The Pirates reduced their "magic number" to three in the East Division race by defeating the Cubs, 5-2. The victory increased the Pirates' lead over the runner-up Cubs to 15 games. Bob Moose, who started for the Pirates, pitched 6 1/3 innings before being forced off the mound when Jose Cardenal lined a single off his wrist. The hit was only the third given up by Moose. Ramon Hernandez relieved and held the Cubs hitless the rest of the way.

The Pirates, who were shut out by Rick Reuschel for the first five frames, ripped into the rookie for three runs in the sixth on a double by Al Oliver, single by Manny Sanguillen, double by Gene Alley and single by Moose. Singles by Rennie Stennett and Roberto Clemente, an infield out by Willie Stargell and single by Oliver added the Pirates' final run in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 2
Game Played on Thursday, September 14, 1972 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  3    2  0  0  -   5 15  3
Cubs         0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  3  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clines lf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .338      Kessinger ss          5   0   0   0     0   0   .279
Stennett 2b           5   1   2   0     0   0   .291      Cardenal rf           5   0   1   0     0   1   .289
Clemente rf           5   1   2   0     0   0   .317      Williams lf           4   0   0   0     1   0   .336
Stargell 1b           5   0   1   1     0   0   .313      Hickman 1b            3   2   0   0     1   1   .274
Oliver cf             5   1   3   1     0   1   .318      Santo 3b              3   0   1   0     1   1   .304
Hebner 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .306      Monday cf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .248
Sanguillen c          4   1   2   1     0   0   .301      Hendricks c           3   0   0   0     1   1   .150
Alley ss              4   1   1   1     0   0   .246      Fanzone 2b            3   0   0   1     1   0   .225
Moose p               2   0   1   1     0   0   .172      Reuschel p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .128
  R. Hernandez p      1   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Hiser ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .267
                                                            Bonham p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Gura p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            North ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .168

Totals               39   5  15   5     1   1             Totals               32   2   3   2     7   4

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance:  4,603
Left on Base: Pirates 9, Cubs 10
DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 2
Errors: Hebner, Alley 2
Doubles: Oliver (23), Alley (12), Monday (18)
Triples: Clines (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Moose (5)
GIDP: Sanguillen (9), Hebner (8), Fanzone (5)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Moose W(11-8)           6.1   3   2   1   6   2   0  29   3.08
R. Hernandez SV(13)     2.2   0   0   0   1   2   0  10   1.65
Totals                  9     3   2   1   7   4   0  39

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel L(8-8)         6    11   3   3   1   0   0  28   3.13
Bonham                  0.1   4   2   2   0   0   0   5   3.57
Gura                    2.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   8   5.40
Totals                  9    15   5   5   1   1   0  41

Wild Pitches: Moose (6)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Ed Vargo


PIRATES 1ST: Clines grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett
grounded out (second to first); Clemente singled to right;
Stargell grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Kessinger grounded out (first unassisted); Cardenal
popped to catcher in foul territory; Williams walked; Hickman
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver flied out to left; Hebner singled to left;
Sanguillen grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Hebner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Santo walked; Monday forced Santo (pitcher to
shortstop); Moose threw a wild pitch [Monday to second];
Hendricks flied out to right [Monday to third]; Fanzone flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Alley grounded out (third to first); Moose grounded
out (second to first); Clines tripled to left; Stennett flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Reuschel grounded out (second to first); Kessinger
flied out to right; Cardenal flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Clemente flied out to right; Stargell singled to
left; Oliver singled to center [Stargell to second]; Hebner
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Oliver out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Williams grounded out (second to first); Hickman
walked; Santo singled to right [Hickman to third]; Monday
doubled to left [Hickman scored, Santo to third]; Hendricks was
walked intentionally; Fanzone grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Hendricks out at second]; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Sanguillen singled to left; Alley flied to right in
foul territory; Moose out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Sanguillen to second]; Clines walked; Stennett singled to
shortstop [Sanguillen to third, Clines to second]; Clemente
flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: Reuschel popped to first in foul territory; Kessinger
grounded out (second to first); Cardenal struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Stargell grounded out (third to first); Oliver
doubled to left; Hebner grounded out (second to first) [Oliver
to third]; Sanguillen singled to center [Oliver scored]; Alley
doubled to left [Sanguillen scored, Alley to third]; Moose
singled to first [Alley scored]; Clines grounded out (pitcher to
first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: Williams grounded out (second to first); Hickman
reached on an error by Hebner [Hickman to first]; Santo reached
on an error by Alley [Hickman to second, Santo to first]; Monday
walked [Hickman to third, Santo to second]; Hendricks popped to
shortstop; Fanzone walked [Hickman scored (unearned), Santo to
third, Monday to second]; HISER BATTED FOR REUSCHEL; Hiser
grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.
Pirates 3, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 7TH: BONHAM REPLACED HISER (PITCHING); Stennett singled
to center; Clemente singled to right [Stennett to third];
Stargell grounded out (second to first) [Stennett scored,
Clemente to second]; Oliver singled to center [Clemente scored];
Hebner singled to center [Oliver to second]; GURA REPLACED
BONHAM (PITCHING); Sanguillen popped to first in foul territory;
Alley flied out to center; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 5,
Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Kessinger flied out to right; Cardenal singled to
pitcher; Jose Cardenal's line drive hit Bob Moose's right
wrist; R. HERNANDEZ REPLACED MOOSE (PITCHING); Williams
flied out to left; Hickman forced Cardenal (third to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 8TH: R. Hernandez flied out to right; Clines grounded
out (pitcher to first); Stennett grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: Santo struck out; Monday reached on an error by Alley
[Monday to first]; Hendricks struck out; Fanzone forced Monday
(third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 9TH: Clemente lined to shortstop; Stargell grounded out
(second to first); Oliver struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 9TH: NORTH BATTED FOR GURA; North walked; Kessinger popped
to first in foul territory; Cardenal flied out to left; Williams
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
5, Cubs 2.