A passed ball on a third strike with two out in the ninth inning proved a break for the Pirates, who tied the score on the freak play and went on to defeat the Cubs in the 10th, 5-4, to win the East Division title over the Cardinals, who were rained out at Montreal. If the Pirates had lost, the Cards and Expos would have played the following morning, but that game was canceled after the Pirates won.

The Cubs scored all their runs off Jim Rooker in the first inning. Rick Monday walked and crossed the plate on singles by Don Kessinger and Jose Cardenal. Richie Hebner threw wildly to second after fielding a grounder by Bill Madlock, allowing Kessinger to score. Jerry Morales and Rob Sperring followed with singles, each driving in a run. The Pirates began their comeback with a run in the third on a walk to Frank Taveras, single by Rooker, a fly by Rennie Stennett sending Taveras to third after the catch, and infield out by Hebner. Taveras singled in the fifth and came around to score his second run when Rick Reuschel threw wildly on an infield hit by Stennett.

In the ninth, Reuschel lost his control and walked both Richie Zisk and Manny Sanguillen. Ed Kirkpatrick sacrificed. Pinch-hitter Dave Parker hit a bounding ball off Reuschel's glove to Sperring, who threw out the batter as Miguel Dilone, running for Zisk, scored. Bob Robertson batted for Dave Giusti and struck out on a 3-and-2 pitch, but the ball got away from catcher Swisher and bounced 15 feet to the left of the plate. Swisher still had time to throw out Robertson at first, but his peg hit the runner on the right shoulder and bounded away as Sanguillen scored the tying run.

In the 10th, with Ken Frailing pitching for the Cubs, Hebner struck out but Al Oliver hit an opposite-field triple to the left field corner. The Cubs walked Willie Stargell and pinch-hitter Gene Clines intentionally to load the bases before bringing Oscar Zamora to the mound. Sanguillen fouled off the first pitch and then topped a slow roller in the direction of third base. Madlock tried for a barehanded pick-up, but could not come up with the ball and it went for an infield hit that scored Oliver with the division-winning run. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 4

Game Played on Wednesday, October 2, 1974 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium

Cubs         4  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  -   4 10  3
Pirates      0  0  1    0  1  0    0  0  2    1  -   5  7  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Monday cf             3   1   2   0     2   0   .294      Stennett 2b           4   0   1   0     1   0   .291
Kessinger ss          4   1   1   0     0   0   .259      Hebner 3b             5   0   0   1     0   1   .291
Cardenal lf           5   1   2   1     0   0   .293      Oliver cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .321
Madlock 3b            5   1   1   1     0   0   .313      Stargell lf           3   0   0   0     2   3   .301
Morales rf            4   0   1   1     1   1   .273      Zisk rf               2   0   0   0     2   0   .313
Fanzone 1b            4   0   1   0     0   2   .190        Dilone pr,rf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Swisher c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .214        Clines ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .225
Sperring 2b           4   0   2   1     0   1   .206      Sanguillen c          4   1   3   1     1   0   .287
Reuschel p            3   0   0   0     0   2   .221      Kirkpatrick 1b        3   0   0   0     0   0   .247
  Frailing p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Taveras ss            2   2   1   0     1   0   .246
  Zamora p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .182        Parker ph           1   0   0   1     0   0   .282
                                                            Mendoza ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .221
                                                          Rooker p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .305
                                                            Popovich ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .217
                                                            Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .229
                                                            Augustine pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
                                                            Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               36   4  10   4     3   8             Totals               33   5   7   3     8   7

Time of Game: 2:57   Attendance: 22,725
Left on Base: Cubs 7, Pirates 9
DP: Cubs 3, Pirates 1
Errors: Swisher, Reuschel 2, Hebner
Triples: Oliver (12)
Caught Stealing: Morales (12), Sperring (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Reuschel (9), Kessinger (7), Kirkpatrick (4)
GIDP: Morales (14), Hebner (13), Zisk (12)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuschel                9     5   4   2   6   6   0  37   4.31
Frailing L(6-9)         0.1   1   1   1   2   1   0   4   3.88
Zamora                  0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.12
Totals                  9.1   7   5   3   8   7   0  42

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker                  7     9   4   2   2   4   0  31   2.78
Giusti                  2     0   0   0   1   4   0   7   3.32
Hernandez W(5-2)        1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.75
Totals                 10    10   4   2   3   8   0  41

