Willie Stargell threw out a man at the plate in the eighth inning and then singled a run home to enable the Pirates to strengthen their East division lead with a 4-3 victory over the Mets. The Cubs, who lost to the Phillies, and the Mets dropped 3½ games behind the Pirates. Matty Alou, who hit a triple and two singles, and relievers Mudcat Grant and Joe Gibbon also were Pirate heroes. Alou's triple and a double by Dave Cash produced a run in the first inning and another followed for the Pirates in the fourth on a triple by Manny Sanguillen and an infield out by Stargell.

The Mets forced the exit of Bob Moose in the seventh when Ken Boswell walked and Jerry Grote singled. Dave Giusti struck out Bud Harrelson, but Ed Kranepool delivered a pinch-single, scoring Boswell. Tommie Agee beat out an infield hit and Wayne Garrett walked to force in the tying run. Grant relieved and got out of the jam when Cleon Jones bounced into a double play. The Pirates regained the lead in their half after Dean Chance gave up a single by Jose Pagan and uncorked a wild pitch. Gene Alley sacrificed pinch-runner Johnny Jeter to third. Tug McGraw replaced Chance and retired Gene Clines on a grounder, but Alley singled, scoring Jeter.

In the Mets' eighth, Boswell was on second base when Harrelson singled to left field, but Stargell charged the ball and made a perfect throw to the plate to nail Harrelson. The Pirates then posted what proved to be the winning run in their half when Sanguillen singled, Bob Robertson walked and Stargell singled. In the Mets' ninth, Ron Swoboda drew a pass and raced home on a double by Agee. Gibbon, taking over for John Lamb, walked Joe Foy, but Jones flied out. Art Shamsky then struck out and Agee, trying to steal third, was doubled up to end the game. The stretch-drive acquisitions from the American League wound up as the winner and the loser, with Grant getting his first victory for the Pirates and Chance drawing his first defeat with the Mets. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 4, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Friday, September 25, 1970 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  1  -   3  9  0
Pirates      1  0  0    1  0  0    1  1  x  -   4 10  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Agee cf               5   0   2   1     0   0   .282      Alou cf               4   1   3   1     0   0   .296
Garrett 3b            1   0   0   1     3   0   .253      Cash 2b               4   0   1   1     0   1   .313
  Foy ph              0   0   0   0     1   0   .239      Clemente rf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .350
Jones lf              4   0   0   0     1   0   .280      Sanguillen c          4   2   3   0     0   0   .329
Shamsky rf            5   0   1   0     0   2   .296      Robertson 1b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .284
Clendenon 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .288      Stargell lf           4   0   1   2     0   1   .263
Boswell 2b            2   1   2   0     2   0   .258      Pagan 3b              2   0   2   0     1   0   .265
Grote c               3   1   1   0     0   0   .252        Jeter pr            0   1   0   0     0   0   .227
  Singleton ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .260        Hebner 3b           1   0   0   0     0   1   .281
  Dyer c              0   0   0   0     0   0   .207      Alley ss              3   0   0   0     0   1   .242
Harrelson ss          4   0   2   0     0   1   .242      Moose p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .182
Koosman p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .090        Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Marshall ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .254        Grant p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .308        Oliver ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .269
  Kranepool ph        1   0   1   1     0   0   .159        Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .464
  Gaspar pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lamb p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Chance p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gibbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Swoboda ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .228

Totals               31   3   9   3     9   5             Totals               31   4  10   4     3   4

Time of Game: 3:06   Attendance: 41,484
Left on Base: Mets 10, Pirates 7
DP: Mets 2, Pirates 4
Doubles: Agee (30), Cash (7)
Triples: Alou (8), Sanguillen (9)
Caught Stealing: Agee (15), Stargell (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Alley (2)
GIDP: Grote (14), Jones 2 (23), Sanguillen (15), Robertson (8)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman                 4     4   2   2   2   0   0  17   3.24
Frisella                2     2   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.26
Chance L(0-1)           0.1   1   1   1   0   0   0   2   4.36
McGraw                  1.2   3   1   1   1   2   0   9   3.45
Totals                  8    10   4   4   3   4   0  35

