With Mike Marshall coming in to save the game for Carl Morton, the last-place Expos defeated the Pirates, 3-2, to tighten the East division race. The loss cut the Pirates' lead to two games over the Mets, who moved into second place ahead of the Cubs. Steve Blass was scheduled to pitch for the Bucs, but was felled by the flu, and George Brunet made his first start since being acquired from the Senators August 31.

The Expos scored in the first inning on singles by Don Hahn and Rusty Staub, around a sacrifice by Gary Sutherland. The Pirates coupled a walk to Willie Stargell and singles by Manny Sanguillen and Dave Cash for the tying counter in the second. The Expos moved ahead again in the fourth when Coco Laboy doubled and Hahn singled. Bob Bailey walked, John Bateman sacrificed and Laboy singled for another run in the fifth. The Pirates started their rally in the ninth with singles by Stargell and Sanguillen. Marshall, relieving with one out, induced Cash to ground to Laboy, but the third baseman threw poorly to the plate as pinch-runner Johnny Jeter scored. With Pirate runners on second and third, Jose Pagan hit a short fly on which no advance could be made. Pinch-hitter Gene Clines then flied out to end the game. [The Sporting News]

Montreal Expos 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Game Played on Wednesday, September 23, 1970 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Expos        1  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   3 11  1
Pirates      0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  8  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Hahn cf               3   1   2   1     0   1   .265      Alou cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .293
  Day ph,cf           2   0   0   0     0   0   .284      Hebner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .279
Sutherland 2b         4   0   2   0     0   0   .204      Oliver rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Staub rf              4   0   1   1     0   1   .272      Stargell lf           3   1   1   0     1   0   .266
Bailey lf             2   1   0   0     2   2   .290        Jeter pr            0   1   0   0     0   0   .227
  Gosger lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .263      Robertson 1b          4   0   0   0     0   2   .284
Bateman c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Sanguillen c          4   0   3   0     0   0   .322
Fairly 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .288        Patek pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Laboy 3b              4   1   2   1     0   0   .199      Cash 2b               4   0   3   1     0   0   .312
Wine ss               4   0   2   0     0   1   .228      Alley ss              3   0   0   0     0   1   .238
Morton p              4   0   1   0     0   2   .172        Pagan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
  Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .100      Brunet p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .146
                                                            Kopacz ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
                                                            Lamb p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            M. May ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Grant p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .481

Totals               34   3  11   3     2   7             Totals               35   2   8   1     1   4

Time of Game: 2:34   Attendance: 12,420
Left on Base: Expos 9, Pirates 7
DP: Expos 1, Pirates 1
Errors: Laboy, Brunet
Doubles: Laboy (26)
Sacrifice Hits: Sutherland (6), Staub (9), Bateman (4)
GIDP: Hebner (8)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton W(17-11)         8.1   8   2   1   1   4   0  33   3.82
Marshall SV(1)          0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.03
Totals                  9     8   2   1   1   4   0  36

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Brunet L(0-1)           5     9   3   3   1   5   0  25   4.31
Lamb                    2     1   0   0   1   1   0   7   2.45
Grant                   2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   1.77
Totals                  9    11   3   3   2   7   0  39

Passed Balls: Sanguillen (14)

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


EXPOS 1ST: Hahn singled; Sutherland out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Hahn to second]; Staub singled [Hahn
scored]; Bailey struck out; Bateman made an out to shortstop; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Alou singled; Hebner grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Alou out at second]; Oliver
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Pirates 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Fairly singled; Laboy made an out to second; Wine
singled [Fairly to second]; Morton struck out; Hahn struck out;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell walked; Robertson struck out; Sanguillen
singled [Stargell to second]; Cash singled [Stargell scored,
Sanguillen to second]; Alley struck out; Brunet struck out; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 3RD: Sutherland singled; Staub reached on an error by
Brunet on a sacrifice bunt [Sutherland to second, Staub to
first]; Bailey struck out; Bateman made an out to catcher;
Fairly forced Staub (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Expos 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Alou flied out to right; Hebner made an out to
shortstop; Oliver flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 1, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Laboy doubled; Wine grounded out (first unassisted)
[Laboy to third]; Morton made an out to shortstop; Hahn singled
[Laboy scored]; Sutherland singled [Hahn to second]; Staub
struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell grounded out (first to pitcher); Robertson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Sanguillen singled; Cash
singled [Sanguillen to third]; Alley flied out to left; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 5TH: Bailey walked; Bateman out on a sacrifice bunt (first
unassisted) [Bailey to second]; Fairly lined to right; Laboy
singled to left [Bailey scored, Laboy out at second (left to
catcher to second)]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: KOPACZ BATTED FOR BRUNET; Kopacz flied out to
right; Alou lined to right; Hebner flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 6TH: LAMB REPLACED KOPACZ (PITCHING); Wine struck out;
Morton singled; DAY BATTED FOR HAHN; Day lined to center;
Sutherland grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: DAY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Oliver made an out
to shortstop; Stargell flied out to right; Robertson struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 7TH: Staub grounded out (second to first); Bailey walked;
Sanguillen allowed a passed ball [Bailey to second]; Bateman
lined into a double play (second unassisted) [Bailey out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Sanguillen flied out to right; Cash singled; Alley
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cash to second]; M. MAY
BATTED FOR LAMB; M. May grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 8TH: GRANT REPLACED M. MAY (PITCHING); Fairly grounded out
(first to pitcher); Laboy grounded out (shortstop to first);
Wine singled; Morton struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3,
Pirates 1.

PIRATES 8TH: Alou flied out to right; Hebner grounded out (first
unassisted); Oliver made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

EXPOS 9TH: Day flied out to center; Sutherland grounded out
(second to first); Staub grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 9TH: GOSGER REPLACED BAILEY (PLAYING LF); Stargell
singled; JETER RAN FOR STARGELL; Robertson made an out to first;
Sanguillen singled [Jeter to third]; MARSHALL REPLACED MORTON
(PITCHING); PATEK RAN FOR SANGUILLEN; Cash reached on an error
by Laboy [Jeter scored (unearned) (no RBI), Patek to third, Cash
to second]; PAGAN BATTED FOR ALLEY; Pagan flied out to right;
CLINES BATTED FOR GRANT; Clines flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER),
2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 3, Pirates 2.

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