With three homers in their attack, the Pirates defeated the Mets, 8-4, and increased their Eastern Division lead to four games over the Cardinals. The Mets and Phillies were tied for third, five games back. Bill Robinson started the Pirates' slugging with a circuit clout in the second, but the Mets came back with a two-run homer by Joe Torre in their half. A single by Frank Taveras, sacrifice by Ken Brett, single by Rennie Stennett and homer by Manny Sanguillen put the Pirates ahead again in the third, 4-2.

The Mets caught up in their half when Mike Vail tripled and Dave Kingman homered to kayo Brett, but they were handcuffed thereafter by the relief pitching of Kent Tekulve and Dave Giusti. The Pirates, meanwhile, broke the tie in the fourth. Richie Hebner singled and Taveras tripled. When Vail let the ball get past him in left field, Taveras also scored. One out later, Stennett hit the Pirates' third homer of the game. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 8, New York Mets 4
Game Played on Tuesday, September 2, 1975 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      0  1  3    3  1  0    0  0  0  -   8 12  0
Mets         0  2  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  6  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           5   2   3   2     0   0   .279      Clines cf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .224
Sanguillen c          4   1   1   2     0   1   .323        Unser ph,cf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .283
Oliver cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .277      Millan 2b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .298
Stargell 1b           4   0   1   0     1   1   .297      Vail lf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .380
Robinson lf           4   1   1   1     0   1   .280      Staub rf              3   0   0   1     1   0   .272
Parker rf             4   0   0   1     0   1   .312      Kingman 1b            3   2   1   1     1   1   .239
Hebner 3b             3   1   1   0     1   1   .255      Torre 3b              3   1   1   2     1   0   .257
Taveras ss            4   2   3   1     0   0   .212        Gallagher pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
Brett p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .227      Grote c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .296
  Tekulve p           2   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Harrelson ss          2   0   0   0     1   1   .211
  Giusti p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Hall p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
                                                            Garrett ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .261
                                                          Koosman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .164
                                                            Baldwin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Milner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .194
                                                            Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Phillips ph,ss      2   0   0   0     0   2   .248

Totals               35   8  12   7     2   8             Totals               30   4   6   4     5   5

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 26,486
Left on Base: Pirates 5, Mets 5
DP: Pirates 1, Mets 1
Errors: Vail
Doubles: Stargell (28), Oliver (33)
Triples: Taveras (4), Vail (1)
Home Runs: Robinson (5), Sanguillen (8), Stennett (7), Torre (6), Kingman (29)
Caught Stealing: Oliver (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Brett (1), Sanguillen (1), Koosman (6)
GIDP: Stennett (13), Grote (10)
Hit by Pitch: Oliver (5,by Koosman)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Brett                   2.2   5   4   4   2   1   2  14   3.27
Tekulve W(1-1)          3.1   1   0   0   1   1   0  12   2.37
Giusti SV(16)           3     0   0   0   2   3   0  10   2.35
Totals                  9     6   4   4   5   5   2  36

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(11-12)        3.2   8   7   7   0   3   3  19   3.73
Baldwin                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.48
Lockwood                3     2   1   1   1   5   0  11   1.48
Hall                    2     2   0   0   1   0   0   9   4.68
Totals                  9    12   8   8   2   8   3  40

Hit by Pitch: Koosman (4)
Wild Pitches: Lockwood (2)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Shag Crawford


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett grounded out (first to pitcher);
Sanguillen popped to first in foul territory; Oliver grounded
out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Clines flied out to right; Millan singled to left;
Vail singled to right [Millan out at third (right to
shortstop)]; Staub made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell grounded out (third to first); Robinson
homered; Parker grounded out (pitcher to second to first);
Hebner struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Kingman walked; Torre homered [Kingman scored]; Grote
was called out on strikes; Harrelson walked; Koosman out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Harrelson to second]; Clines
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
1, Mets 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras singled to right; Brett out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to second) [Taveras to second]; Stennett singled to
center [Taveras scored]; Sanguillen homered [Stennett scored];
Oliver was hit by a pitch; Oliver was picked off and caught
stealing second (pitcher to first to shortstop); Stargell
doubled to left; Robinson popped to first in foul territory; 3
R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Mets 2.

METS 3RD: Millan grounded out (pitcher to first); Vail tripled
to right; Staub grounded out (second to first) [Vail scored];
Kingman homered; TEKULVE REPLACED BRETT (PITCHING); Torre
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
4, Mets 4.

PIRATES 4TH: Parker struck out; Hebner singled to center;
Taveras tripled to left [Hebner scored, Taveras scored (error by
Vail) (no RBI)]; Tekulve struck out; Stennett homered; BALDWIN
REPLACED KOOSMAN (PITCHING); Sanguillen grounded out (pitcher to
first); 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 7, Mets 4.

METS 4TH: Grote grounded out (pitcher to first); Harrelson
struck out; MILNER BATTED FOR BALDWIN; Milner flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 7, Mets 4.

PIRATES 5TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED MILNER (PITCHING); Oliver doubled
to left; Lockwood threw a wild pitch [Oliver to third]; Stargell
walked; Robinson struck out; Parker forced Stargell (third to
second) [Oliver scored]; Hebner flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

METS 5TH: UNSER BATTED FOR CLINES; Unser flied out to left;
Millan singled to left; Vail lined to right; Staub walked
[Millan to second]; Kingman grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

PIRATES 6TH: UNSER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Taveras singled
to pitcher; Tekulve was called out on strikes; Stennett grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Taveras out
at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

METS 6TH: Torre grounded out (second to first); Grote flied out
to center; Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Sanguillen was called out on strikes; Oliver was
called out on strikes; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

METS 7TH: GIUSTI REPLACED TEKULVE (PITCHING); PHILLIPS BATTED
FOR LOCKWOOD; Phillips struck out; Unser flied out to left;
Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 8, Mets 4.

PIRATES 8TH: PHILLIPS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); HALL REPLACED
HARRELSON (PITCHING); Robinson grounded out (third to first);
Parker popped to shortstop; Hebner walked; Taveras grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: Vail popped to first in foul territory; Staub grounded
out (shortstop to first); Kingman was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Giusti singled to left; Stennett singled to left
[Giusti to second]; Sanguillen out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Giusti to third, Stennett to second]; Oliver flied out
to left; Stargell flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 8, Mets 4.

METS 9TH: Torre walked; GALLAGHER RAN FOR TORRE; Grote grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Gallagher out
at second]; GARRETT BATTED FOR HALL; Garrett walked; Phillips
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 8, Mets 4.