: Randle (14), De Jesus (41), Scott (27) Sacrifice Hits: Foli (12), Kelleher (4) GIDP: S. Henderson (24) Hit by Pitch: R. Reuschel (1,by Espinosa) Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Espinosa W(11-15) 7.1 7 2 1 2 5 0 34 4.73 Koosman SV(2) 1.2 1 0 0 0 1 0 6 3.68 Totals 9 8 2 1 2 6 0 40 Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA R. Reuschel L(14-15) 8 8 3 3 3 3 0 34 3.41 Moore 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 4.07 Totals 9 8 3 3 4 4 0 38 Hit by Pitch: Espinosa (3) Wild Pitches: R. Reuschel (13) Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - John McSherry METS 1ST: Flores singled to pitcher; Foli singled to left [Flores to third]; S. Henderson grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Flores scored (no RBI), Foli out at second]; Montanez grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. CUBS 1ST: De Jesus singled to left; Gross singled to center [De Jesus to second]; Buckner flied out to left; Murcer walked [De Jesus to third, Gross to second]; Kingman struck out; Trillo popped to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. METS 2ND: Norman walked; R. Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Norman to second]; Hodges grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first) [Norman to third]; Flynn was walked intentionally; Espinosa struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. CUBS 2ND: Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); Kelleher grounded out (second to first); R. Reuschel was hit by a pitch; De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. METS 3RD: Flores singled to center; Foli out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Flores to second]; S. Henderson flied out to right [Flores to third]; Montanez lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. CUBS 3RD: Gross flied out to right; Buckner walked; Murcer forced Buckner (first to shortstop); Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 1, Cubs 0. METS 4TH: THOMPSON REPLACED MURCER (PLAYING CF); GROSS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Norman popped to right; Hodges grounded out (third to first); Maddox singled to center; Flynn tripled to center [Maddox scored]; Espinosa struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cubs 0. CUBS 4TH: Trillo grounded out (third to first); Rader singled to center; Kelleher popped to first in foul territory; R. Reuschel struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 2, Cubs 0. METS 5TH: Flores was called out on strikes; Foli popped to shortstop; S. Henderson singled to shortstop; Montanez walked [S. Henderson to second]; Norman singled to center [S. Henderson scored, Montanez to second]; Hodges forced Norman (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 0. CUBS 5TH: De Jesus singled to left; De Jesus stole second; Gross reached on an error by Flynn [De Jesus scored (no RBI), Gross to first]; Buckner singled to right [Gross to third]; Thompson flied out to left; Kingman forced Buckner (third to second) [Gross scored (unearned)]; Trillo popped to second; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. METS 6TH: Maddox flied out to center; Flynn popped to first; Espinosa grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. CUBS 6TH: Rader singled to center; Kelleher out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Rader to second]; R. Reuschel was called out on strikes; De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. METS 7TH: Flores popped to first in foul territory; Foli flied out to center; S. Henderson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. CUBS 7TH: Gross was called out on strikes; Buckner popped to third; Thompson reached on an error by Foli [Thompson to first]; Kingman flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. METS 8TH: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Norman grounded out (third to first); Hodges singled to left; Maddox lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. CUBS 8TH: Trillo flied out to right; Rader singled to left; BIITTNER BATTED FOR KELLEHER; KOOSMAN REPLACED MADDOX (PITCHING); RANDLE REPLACED ESPINOSA (PLAYING 3B); CLINES BATTED FOR BIITTNER; SCOTT RAN FOR RADER; Scott stole second; Clines struck out; JOHNSON BATTED FOR R. REUSCHEL; Johnson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. METS 9TH: SCOTT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); BLACKWELL REPLACED CLINES (PLAYING C ); MOORE REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Flynn struck out; Randle walked; Randle stole second; On a bunt Flores grounded out (pitcher to first) [Randle to third]; Foli grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2. CUBS 9TH: De Jesus flied out to center; Gross grounded out (second to first); Buckner singled to right; MEOLI RAN FOR BUCKNER; Thompson forced Meoli (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Cubs 2.

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