Tom Seaver and Tug McGraw combined on a shutout and Ed Kranepool drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and homer as the Mets defeated the world champion Pirates, 4-0, to mark Yogi Berra's debut as managerial successor to the late Gil Hodges. Two new Mets, Rusty Staub and Jim Fregosi, distinguished themselves with key hits to help ruin Bill Virdon's first game as pilot of the Pirates.

Staub and Cleon Jones opened the second inning with singles and Fregosi followed with a double to score Staub. Kranepool's sacrifice fly then admitted Jones. With two out in the sixth, Fregosi walked and Kranepool smashed his homer off Dock Ellis to ice the Mets' victory. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Game Played on Saturday, April     15, 1972 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  0
Mets         0  2  0    0  0  2    0  0  x  -   4  7  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Harrelson ss          3   0   1   0     0   1   .333
Oliver cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Boswell 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Clemente rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Agee cf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .333
Stargell lf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Staub rf              3   1   1   0     1   0   .333
Hebner 3b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Jones lf              4   1   1   0     0   2   .250
Sanguillen c          3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Fregosi 3b            3   1   1   1     1   1   .333
Robertson 1b          3   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Kranepool 1b          2   1   1   3     0   1   .500
J. Hernandez ss       3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ellis p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .500      Seaver p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McGraw p            1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  R. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   0   5   0     0   9             Totals               28   4   7   4     3   7

Time of Game: 2:00   Attendance: 15,893
Left on Base: Pirates 4, Mets 5
DP: Pirates 0, Mets 1
Doubles: Fregosi (1)
Home Runs: Kranepool (1)
Stolen Bases: Agee (1), Harrelson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Harrelson (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Kranepool (1)
GIDP: Stennett (1)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis L(0-1)            6     6   4   4   2   5   1  26   6.00
Giusti                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
R. Hernandez            1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   0.00
Totals                  8     7   4   4   3   7   1  33

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver W(1-0)           6     5   0   0   0   6   0  22   0.00
McGraw SV(1)            3     0   0   0   0   3   0   9   0.00
Totals                  9     5   0   0   0   9   0  31

Umpires: HP - Ken Burkhart, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Dick Stello


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett was called out on strikes; Oliver singled
to left; Clemente struck out; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Harrelson struck out; Boswell grounded out (first to
pitcher); Agee was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner grounded out (first unassisted); Sanguillen
singled to center; Robertson was called out on strikes; J.
Hernandez singled to right [Sanguillen to second]; Ellis
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub singled to left; Jones singled to center [Staub
to second]; Fregosi doubled to right [Staub scored, Jones to
third]; Kranepool hit a sacrifice fly to left [Jones scored];
Grote popped to third in foul territory; Seaver flied to center;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Stennett singled to right; Oliver struck out;
Clemente flied to right; Stargell flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

METS 3RD: Harrelson grounded out (catcher to first); Boswell
grounded out (second to first); Agee singled to second; Agee
stole second; Staub was walked intentionally; Jones struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Hebner grounded out (first to pitcher); Sanguillen
flied to right; Robertson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 2.

METS 4TH: Fregosi flied to right; Kranepool struck out; Grote
flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 5TH: J. Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Ellis singled to shortstop; Stennett grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Ellis out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

METS 5TH: Seaver struck out; Harrelson singled to right; Boswell
lined to right; Harrelson stole second; Agee flied to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Oliver grounded out (second to first); Clemente
grounded out (shortstop to first); Stargell popped to first; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Staub flied to center; Jones lined to shortstop;
Fregosi walked; Kranepool homered [Fregosi scored]; Grote flied
to center; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 4.

PIRATES 7TH: MCGRAW REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Hebner struck
out; Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop to first); Robertson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 4.

METS 7TH: GIUSTI REPLACED ELLIS (PITCHING); McGraw singled to
third; Harrelson out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[McGraw to second]; McGraw was picked off second (pitcher to
shortstop to third); Boswell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 4.

PIRATES 8TH: J. Hernandez lined to third; CLINES BATTED FOR
GIUSTI; Clines struck out; Stennett flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: R. HERNANDEZ REPLACED CLINES (PITCHING); Agee walked;
Staub forced Agee (shortstop to second); Jones struck out;
Fregosi struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Oliver flied to left; Clemente flied to right;
Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 4.