Don Zimmer's debut as manager of the Padres, succeeding Preston Gomez, was spoiled in a 4-3 loss to the Mets. Rusty Staub's first homer in a New York uniform, a pass to Jim Fregosi and triple by Jerry Grote gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

The Padres tied the score in their half with the aid of doubles by Nate Colbert and Dave Campbell, but the Mets went ahead again in the sixth when Tommie Agee doubled and Cleon Jones singled. Grote then homered in the seventh to supply what proved to be the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Thursday, April     27, 1972 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Mets         0  2  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   4  9  0
Padres       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  7  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harrelson ss          5   0   1   0     0   0   .243      Thomas 2b             3   0   0   0     1   2   .250
Martinez 2b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Hernandez ss          4   1   1   0     0   0   .171
Agee cf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .257      Jeter cf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .333
Staub rf              4   1   2   1     0   0   .314      Colbert 1b            3   1   1   1     0   0   .205
Jones lf              3   0   1   1     1   1   .357      Gaston lf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .217
Fregosi 3b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .250      Brown rf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .179
Beauchamp 1b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Campbell 3b           3   0   2   1     0   1   .219
  Kranepool 1b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Barton c              2   0   1   0     1   1   .200
Grote c               4   1   3   2     0   0   .250        Mason pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gentry p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Kendall c           1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Norman p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Lee ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .296
                                                            Ross p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Morales ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .200

Totals               34   4   9   4     2   5             Totals               31   3   7   3     3   8

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance:  4,459
Left on Base: Mets 6, Padres 6
DP: Mets 0, Padres 1
Doubles: Agee (2), Harrelson (2), Colbert (2), Campbell (1), Hernandez (2)
Triples: Grote (1)
Home Runs: Staub (1), Grote (1)
Caught Stealing: Thomas (2)
Sacrifice Hits: McGraw (1), Campbell (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Colbert (1)
GIDP: Fregosi (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gentry W(1-1)           7     6   3   3   3   6   0  29   2.00
McGraw SV(2)            2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   0.82
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   8   0  36

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman L(0-2)           7     7   4   4   1   4   2  29   3.50
Ross                    2     2   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.18
Totals                  9     9   4   4   2   5   2  37

Wild Pitches: Gentry (1), Ross (1)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Ed Sudol, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Nick Colosi


METS 1ST: Don Zimmer's first game as manager; Harrelson
popped to second; Martinez struck out; Agee flied to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Thomas walked; Thomas was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Hernandez grounded out (first
unassisted); Jeter was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Padres 0.

METS 2ND: Staub homered; Jones struck out; Fregosi walked;
Beauchamp flied to center; Grote tripled to center [Fregosi
scored]; Gentry struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Colbert doubled to left; Gaston walked; Gentry threw
a wild pitch [Colbert to third, Gaston to second]; Brown
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Colbert scored, Gaston to
third]; Campbell doubled to center [Gaston scored]; Barton
struck out; Norman flied to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets
2, Padres 2.

METS 3RD: Harrelson grounded out (third to first); Martinez
flied to center; Agee popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 2, Padres 2.

PADRES 3RD: Thomas struck out; Hernandez lined to center; Jeter
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Padres
2.

METS 4TH: Staub flied to center; Jones flied to right; Fregosi
singled to center; Beauchamp flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 2, Padres 2.

PADRES 4TH: Colbert grounded out (third to first); Gaston
grounded out (second to first); Brown grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Padres 2.

METS 5TH: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Gentry
grounded out (pitcher to first); Harrelson grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Padres 2.

PADRES 5TH: Campbell was called out on strikes; Barton walked;
On a bunt Norman forced Barton (third to shortstop); Thomas
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Padres 2.

METS 6TH: Martinez lined to third; Agee doubled to center; Staub
grounded out (second to first) [Agee to third]; Jones singled to
center [Agee scored]; Fregosi grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Padres 2.

PADRES 6TH: Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first); Jeter
grounded out (shortstop to first); Colbert flied to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Padres 2.

METS 7TH: Beauchamp popped to first; Grote homered; Gentry
struck out; Harrelson doubled to left; Martinez made an out to
shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 2.

PADRES 7TH: Gaston grounded out (shortstop to first); Brown
popped to catcher in foul territory; Campbell singled to left;
Barton singled to center [Campbell to second]; MASON RAN FOR
BARTON; LEE BATTED FOR NORMAN; Lee singled to right [Campbell to
third, Mason to second]; Thomas struck out; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 2.

METS 8TH: ROSS REPLACED LEE (PITCHING); KENDALL REPLACED MASON
(PLAYING C ); Agee was called out on strikes; Staub singled to
right; Jones walked [Staub to second]; Fregosi grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Jones out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 2.

PADRES 8TH: KRANEPOOL REPLACED BEAUCHAMP (PLAYING 1B); Hernandez
doubled to right; MCGRAW REPLACED GENTRY (PITCHING); Jeter
grounded out (third to first) [Hernandez to third]; Colbert
lined out on a sacrifice fly to left [Hernandez scored]; Gaston
lined to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 3.

METS 9TH: Kranepool lined to center; Grote singled to left;
McGraw out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [Grote to
second]; Ross threw a wild pitch [Grote to third]; Harrelson
flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 3.

PADRES 9TH: Brown singled to center; Campbell out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Brown to second]; Kendall struck out;
MORALES BATTED FOR ROSS; Morales struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 4, Padres 3.