Making his debut in a Mets' uniform, Richie Hebner stroked a homer, two doubles and a single to pace the way to a 10-6 decision over the Cubs in the opening game of the season for both teams. Hebner's round-tripper led off the fourth inning and tied the game, and he ignited a five-run outburst in the seventh stanza with a two-base hit. A single by Steve Henderson drove home two runs in the big inning. The game was played with winds gusting to 45 miles per hour. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 10, Chicago Cubs 6
Game Played on Thursday, April     5, 1979 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Mets         1  0  0    1  3  0    5  0  0  -  10 13  0
Cubs         1  0  1    0  0  1    0  0  3  -   6 13  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           4   2   2   0     1   0   .500      De Jesus ss           5   2   3   0     0   0   .600
Chapman 2b            5   2   2   1     0   0   .400      Sizemore 2b           5   1   3   2     0   0   .600
Hebner 3b             5   2   4   4     0   0   .800      Buckner 1b            5   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Stearns c             3   1   0   1     1   2   .000      Kingman lf            4   1   3   3     0   0   .750
Montanez 1b           5   1   1   0     0   1   .200      Murcer rf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Henderson lf          5   1   1   2     0   1   .200        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Maddox rf             4   0   2   1     1   1   .500        Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Flynn ss              3   0   0   1     1   0   .000        Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Swan p                4   1   1   0     0   2   .250        Lamp p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bernard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Ontiveros 3b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
  Orosco p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Martin cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
                                                          Foote c               4   0   0   0     0   3   .000
                                                          Reuschel p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Thompson rf         2   1   2   1     0   0  1.000

Totals               38  10  13  10     4   7             Totals               39   6  13   6     0   4

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 35,615
Left on Base: Mets 7, Cubs 6
DP: Mets 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Sizemore
Doubles: Hebner 2 (2), Maddox (1), Mazzilli (1), De Jesus (1), Ontiveros (1), Kingman (1), Martin (1), Sizemore (1)
Home Runs: Hebner (1), Kingman (1)
Stolen Bases: Mazzilli (1)
Caught Stealing: Maddox (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Flynn (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Stearns (1)
GIDP: Sizemore (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Swan W(1-0)             8     9   3   3   0   3   1  32   3.38
Bernard                 0.2   4   3   3   0   1   0   6  40.50
Orosco                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Totals                  9    13   6   6   0   4   1  39

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel L(0-1)         6.1   8   6   6   2   6   1  29   8.53
Hernandez               0     2   3   3   1   0   0   3   0.00
Moore                   1.2   3   1   1   0   1   0   8   5.40
Lamp                    1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9    13  10  10   4   7   1  44

Wild Pitches: Reuschel (1)

Umpires: HP - Dennis Riccio, 1B - Lanny Harris, 2B - Dick Cavenaugh, 3B - Joe Pomponi


METS 1ST: Debut for umpires Dick Cavenaugh, Lanny Harris,
Joe; Mazzilli grounded out (shortstop to first); Chapman
singled to center; Debut game for Kelvin Chapman; Hebner
singled to center [Chapman to third]; Stearns hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Chapman scored]; Montanez struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus doubled to right; Sizemore made an out to
shortstop; Buckner grounded out (first unassisted) [De Jesus to
third]; Kingman singled to left [De Jesus scored]; Murcer
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1,
Cubs 1.

METS 2ND: Henderson grounded out (pitcher to first); Maddox
grounded out (second to first); Flynn grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 1.

CUBS 2ND: Ontiveros doubled to right; Martin made an out to
catcher; Foote struck out; Reuschel struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 1.

METS 3RD: Swan struck out; Mazzilli grounded out (second to
first); Chapman grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Sizemore
singled to left; Buckner flied out to left; Kingman doubled to
left [Sizemore scored]; Murcer grounded out (first unassisted);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Cubs 2.

METS 4TH: Hebner homered; Stearns struck out; Montanez grounded
out (second to first); Henderson struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 4TH: Ontiveros grounded out (pitcher to first); Martin made
an out to third; Foote made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cubs 2.

METS 5TH: Maddox was called out on strikes; Flynn grounded out
(pitcher to first); Swan singled to right; Mazzilli walked [Swan
to second]; Chapman singled to center [Swan scored, Mazzilli to
third]; Hebner doubled to right [Mazzilli scored, Chapman
scored]; Stearns struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs
2.

CUBS 5TH: Reuschel flied out to center; De Jesus flied out to
left; Sizemore singled to center; Buckner flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 2.

METS 6TH: Montanez grounded out (first to pitcher); Henderson
flied out to right; Maddox doubled to left; Flynn was walked
intentionally; Swan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: Kingman homered; Murcer flied out to right; Ontiveros
flied out to right; Martin grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 3.

METS 7TH: Mazzilli singled to center; Mazzilli stole second;
Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Mazzilli to third]; Chapman popped
to catcher in foul territory; HERNANDEZ REPLACED MURCER
(PITCHING); THOMPSON REPLACED REUSCHEL (PLAYING RF); Hebner
doubled to left [Mazzilli scored]; Stearns was walked
intentionally; Montanez singled to center [Hebner to third,
Stearns to second]; MOORE REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING);
Henderson singled to center [Hebner scored, Stearns scored,
Montanez to third]; Maddox singled to right [Montanez scored,
Henderson to third]; Flynn reached on a fielder's choice on a
sacrifice bunt [Henderson scored, Maddox to second]; Maddox was
caught stealing third (catcher to shortstop to third); Swan
struck out; 5 R, 5 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 10, Cubs 3.

CUBS 7TH: Foote struck out; Thompson singled to center; De Jesus
singled to left [Thompson to second]; Sizemore grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [De Jesus out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 10, Cubs 3.

METS 8TH: Mazzilli doubled to center; Chapman grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Mazzilli to third]; Hebner made an out to
third; Stearns grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 10, Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Kingman
grounded out (third to first); BIITTNER BATTED FOR MOORE;
Biittner grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 10, Cubs 3.

METS 9TH: LAMP REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Montanez grounded
out (second to first); Henderson flied out to right; Maddox
walked; Flynn grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 10, Cubs 3.

CUBS 9TH: BERNARD REPLACED SWAN (PITCHING); Ontiveros grounded
out (pitcher to first); Martin doubled to right; Foote struck
out; Thompson singled to center [Martin scored]; De Jesus
singled to right [Thompson to third]; Sizemore doubled to left
[Thompson scored, De Jesus scored]; OROSCO REPLACED BERNARD
(PITCHING); Buckner flied out to right; Debut game for Jesse
Orosco; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 10, Cubs 6.