Bill Hands, who had lost six straight games, turned winner for the first time since August 3 and Burt Hooton followed with his first major league victory as the Cubs beat the Mets in a twi-night doubleheader, 6-2 and 3-2. Hands started himself on the road to triumph with a two-run single in the second inning of the lidlifter. Frank Fernandez homered in the fourth and Paul Popovich connected for the circuit with a man on base in the fifth. Ed Kranepool accounted for the Mets' runs with a homer in the ninth.

Hooton, making his first start since his return from Tacoma (Pacific Coast), struck out 15 and allowed only three hits in the nightcap. However, after the Cubs took a 2-0 lead against Tug McGraw, who was making his first start of the season, Ken Singleton hit a two-run homer to tie the score in the seventh. Billy Williams then won the game for Hooton with a homer off Danny Frisella in the ninth. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 6, New York Mets 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Wednesday, September 15, 1971 (Night game) at Shea Stadium

Cubs         0  2  0    1  2  0    0  1  0  -   6 11  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2  5  2


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
James cf              5   0   2   0     0   0   .307      Harrelson ss          4   0   2   0     0   1   .256
Fanzone lf,3b         5   0   0   0     0   2   .214      Garrett 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .237
Hickman 1b            4   0   1   0     0   2   .262      Marshall lf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .243
  Bourque 1b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kranepool 1b          4   1   2   2     0   0   .285
Santo 3b              4   1   2   0     0   1   .266      Jorgensen cf          4   0   0   0     0   2   .232
  Davis lf            1   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Singleton rf          3   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Popovich 2b           4   1   1   2     0   0   .203      Grote c               2   0   0   0     1   0   .269
Fernandez c           3   1   1   1     1   0   .148      Martinez 2b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .306
North rf              4   2   2   0     0   1   .500      Koosman p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .174
Torres ss             3   1   1   1     1   0   .242        Capra p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hands p               4   0   1   2     0   3   .072        Milner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Matlack p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               38   6  11   6     2   9             Totals               31   2   5   2     1   5

Time of Game: 2:00
Left on Base: Cubs 7, Mets 3
DP: Cubs 1, Mets 2
Errors: Harrelson, Garrett
Doubles: James (7), Hands (2), Torres (2)
Home Runs: Fernandez (3), Popovich (4), Kranepool (13)
Stolen Bases: North (1)
GIDP: Popovich (5), Torres (3), Garrett (5)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hands W(11-18)          9     5   2   2   1   5   1  32   3.52
Totals                  9     5   2   2   1   5   1  32

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(6-10)         4    10   5   5   1   5   2  23   3.09
Capra                   4     1   1   0   1   4   0  14   0.00
Matlack                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.97
Totals                  9    11   6   5   2   9   2  40

Wild Pitches: Koosman (6)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Al Barlick


CUBS 1ST: James doubled to right; Fanzone was called out on
strikes; Hickman popped to shortstop; Santo struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first); Garrett
flied to left; Marshall singled to right; Kranepool grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 2ND: Popovich grounded out (third to first); Fernandez
grounded out (shortstop to first); North singled to shortstop;
Torres walked [North to second]; Hands doubled to right [Torres
scored, North scored]; Koosman threw a wild pitch [Hands to
third]; James flied to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Jorgensen grounded out (first to pitcher); Singleton
grounded out (second to first); Grote grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 0.

CUBS 3RD: Fanzone flied to center; Hickman singled to left;
Santo singled to center [Hickman to second]; Popovich grounded
into a double play (third to second to first) [Santo out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first); Koosman
grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 0.

CUBS 4TH: Fernandez homered; On a bunt North singled to pitcher;
Torres reached on an error by Harrelson [North to second]; On a
bunt Hands struck out; James singled to second [Torres to
second, North to third]; Fanzone was called out on strikes;
Hickman struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Garrett flied to center; Marshall struck out;
Kranepool singled to center; Jorgensen grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

CUBS 5TH: Santo singled to left; Popovich homered [Santo
scored]; CAPRA REPLACED KOOSMAN (PITCHING); Fernandez walked;
Debut game for Buzz Capra; North struck out; Torres grounded
into a double play (third to second to first) [Fernandez out at
second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Singleton lined to second; Grote walked; Martinez
struck out; Capra forced Grote (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 5, Mets 0.

CUBS 6TH: Hands struck out; James popped to shortstop; Fanzone
flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Harrelson singled to left; Garrett grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Harrelson out at
second]; Marshall grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Mets 0.

CUBS 7TH: Hickman struck out; Santo grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); Popovich grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 5, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: BOURQUE REPLACED HICKMAN (PLAYING 1B); FANZONE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); DAVIS REPLACED SANTO (PLAYING LF);
Kranepool grounded out (third to first); Jorgensen struck out;
Singleton grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Cubs 5, Mets 0.

CUBS 8TH: Fernandez grounded out (third to first); North reached
on an error by Garrett; North stole second; Torres doubled to
left [North scored (unearned)]; Hands struck out; James grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 6,
Mets 0.

METS 8TH: Grote flied to left; Martinez grounded out (shortstop
to first); MILNER BATTED FOR CAPRA; Milner grounded out (first
to pitcher); Debut game for John Milner; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 6, Mets 0.

CUBS 9TH: MATLACK REPLACED MILNER (PITCHING); Fanzone flied to
right; Bourque popped to first; Davis flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 6, Mets 0.

METS 9TH: Harrelson singled to center; Garrett forced Harrelson
(third to second); Marshall forced Garrett (second to
shortstop); Kranepool homered [Marshall scored]; Jorgensen was
called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 6, Mets 2.

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