Passed Balls: Swisher (6)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Shag Crawford


CUBS 1ST: Monday walked; Kessinger singled to center [Monday to
second]; Cardenal singled to center [Monday scored, Kessinger to
third]; Madlock reached on an error by Hebner [Kessinger scored,
Cardenal to third]; Morales singled to second [Cardenal scored
(unearned), Madlock to second]; Fanzone made an out to
shortstop; Swisher flied out to right [Madlock to third];
Sperring singled to right [Madlock scored (unearned), Morales to
third]; Reuschel was called out on strikes; 4 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett walked; Hebner grounded into a double play
(first to shortstop to first) [Stennett out at second]; Oliver
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 0.

CUBS 2ND: Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Kessinger
grounded out (second to first); Cardenal grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell struck out (catcher to first); Zisk
walked; Sanguillen made an out to second; Kirkpatrick grounded
out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates
0.

CUBS 3RD: Madlock flied out to left; Morales walked; Fanzone
singled to left [Morales to second]; Morales was caught stealing
third (catcher to third) [Fanzone to second]; Swisher struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras walked; Rooker singled to right [Taveras to
second]; Stennett flied out to center [Taveras to third]; Hebner
grounded out (second to first) [Taveras scored, Rooker to
second]; Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 1.

CUBS 4TH: Sperring singled to left; Reuschel out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Sperring to second]; Monday singled to
center [Sperring to third]; Sperring was caught stealing home
(catcher to third to catcher) [Monday to second]; Kessinger made
an out to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell struck out (catcher to first); Zisk
reached on an error by Reuschel; Sanguillen singled to left
[Zisk to third]; Kirkpatrick hit into a double play to center
[Zisk out at home (center to catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 4, Pirates 1.

CUBS 5TH: Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to first); Madlock
singled to center; Morales forced Madlock (second to shortstop);
Fanzone struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Taveras singled to left; On a bunt Rooker struck
out; Stennett singled to pitcher [Taveras scored (error by
Reuschel) (unearned), Stennett to second]; Hebner flied out to
center; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

CUBS 6TH: Swisher flied out to center; Sperring flied out to
left; Reuschel struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4,
Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Stargell walked; Zisk grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Stargell out at second]; Sanguillen
singled to center; Kirkpatrick grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

CUBS 7TH: Monday singled to center; Kessinger out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Monday to second]; Cardenal flied out
to left; Madlock made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Taveras grounded out (third to first); POPOVICH
BATTED FOR ROOKER; Popovich grounded out (second to first);
Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

CUBS 8TH: GIUSTI REPLACED POPOVICH (PITCHING); Morales struck
out; Fanzone was called out on strikes; Swisher struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Oliver flied
out to left; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4,
Pirates 2.

CUBS 9TH: Sperring struck out; Reuschel grounded out (shortstop
to first); Monday walked; Kessinger flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 9TH: Zisk walked; DILONE RAN FOR ZISK; Sanguillen walked
[Dilone to second]; Kirkpatrick out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Dilone to third, Sanguillen to second]; PARKER
BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Parker grounded out (second to first)
[Dilone scored, Sanguillen to third]; ROBERTSON BATTED FOR
GIUSTI; Robertson struck out but Sanguillen advanced to home and
Robertson advanced to second on a passed ball; Bob Robertson
was hit on the shoulder by Steve Swisher's throw 4 minute delay
to remove bottles from the field; AUGUSTINE RAN FOR
ROBERTSON; Stennett grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (1 ER),
0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 4.

CUBS 10TH: DILONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); MENDOZA REPLACED
PARKER (PLAYING SS); HERNANDEZ REPLACED AUGUSTINE (PITCHING);
Cardenal singled to center; Madlock forced Cardenal (shortstop
to second); Morales grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Madlock out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 10TH: FRAILING REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Hebner
struck out; Oliver tripled to left; Stargell was walked
intentionally; CLINES BATTED FOR DILONE; Clines was walked
intentionally [Stargell to second]; ZAMORA REPLACED FRAILING
(PITCHING); Sanguillen singled to third [Oliver scored, Stargell
to third, Clines to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 4,
Pirates 5.

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