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Moose                   6     4   2   2   5   2   0  25   3.99
Giusti                  0.1   2   0   0   1   1   0   4   3.05
Grant W(1-0)            0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.76
Lamb                    1     3   1   1   2   1   0   7   2.67
Gibbon SV(5)            1     0   0   0   1   1   0   3   4.95
Totals                  9     9   3   3   9   5   0  40

Wild Pitches: Chance (1)

Umpires: HP - Al Barlick, 1B - Augie Donatelli, 2B - Ed Sudol, 3B - Ed Vargo


METS 1ST: Agee grounded out (second to first); Garrett flied to
center; Jones walked; Shamsky grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Alou tripled to right; Cash doubled to right [Alou
scored]; Clemente walked; Sanguillen grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cash to third, Clemente out at
second]; Robertson popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Pirates 1.

METS 2ND: Clendenon grounded out (third to first); Boswell
singled to right; Grote grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Boswell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell flied to center; Pagan singled to right;
Alley flied to center; Moose forced Pagan (shortstop
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

METS 3RD: Harrelson grounded out (second to first); Koosman
grounded out (second to first); Agee grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Alou grounded out (second to first); Cash flied to
center; Clemente grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

METS 4TH: Garrett walked; Jones forced Garrett (second to
shortstop); Shamsky struck out; Clendenon popped to catcher in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Sanguillen tripled to right; Robertson grounded out
(third to first); Stargell reached on a fielder's choice
[Sanguillen scored]; Stargell was picked off and caught stealing
second (pitcher to first to shortstop); Pagan walked; Alley
flied to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

METS 5TH: Boswell walked; Grote flied to left in foul territory;
Harrelson singled to left [Boswell to second]; MARSHALL BATTED
FOR KOOSMAN; Marshall struck out; Agee popped to second; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: FRISELLA REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); Moose popped
to first in foul territory; Alou singled; Cash struck out;
Clemente flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates
2.

METS 6TH: Garrett walked; Jones grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Garrett out at second]; Shamsky
singled to left; Clendenon forced Shamsky (shortstop to second);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen singled to left; Robertson grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Sanguillen out at
second]; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 2.

METS 7TH: Boswell walked; Grote singled to center [Boswell to
third]; GIUSTI REPLACED MOOSE (PITCHING); Harrelson was called
out on strikes; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR FRISELLA; Kranepool singled
to right [Grote to second, Boswell scored]; GASPAR RAN FOR
KRANEPOOL; Agee singled [Gaspar to second, Grote to third];
Garrett walked [Grote scored, Gaspar to third, Agee to second];
GRANT REPLACED GIUSTI (PITCHING); Jones grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Garrett out at second]; 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 7TH: CHANCE REPLACED GASPAR (PITCHING); Pagan singled to
left; JETER RAN FOR PAGAN; Chance threw a wild pitch [Jeter to
second]; Alley out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Jeter to third]; OLIVER BATTED FOR GRANT; MCGRAW REPLACED
CHANCE (PITCHING); CLINES BATTED FOR OLIVER; Clines grounded out
(second to first); Alou singled to left [Jeter scored]; Cash
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
2, Pirates 3.

METS 8TH: HEBNER REPLACED JETER (PLAYING 3B); LAMB REPLACED
CLINES (PITCHING); Shamsky grounded out (shortstop to first);
Clendenon struck out; Boswell singled to center; SINGLETON
BATTED FOR GROTE; Singleton walked [Boswell to second];
Harrelson singled to left [Singleton to second, Boswell out at
home (left to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates
3.

PIRATES 8TH: DYER REPLACED SINGLETON (PLAYING C ); Clemente
grounded out (second to first); Sanguillen singled to right;
Robertson walked [Sanguillen to second]; Stargell singled to
right [Robertson to second, Sanguillen scored]; Hebner struck
out; Alley struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 4.

METS 9TH: SWOBODA BATTED FOR MCGRAW; Swoboda walked; Agee
doubled to left [Swoboda scored]; GIBBON REPLACED LAMB
(PITCHING); FOY BATTED FOR GARRETT; Foy walked; Jones flied to
right; Shamsky struck out while Agee was caught stealing third
(catcher to third); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 4.