Homers by Richie Hebner and Richie Zisk overpowered the Mets, 7-3, and carried the Pirates into first place in the East Division by one game over the Cardinals, who lost to the Cubs. Rennie Stennett, who collected four hits, opened with a double, stopped at third on a single by Manny Sanguillen and scored when Al Oliver hit into a double play. The Mets came back with a run off Jim Rooker in their half of the first on a double by Don Hahn, safe bunt by Felix Millan and infield out by Rusty Staub.

The Pirates then took command in the third when Willie Stargell and Zisk walked with one away and, after the second out, Hebner homered off Tug McGraw. Oliver doubled and Zisk hit for the circuit to kayo McGraw in the fifth. Staub homered for the Mets in the sixth, but the Pirates added a run in the eighth on a single by Hebner, a sacrifice and Stennett's fourth hit before Benny Ayala ended the scoring with a homer for the Mets in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 7, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Saturday, September 28, 1974 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      1  0  3    0  2  0    0  1  0  -   7 13  0
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   3 10  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           5   1   4   1     0   0   .295      Hahn cf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .244
Sanguillen c          5   0   2   0     0   0   .284      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .268
Oliver cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .320      Staub rf              4   1   1   2     0   0   .261
Stargell lf           1   1   0   0     3   0   .307      Ayala lf              4   1   2   1     0   1   .211
  Clines lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .222      Milner 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .251
Zisk rf               3   2   3   2     2   0   .312      Martinez ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .212
Robertson 1b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .226      Dyer c                4   0   0   0     0   0   .209
  Dilone pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garrett 3b            3   0   1   0     1   1   .226
  Kirkpatrick 1b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .254      McGraw p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .071
Hebner 3b             5   2   2   3     0   0   .297        Miller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .248        Pemberton ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Parker ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .290        Parker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mendoza ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Theodore ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .169
Rooker p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .301        Sterling p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Hampton ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   7  13   6     5   1             Totals               34   3  10   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 13,059
Left on Base: Pirates 10, Mets 6
DP: Pirates 3, Mets 2
Errors: Milner
Doubles: Stennett (29), Oliver (37), Hahn (13), Garrett (13)
Home Runs: Hebner (18), Zisk (17), Staub (19), Ayala (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Taveras (4)
GIDP: Oliver (19), Sanguillen (17), Millan 2 (12), Martinez (13)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker W(15-11)         8.2  10   3   3   2   3   2  35   2.78
Hernandez SV(2)         0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.67
Totals                  9    10   3   3   2   3   2  36

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGraw L(6-11)          4.1   7   6   6   4   0   2  23   4.16
Miller                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.58
Parker                  2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.92
Sterling                2     5   1   1   0   0   0  11   4.82
Totals                  9    13   7   7   5   1   2  44

Passed Balls: Dyer (4)
Wild Pitches: Sterling (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Art Williams


PIRATES 1ST: 57 minute rain delay before start of game;
Stennett doubled to center; Sanguillen singled to left [Stennett
to third]; Oliver grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Stennett scored (no RBI), Sanguillen out at
second]; Stargell walked; Zisk walked [Stargell to second];
Robertson popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Hahn doubled to left; On a bunt Millan singled to
third [Hahn to third]; Staub grounded out (first to second to
pitcher) [Hahn scored, Millan to second]; Ayala grounded out
(third to first); Milner singled to shortstop [Millan to third];
Martinez grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Mets 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner reached on an error by Milner; Taveras flied
to center; Rooker flied to right; Stennett singled to center
[Hebner to second]; Sanguillen forced Stennett (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Dyer grounded out (third to first); Garrett doubled to
left; McGraw was called out on strikes; Hahn popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Oliver grounded out (first to pitcher); Stargell
walked; Dyer allowed a passed ball [Stargell to second]; Zisk
walked; Robertson popped to first; Hebner homered [Stargell
scored, Zisk scored]; Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first);
3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Millan popped to second; Staub lined to right; Ayala
singled to left; Milner flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 4, Mets 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Rooker grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett
singled to center; Sanguillen grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Stennett out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Martinez flied to center; Dyer flied to center;
Garrett struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Mets 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Oliver doubled to left; Stargell grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Oliver to third]; Zisk homered [Oliver
scored]; MILLER REPLACED MCGRAW (PITCHING); Robertson grounded
out (shortstop to first); Hebner grounded out (third to first);
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: PEMBERTON BATTED FOR MILLER; Pemberton grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hahn walked; Millan grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Hahn out at second]; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 1.

PIRATES 6TH: PARKER REPLACED PEMBERTON (PITCHING); Taveras
grounded out (second to first); Rooker was called out on
strikes; Stennett flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
6, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Staub homered; Ayala was called out on strikes; Milner
singled to center; Martinez grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Milner out at second]; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Sanguillen grounded out (second to first); Oliver
grounded out (shortstop to first); Stargell walked; Zisk singled
to center [Stargell to second]; Robertson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: CLINES REPLACED STARGELL (PLAYING LF); Dyer grounded
out (second to first); Willie Stargell injured left knee
sliding on passed ball in third; Garrett popped to
shortstop; THEODORE BATTED FOR PARKER; Theodore grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Mets 2.

PIRATES 8TH: STERLING REPLACED THEODORE (PITCHING); Hebner
singled to right; Sterling threw a wild pitch [Hebner to
second]; Taveras out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first)
[Hebner to third]; Rooker grounded out (first unassisted); 7
minute rain delay; Stennett singled to right [Hebner
scored]; Sanguillen singled to right [Stennett to third]; Oliver
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
7, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: Hahn singled to left; Millan grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Hahn out at second]; Staub
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
7, Mets 2.

PIRATES 9TH: Clines lined to center; Zisk singled to left;
Robertson singled to center [Zisk to second]; DILONE RAN FOR
ROBERTSON; Hebner flied to right; PARKER BATTED FOR TAVERAS;
Parker grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 7, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: MENDOZA REPLACED PARKER (PLAYING SS); KIRKPATRICK
REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING 1B); Ayala homered; Milner grounded out
(first to pitcher); Martinez singled to left; Dyer flied to
center; Garrett walked [Martinez to second]; HERNANDEZ REPLACED
ROOKER (PITCHING); HAMPTON BATTED FOR STERLING; Hampton popped
to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 7, Mets 3.