The Cardinals, who had lost four times to Steve Blass previously this season, erupted against the righthander for four runs in the fifth inning and defeated the Pirates, 4-0. Al Santorini pitched his second complete game and second shutout of the year.

The Cardinals began taking aim at Blass when Mick Kelleher doubled. Santorini bunted to Willie Stargell, who threw to third but Kelleher retreated safely to second and Santorini reached first on the fielder's choice. After Lou Brock went out, Ted Sizemore doubled to score Kelleher. Following an intentional pass to Jose Cruz, Joe Torre knocked in two runs with a single. Ted Simmons then singled off Blass' leg and when Stargell recovered the ball and threw wildly to third, Cruz continued home with the final run. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Game Played on Saturday, September 16, 1972 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  8  1
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  4  0    0  0  x  -   4 10  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Davalillo lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .321      Brock lf              4   0   2   0     1   0   .309
Stennett 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .288        Roque pr,cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .108
Clemente rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .316      Sizemore 2b           5   1   2   1     0   1   .266
Stargell 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .308      Cruz cf,lf            3   1   1   0     1   1   .232
Oliver cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .315      Torre 1b              3   0   1   2     1   0   .293
Hebner 3b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .305      Simmons c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .298
May c                 4   0   2   0     0   0   .301      Carbo rf              2   0   0   0     2   1   .252
J. Hernandez ss       1   0   0   0     1   0   .195      Reitz 3b              4   0   2   0     0   0   .435
  Sands ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kelleher ss           4   1   1   0     0   1   .231
  Alley ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .246      Santorini p           4   1   0   0     0   1   .054
Blass p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .173
  Zisk ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .100
  Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   0   8   0     1   3             Totals               33   4  10   3     5   5

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance: 11,850
Left on Base: Pirates 8, Cardinals 10
DP: Pirates 1, Cardinals 2
Errors: Stargell, Kelleher
Doubles: Oliver (24), Hebner (22), May (10), Kelleher (1), Sizemore (16)
GIDP: Stargell (7), Reitz (3)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass L(17-7)           6     9   4   3   4   5   0  30   2.44
Miller                  2     1   0   0   1   0   0   8   1.88
Totals                  8    10   4   3   5   5   0  38

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Santorini W(7-10)       9     8   0   0   1   3   0  35   4.40
Totals                  9     8   0   0   1   3   0  35

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Frank Pulli, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Shag Crawford


PIRATES 1ST: Davalillo singled to center; Stennett singled to
center [Davalillo to second]; Clemente hit into a double play
(right to third) [Davalillo out at third]; Stargell struck out;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to left; Brock was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Sizemore struck out; Cruz singled to right;
Torre grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver doubled to right; Hebner flied out to left;
May popped to shortstop; J. Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (third to first); Carbo
struck out; Reitz singled to left; Kelleher flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

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

CARDINALS 3RD: Santorini struck out; Brock popped to second;
Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Clemente grounded out (shortstop to first);
Stargell popped to second; Oliver grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Cruz struck out; Torre walked; Simmons flied out
to left; Carbo walked [Torre to second]; Reitz flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Hebner struck out; May grounded out (first
unassisted); J. Hernandez walked; Blass singled to shortstop [J.
Hernandez to second]; Davalillo flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Kelleher doubled to left; On a bunt Santorini
reached on a fielder's choice [Kelleher stayed at second]; Brock
flied out to center; Sizemore doubled to left [Kelleher scored,
Santorini to third]; Cruz was walked intentionally; Torre
singled to left [Santorini scored, Sizemore scored, Cruz to
second]; Simmons singled to first [Cruz scored (error by
Stargell) (unearned) (no RBI), Torre to third, Simmons to
second]; Ted Simmons ball caromed off Steve Blass's leg to
Willie Stargell; Carbo was walked intentionally; Reitz
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Carbo
out at second]; 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Cardinals 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Stennett flied out to left; Clemente singled to
right; Stargell grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Clemente out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Kelleher struck out; Santorini grounded out
(shortstop to first); Brock singled to center; Sizemore singled
to pitcher [Brock to second]; Cruz lined to pitcher; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Oliver flied out to right; Hebner doubled to right;
May singled to right [Hebner to third, May to second (on
throw)]; SANDS BATTED FOR J. HERNANDEZ; Sands popped to
shortstop; ZISK BATTED FOR BLASS; Zisk was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: ALLEY REPLACED SANDS (PLAYING SS); MILLER
REPLACED ZISK (PITCHING); Torre popped to catcher in foul
territory; Simmons flied out to right; Carbo grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

PIRATES 8TH: Davalillo grounded out (first unassisted); Stennett
flied out to right; Clemente reached on an error by Kelleher
[Clemente to first]; Stargell grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: Reitz singled to left; Kelleher grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Reitz to second]; Santorini flied out to
center; Brock was walked intentionally; ROQUE RAN FOR BROCK;
Sizemore forced Roque (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Cardinals 4.

PIRATES 9TH: ROQUE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Oliver grounded out (first unassisted);
Hebner popped to third; May doubled to right; Alley popped to
catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Cardinals 4.