The defending champion Mets won their opening game for the first time in the club's nine-year history when Donn Clendenon hit a pinch-single with the bases loaded in the 11th inning to defeat the Pirates, 5-3. A crowd of 34,249 was the largest opening-game turnout at Forbes Field since 1948. Tom Seaver, who started for the Mets, failed to hold 2-0 and 3-2 leads. The Pirates tied the score at 3-3 in the sixth when Matty Alou tripled and Roberto Clemente singled.

In the 11th, Mike Jorgensen singled and when catcher Jerry May threw high to second on a bunt by Ron Swoboda, both runners were safe. Wayne Garrett sacrificed, leading to an intentional pass to Jerry Grote, loading the bases. When Ken Boswell was announced as a pinch-hitter for the Mets, the Pirates brought Joe Gibbon to the mound to replace Chuck Hartenstein. Manager Gil Hodges of the Mets then called on Clendenon to bat, making the winning move. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 3

Game Played on Tuesday, April 7, 1970 (Day game) at Forbes Field

Mets         2  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  -   5 11  0
Pirates      1  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  -   3  9  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Agee cf               6   2   3   0     0   1   .500      Alou cf               5   2   2   0     0   0   .400
Harrelson ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Hebner 3b             5   0   1   0     0   2   .200
Foy 3b                4   0   0   1     0   1   .000      Clemente rf           4   0   3   2     1   1   .750
Jones lf              4   1   2   1     1   1   .500      Stargell lf           5   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Shamsky 1b            4   0   2   1     0   0   .500      Oliver 1b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .200
  Jorgensen 1b        1   1   1   0     0   0  1.000      Alley ss              5   0   1   0     0   2   .200
Swoboda rf            5   1   1   0     0   1   .200      J. May c              3   0   0   1     0   1   .000
Garrett 2b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Mazeroski 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Grote c               4   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Blass p               3   0   1   0     0   1   .333
Seaver p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Hartenstein p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Taylor p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gibbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boswell ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Clendenon ph        1   0   1   2     0   0  1.000
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40   5  11   5     3   9             Totals               40   3   9   3     1   7

Time of Game: 2:45   Attendance: 34,249
Left on Base: Mets 8, Pirates 6
DP: Mets 1, Pirates 1
Errors: J. May
Doubles: Jones (1), Swoboda (1), Shamsky (1), Alou (1), Hebner (1)
Triples: Oliver (1), Alou (1)
Stolen Bases: Agee (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Harrelson (1), Garrett (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Foy (1), J. May (1)
GIDP: Agee (1), Stargell (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver                  8     9   3   3   0   5   0  32   3.38
Taylor W(1-0)           2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   0.00
McGraw SV(1)            1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                 11     9   3   3   1   7   0  42

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass                  10     9   3   3   2   9   0  40   2.70
Hartenstein L(0-1)      0.1   1   2   1   1   0   0   4  27.00
Gibbon                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Totals                 11    11   5   4   3   9   0  46

Umpires: HP - Augie Donatelli, 1B - Chris Pelekoudas, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Satch Davidson


METS 1ST: Agee singled; Harrelson flied to center; Foy grounded
out (third to first) [Agee to second]; Jones doubled to right
[Agee scored]; Shamsky singled to right [Jones scored, Shamsky
to second (on throw to home)]; Swoboda grounded out (shortstop
to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Alou doubled to right; Hebner struck out; Clemente
singled to right [Alou scored]; Stargell grounded into a double
play (first to shortstop to first) [Clemente out at second]; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 1.

METS 2ND: Garrett struck out; Grote lined to second; Seaver
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver tripled to right; Alley struck out; J. May
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Oliver scored]; Mazeroski popped
to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 2.

METS 3RD: Agee singled to center; Agee stole second; Harrelson
grounded out (third to first) [Agee to third]; Foy hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Agee scored]; Jones walked; Shamsky
flied to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Blass struck out; Alou grounded out (shortstop to
first); Hebner doubled to center; Clemente struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

METS 4TH: Swoboda doubled to right; Garrett flied to right
[Swoboda to third]; Grote popped to third; Seaver grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell flied to right; Oliver popped to third;
Alley popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

METS 5TH: Agee grounded out (second to first); Harrelson
grounded out (pitcher to first); Foy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: J. May flied to center; Mazeroski grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); Blass grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 2.

METS 6TH: Jones struck out; Shamsky doubled to left; Swoboda was
called out on strikes; Garrett was walked intentionally; Grote
forced Garrett (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 3, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Alou tripled to left; Hebner popped to second;
Clemente singled to left [Alou scored]; Stargell forced Clemente
(second to shortstop); Oliver flied to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

METS 7TH: Seaver struck out; Agee was called out on strikes;
Harrelson singled to right; Foy popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 7TH: Alley singled to left; J. May was called out on
strikes; Mazeroski flied to right; Blass singled to left [Alley
to second]; Alou lined to pitcher; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets
3, Pirates 3.

METS 8TH: Jones grounded out (second to first); Shamsky flied to
center; Swoboda grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: JORGENSEN REPLACED SHAMSKY (PLAYING 1B); Hebner
flied to right; Clemente singled to center; Stargell flied to
left; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

METS 9TH: Garrett grounded out (first unassisted); Grote struck
out; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR SEAVER; Kranepool struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: TAYLOR REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Alley
grounded out (shortstop to first); J. May grounded out (pitcher
to first); Mazeroski lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
3, Pirates 3.

METS 10TH: Agee singled to left; Harrelson out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Agee to second]; Foy popped to catcher
in foul territory; Jones singled to second [Agee out at home
(second to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 10TH: ROBERTSON BATTED FOR BLASS; Robertson flied to
center; Alou grounded out (pitcher to first); Hebner struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 3.

METS 11TH: HARTENSTEIN REPLACED ROBERTSON (PITCHING); Jorgensen
singled to left; Swoboda reached on an error by J. May
[Jorgensen to second]; Garrett out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Swoboda to second, Jorgensen to third]; Grote was
walked intentionally; BOSWELL BATTED FOR TAYLOR; GIBBON REPLACED
HARTENSTEIN (PITCHING); CLENDENON BATTED FOR BOSWELL; Clendenon
singled to center [Grote to third, Swoboda scored (unearned),
Jorgensen scored]; Agee grounded into a double play (second to
first) [Clendenon out at second]; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 5, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 11TH: MCGRAW REPLACED CLENDENON (PITCHING); Clemente
walked; Stargell popped to third in foul territory; Oliver
popped to third in foul territory; Alley struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Pirates 3.

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