The Pirates clinched their third straight East Division title by defeating the Mets, 6-2, to extinguish the last hopes of the second-place Cubs. The Pirates scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the first inning on a walk to Rennie Stennett, a stolen base, wild throw by catcher Joe Nolan and a passed ball.

However, in the third, the Pirates swung their bats for five runs. Vic Davalillo, Stennett and Roberto Clemente all singled for the first tally before Gary Gentry left the mound complaining of a sore hip. After Ray Sadecki relieved, Al Oliver walked to load the bases. Richie Hebner singled for two runs and two others followed on singles by Milt May and Bob Robertson. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 6, New York Mets 2
Game Played on Thursday, September 21, 1972 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      1  0  5    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 12  1
Mets         0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Davalillo lf          5   1   2   0     0   0   .322      Garrett 3b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .227
Stennett 2b           4   2   1   0     1   1   .288      Boswell 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .202
Clemente rf           5   1   2   1     0   1   .314      Kranepool 1b          4   1   1   1     0   0   .261
Oliver cf             4   1   2   0     1   0   .315      Staub rf              3   0   1   1     1   0   .306
Hebner 3b             4   1   1   2     0   0   .304      Jones lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .255
May c                 4   0   1   1     0   0   .295      Schneck cf            2   0   1   0     2   1   .191
Robertson 1b          4   0   1   1     0   3   .191      Nolan c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Alley ss              2   0   1   0     0   0   .242      Harrelson ss          4   0   0   0     0   0   .218
  J. Hernandez ss     1   0   0   0     1   0   .191      Gentry p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .104
Blass p               4   0   1   0     0   1   .177        Sadecki p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .154
                                                            Hahn ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .200
                                                            Webb p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Marshall ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .255
                                                            Strom p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Beauchamp ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .239

Totals               37   6  12   5     3   6             Totals               33   2   7   2     3   7

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 10,991
Left on Base: Pirates 7, Mets 7
DP: Pirates 1, Mets 2
Errors: May, Nolan
Doubles: Kranepool (13)
Triples: Alley (2)
Stolen Bases: Stennett (4)
GIDP: Blass (1), Stennett (15), Boswell (14)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass W(18-7)           9     7   2   2   3   7   0  36   2.42
Totals                  9     7   2   2   3   7   0  36

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gentry L(7-10)          2     5   4   4   1   2   0  12   4.01
Sadecki                 3     6   2   2   1   1   0  14   2.97
Webb                    2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   4.38
Strom                   2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   6.91
Totals                  9    12   6   6   3   6   0  40

Passed Balls: Nolan (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Tom Gorman


PIRATES 1ST: Davalillo flied out to right; Stennett walked;
Stennett stole second [Stennett to third (error by Nolan)];
Nolan allowed a passed ball [Stennett scored]; Clemente struck
out; Oliver singled to left; Hebner flied out to center; 1 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Garrett singled to center; Boswell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Garrett out at
second]; Kranepool grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: May flied out to right; Robertson struck out; Alley
tripled to right; Blass grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Staub walked; Jones grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Staub to second]; Staub was picked off second but was safe on
an error by May [Staub to third]; Schneck was called out on
strikes; Nolan struck out; Debut game for Joe Nolan; 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Davalillo singled to center; Stennett singled to
center [Davalillo to second]; Clemente singled to right
[Davalillo scored, Stennett to third, Clemente to second (on
throw)]; SADECKI REPLACED GENTRY (PITCHING); Oliver walked;
Hebner singled to right [Stennett scored, Clemente scored,
Oliver to third]; May singled to center [Oliver scored, Hebner
to second]; Robertson singled to left [Hebner scored, May to
second]; Alley flied out to center [May to third]; Blass
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Robertson out at second]; 5 R, 6 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 6,
Mets 0.

METS 3RD: J. HERNANDEZ REPLACED ALLEY (PLAYING SS); Harrelson
grounded out (first to pitcher); Sadecki struck out; Garrett
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
6, Mets 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Davalillo singled to third; Stennett grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Davalillo out at
second]; Clemente singled to first; Oliver singled to center
[Clemente to second]; Hebner popped to second; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Boswell grounded out (shortstop to first); Kranepool
doubled to left; Staub singled to center [Kranepool scored];
Jones singled to right [Staub to second]; Schneck walked [Staub
to third, Jones to second]; Nolan popped to second; Harrelson
flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 1.

PIRATES 5TH: May grounded out (first unassisted); Robertson
struck out; J. Hernandez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: HAHN BATTED FOR SADECKI; Hahn struck out; Garrett
singled to center; Boswell singled to right [Garrett to third];
Kranepool forced Boswell (first to shortstop) [Garrett scored];
Staub forced Kranepool (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

PIRATES 6TH: WEBB REPLACED HAHN (PITCHING); Blass struck out;
Davalillo grounded out (second to first); Stennett struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Jones flied out to center; Schneck singled to center;
Nolan flied out to right; Harrelson forced Schneck (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Clemente lined to shortstop; Oliver grounded out
(second to first); Hebner grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: MARSHALL BATTED FOR WEBB; Marshall grounded out
(shortstop to first); Garrett grounded out (second to first);
Boswell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 6, Mets 2.

PIRATES 8TH: STROM REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); May flied out
to right; Robertson was called out on strikes; J. Hernandez
walked; Blass singled to right [J. Hernandez to second];
Davalillo forced Blass (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: Kranepool flied out to center; Staub flied out to
right; Jones struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets
2.

PIRATES 9TH: Stennett flied out to center; Clemente flied out to
left; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: Schneck walked; Nolan struck out; Harrelson forced
Schneck (pitcher to shortstop); BEAUCHAMP BATTED FOR STROM;
Beauchamp struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.