The Pirates, who held a commemorative service for Roberto Clemente to mark their opening game, thrilled the crowd of 51,895 at Three Rivers Stadium by coming from behind to defeat the Cardinals, 7-5. The Cardinals took a 5-0 lead against Steve Blass before the Pirates picked up a run in the sixth inning and added another on a homer by Richie Hebner in the seventh.

With one out in the eighth, Manny Sanguillen and Al Oliver singled and Willie Stargell walked to load the bases, leading to the exit of Bob Gibson. Diego Segui, relieving, struck out Bob Robertson, but Hebner doubled to drive in two runs. Gene Clines, batting for Pirate reliever Jim Rooker, slashed a line drive to left-center field and the ball glanced off the fingertips of Lou Brock's glove for a triple, two runs scoring to put the Pirates ahead. Clines then counted the final tally when Dave Cash was safe on Ray Busse's second error of the game. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 7, St. Louis Cardinals 5
Game Played on Friday, April     6, 1973 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Cardinals    0  3  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   5  7  2
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  1    1  5  x  -   7  8  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              4   0   1   1     1   0   .250      Stennett 2b,ss        4   1   0   0     1   0   .000
Sizemore 2b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Sanguillen rf         4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
J. Cruz cf            2   1   0   0     2   1   .000      Oliver cf             3   1   2   1     0   0   .667
Torre 1b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .333      Stargell lf           2   1   0   0     2   2   .000
Simmons c             3   1   0   1     1   1   .000        R. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Reitz 3b              4   0   1   1     0   0   .250      Robertson 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Carbo rf              3   1   2   1     0   0   .667      Hebner 3b             4   2   3   3     0   0   .750
  Melendez ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Alley ss              2   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Busse ss              4   1   1   0     0   0   .250        Rooker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gibson p              2   0   0   1     0   0   .000        Clines ph,lf        1   1   1   2     0   0  1.000
  Segui p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      May c                 3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Stein ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Blass p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Davalillo ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Walker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cash ph,2b          2   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               30   5   7   5     5   3             Totals               31   7   8   6     5   5

Time of Game: 2:02   Attendance: 51,695
Left on Base: Cardinals 5, Pirates 6
DP: Cardinals 2, Pirates 0
Errors: Busse 2
Doubles: Busse (1), Hebner (1)
Triples: Oliver (1), Clines (1)
Home Runs: Hebner (1)
Caught Stealing: Brock (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Gibson (1), Oliver (1)
GIDP: Sanguillen (1), Robertson (1)
Hit by Pitch: Torre (1,by Blass)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Gibson                  7.1   6   5   4   4   4   1  31   4.91
Segui L(0-1)            0.2   2   2   1   1   1   0   6  13.50
Totals                  8     8   7   5   5   5   1  37

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blass                   5     5   5   5   4   1   0  22   9.00
Walker                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   0.00
Rooker W(1-0)           1     1   0   0   0   2   0   4   0.00
R. Hernandez SV(1)      1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9     7   5   5   5   3   0  37

Passed Balls: Simmons (1)
Hit by Pitch: Blass (1)
Wild Pitches: Blass (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Terry Tata


CARDINALS 1ST: Debut for umpire Terry Tata; Brock walked;
Brock was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Sizemore
flied out to center; J. Cruz walked; Torre struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett reached on an error by Busse [Stennett to
first]; Sanguillen grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Stennett out at second]; Oliver grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Pirates 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons walked; Reitz singled to left [Simmons to
third, Reitz out at second (left to pitcher to second)]; Carbo
singled to left [Simmons scored]; Busse doubled to right [Carbo
to third]; Gibson hit a sacrifice fly to right [Carbo scored];
Blass threw a wild pitch [Busse to third]; Brock singled to left
[Busse scored]; Brock was picked off first (pitcher to first); 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell walked; Robertson grounded into a double
play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Stargell out at second];
Hebner flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Pirates 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Sizemore singled to left; J. Cruz walked
[Sizemore to second]; Torre was hit by a pitch [Sizemore to
third, J. Cruz to second]; Simmons grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Sizemore scored, J. Cruz to third, Torre to second];
Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first) [J. Cruz scored, Torre
to third]; Carbo grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Alley grounded out (shortstop to first); May
grounded out (second to first); Blass grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Busse grounded out (shortstop to first); Gibson
lined to shortstop; Brock flied to left in foul territory; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stennett grounded out (second to first); Sanguillen
grounded out (second to first); Oliver tripled to right;
Stargell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates
0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Sizemore grounded out (second to first); J. Cruz
popped to shortstop; Torre lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Robertson popped to second; Hebner singled to
right; Alley walked [Hebner to second]; May flied out to right;
DAVALILLO BATTED FOR BLASS; Davalillo popped to first; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: WALKER REPLACED DAVALILLO (PITCHING); Simmons
grounded out (third to first); Reitz grounded out (pitcher to
first); Carbo singled to pitcher; Busse grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Stennett walked; Simmons allowed a passed ball
[Stennett to second]; Sanguillen singled to right [Stennett to
third]; Oliver hit a sacrifice fly to center [Stennett scored
(unearned)]; Stargell struck out; Robertson flied out to left; 1
R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: Gibson flied out to right; Brock grounded out
(pitcher to first); Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Hebner homered; Alley was called out on strikes;
May flied out to center; CASH BATTED FOR WALKER; Cash struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: CASH STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); STENNETT
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); ROOKER REPLACED ALLEY
(PITCHING); J. Cruz was called out on strikes; Torre singled to
right; Simmons struck out; Reitz grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Stennett flied out to right; Sanguillen singled to
center; Oliver singled to left [Sanguillen to third]; Stargell
walked [Oliver to second]; SEGUI REPLACED GIBSON (PITCHING);
Robertson struck out; Hebner doubled to left [Sanguillen scored,
Oliver scored, Stargell to third]; CLINES BATTED FOR ROOKER;
Clines tripled to left [Stargell scored, Hebner scored]; May was
walked intentionally; Cash reached on an error by Busse [Clines
scored (unearned) (no RBI), May to second, Cash to first];
Stennett forced Cash (third to second); 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 7.

CARDINALS 9TH: R. HERNANDEZ REPLACED STARGELL (PITCHING); CLINES
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); MELENDEZ BATTED FOR CARBO; Melendez
walked; Busse flied out to center; STEIN BATTED FOR SEGUI; Stein
flied out to right; Brock flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 5, Pirates 7.