With Steve Blass pitching a two-hitter, the Pirates defeated the Mets, 4-0, and assured themselves of at least a tie for the East division title. The victory, coupled with the Cardinals' loss to the Expos, reduced the Pirates' magic number to one for repeating as division champions.

The Bucs scored their first two runs in the fourth inning on a walk to Richie Zisk, a late throw to second when Manny Sanguillen tapped to the mound and a double by Dave Cash. Clemente singled in the sixth and Zisk wrapped up the scoring with his first major league homer. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 4, New York Mets 0
Game Played on Saturday, September 18, 1971 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  2  1
Pirates      0  0  0    2  0  2    0  0  x  -   4  7  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Martinez ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Stennett 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .366
Foli 2b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .225        Mazeroski 2b        1   0   1   0     0   0   .259
Marshall lf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .238      Clines cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .302
Kranepool 1b          2   0   1   0     1   0   .284      Clemente rf           3   1   2   0     1   0   .340
Jorgensen cf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .208      Zisk lf               3   2   1   2     1   1   .429
Singleton rf          3   0   0   0     0   0   .245      Sanguillen c          4   1   0   0     0   0   .318
Aspromonte 3b         2   0   0   0     1   0   .224      Cash 3b               4   0   1   2     0   0   .301
Dyer c                3   0   0   0     0   1   .242      Oliver 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .284
Sadecki p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .213      J. Hernandez ss       3   0   0   0     0   1   .203
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .091      Blass p               3   0   1   0     0   2   .123
  Shamsky ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .173

Totals               27   0   2   0     2   5             Totals               32   4   7   4     2   6

Time of Game: 1:42   Attendance: 20,470
Left on Base: Mets 2, Pirates 6
DP: Mets 0, Pirates 2
Errors: Foli
Doubles: Oliver (28), Cash (17)
Home Runs: Zisk (1)
GIDP: Singleton (11), Sadecki (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sadecki L(7-7)          7     7   4   4   2   5   1  31   3.07
Williams                1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   4.92
Totals                  8     7   4   4   2   6   1  34

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass W(15-7)           9     2   0   0   2   5   0  29   2.83
Totals                  9     2   0   0   2   5   0  29

Umpires: HP - Augie Donatelli, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Jerry Dale


METS 1ST: Martinez popped to first; Foli was called out on
strikes; Marshall lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett lined to center; Clines lined to second;
Clemente singled; Zisk struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
0, Pirates 0.

METS 2ND: Kranepool walked; Jorgensen struck out; Singleton
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Kranepool out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Sanguillen flied to center; Cash grounded out
(shortstop to first); Oliver doubled to left; J. Hernandez
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 0.

METS 3RD: Aspromonte walked; Dyer flied to right; Sadecki
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Aspromonte out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 0.

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

METS 4TH: Martinez flied to center; Foli singled to right;
Marshall flied to left; Kranepool singled to left [Foli to
second]; Jorgensen flied to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets
0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Clemente grounded out (first unassisted); Zisk
walked; Sanguillen reached on a fielder's choice [Zisk to
second]; Cash doubled to left [Sanguillen scored, Zisk scored];
Oliver flied to center; J. Hernandez flied to center; 2 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

METS 5TH: Singleton grounded out (first to pitcher); Aspromonte
grounded out (third to first); Dyer flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Blass struck out; Stennett grounded out (shortstop
to first); Clines flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
0, Pirates 2.

METS 6TH: Sadecki struck out; Martinez grounded out (catcher to
first); Foli grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Clemente singled to left; Zisk homered [Clemente
scored]; Sanguillen flied to center; Cash flied to left; Oliver
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 4.

METS 7TH: MAZEROSKI REPLACED STENNETT (PLAYING 2B); Marshall
struck out; Kranepool grounded out (first to pitcher); Jorgensen
flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: J. Hernandez grounded out (third to first); Blass
singled to left; Mazeroski singled to center [Blass to second];
Clines lined to second [Mazeroski to second, Blass to third
(error by Foli)]; Clemente was walked intentionally; Zisk flied
to center; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 4.

METS 8TH: Singleton grounded out (second to first); Aspromonte
grounded out (shortstop to first); Dyer struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 8TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED SADECKI (PITCHING); Sanguillen
flied to center; Cash grounded out (first to pitcher); Oliver
struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 4.

METS 9TH: SHAMSKY BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Shamsky popped to second;
Martinez grounded out (third to first); Foli flied to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 4.