After a single by Willie Stargell in the seventh inning, Bob Robertson and Jose Pagan smashed consecutive homers to bring the Pirates a 3-2 victory over the Mets. The Pirates' lead in the East division race was trimmed to 1½ games over the Cubs, who beat the Expos in a doubleheader, but the third-place Mets fell 2½ lengths off the pace.

The Mets rallied in the eighth inning but fell short with two runs. Wayne Garrett walked to open the stanza and Cleon Jones beat out an infield hit. Dave Giusti, replacing Steve Blass, gave up one run on a single by Art Shamsky and the other on a sacrifice fly by Dave Marshall before clamping down to save the game. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Friday, September 18, 1970 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   3 11  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   2  9  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clines rf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .542      Agee cf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .280
Alou cf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .295      Garrett 3b            3   1   0   0     1   0   .252
Sanguillen c          4   0   1   0     0   0   .323      Jones lf              4   1   3   0     0   0   .286
Stargell lf           3   1   1   0     1   1   .266      Shamsky 1b            3   0   1   1     1   0   .306
Robertson 1b          4   1   1   2     0   2   .289        Jorgensen pr,1b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Kopacz ph,1b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Marshall rf           3   0   0   1     0   2   .258
Pagan 3b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .260      Boswell 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .249
Alley ss              4   0   2   0     0   1   .236      Grote c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .255
Mazeroski 2b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .235      Harrelson ss          3   0   1   0     0   1   .237
Blass p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .121        Singleton ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .261
  Giusti p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .214      McAndrew p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .137
                                                            Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .122
                                                            Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
                                                            Clendenon ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .287

Totals               36   3  11   3     1   6             Totals               32   2   9   2     3   7

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 42,225
Left on Base: Pirates 9, Mets 7
DP: Pirates 2, Mets 0
Errors: Garrett
Doubles: Jones (23)
Home Runs: Robertson (27), Pagan (6)
Caught Stealing: Clines (1), Jorgensen (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Blass (2), Sanguillen (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Marshall (1)
GIDP: Harrelson (8)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass W(10-12)          7     8   2   2   3   5   0  30   3.37
Giusti SV(25)           2     1   0   0   0   2   0   6   3.19
Totals                  9     9   2   2   3   7   0  36

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McAndrew L(10-12)       7     8   3   3   0   4   2  28   3.48
Frisella                2     3   0   0   1   2   0  11   2.91
Totals                  9    11   3   3   1   6   2  39

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Shag Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Bob Engel


PIRATES 1ST: 30 minute rain delay before start of game;
Clines grounded out (second to first); Alou singled to right;
Sanguillen singled to center [Alou to third]; Stargell struck
out; Robertson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Agee singled to center; Garrett flied to left; Jones
doubled to right [Agee to third]; Shamsky was walked
intentionally; Marshall struck out; Boswell forced Shamsky
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Pagan flied to center; Alley grounded out
(shortstop to first); Mazeroski grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Grote singled to center; Harrelson singled to left
[Grote to second]; On a bunt McAndrew forced Grote (pitcher to
third) [Harrelson to second]; Agee walked [Harrelson to third,
McAndrew to second]; Garrett lined into a double play (third
unassisted) [Harrelson out at third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Blass struck out; Clines grounded out (second to
first); Alou grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Jones singled to left; Shamsky flied to center;
Marshall struck out; Boswell lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Sanguillen popped to shortstop; Stargell popped to
shortstop; Robertson popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Grote singled to center; Harrelson grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Grote out at
second]; McAndrew struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Mets 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Pagan grounded out (third to first); Alley singled
to center; Mazeroski struck out; Blass flied to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Agee struck out; Garrett flied to center; Jones flied
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Clines singled to right; Clines was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Alou grounded out (shortstop to
first); Sanguillen grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Shamsky grounded out (first unassisted); Marshall
grounded out (second to first); Boswell singled to left; Grote
popped to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Stargell singled to center; Robertson homered
[Stargell scored]; Pagan homered; Alley singled to left;
Mazeroski flied to right; Blass out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [Alley to second]; Clines grounded out (shortstop to
first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: Harrelson was called out on strikes; KRANEPOOL BATTED
FOR MCANDREW; Kranepool grounded out (second to first); Agee
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Mets 0.

PIRATES 8TH: FRISELLA REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Alou
singled to shortstop; Sanguillen out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Alou to second]; Stargell was walked
intentionally; KOPACZ BATTED FOR ROBERTSON; Kopacz struck out
(strikeout was charged to Robertson); Pagan reached on an error
by Garrett [Stargell to second, Alou to third]; Alley struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 0.

METS 8TH: KOPACZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Garrett walked;
Jones singled to pitcher [Garrett to second]; GIUSTI REPLACED
BLASS (PITCHING); Shamsky singled to center [Jones to third,
Garrett scored]; JORGENSEN RAN FOR SHAMSKY; Marshall hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Jones scored]; Boswell lined to right;
Jorgensen was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 2.

PIRATES 9TH: JORGENSEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Mazeroski
flied to right; Giusti singled to left; Clines singled to
pitcher [Giusti to second]; Alou grounded out (second to first)
[Clines to second, Giusti to third]; Sanguillen grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: Grote flied to left; SINGLETON BATTED FOR HARRELSON;
Singleton was called out on strikes; CLENDENON BATTED FOR
FRISELLA; Clendenon struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
3, Mets 2.