A three-base error by outfielder Ollie Brown and single by Mario Mendoza were the combination that enabled the Pirates to post a 5-4 victory over the Phillies in the season opening game for both teams. Brown dropped Richie Hebner's long fly ball with two out in the 11th inning and Mendoza then followed with a grounder up the middle.

The Phils had rallied for three runs and a 4-3 lead going into the ninth but the Bucs tied it on Bill Robinson's sacrifice fly that scored Dave Parker. The throw to the plate appeared to have Parker beaten but he bowled over catcher Johnny Oates who was stunned and could not hold the ball. Oates suffered a broken collarbone on the play and will be out six to eight weeks. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4

Game Played on Saturday, April 10, 1976 (Day game) at Veterans Stadium

Pirates      1  0  0    0  1  1    0  0  1    0  1  -   5 12  1
Phillies     0  1  0    0  0  0    0  3  0    0  0  -   4  9  2


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           5   1   2   1     0   1   .400      Cash 2b               5   1   1   0     1   1   .200
Sanguillen c          5   1   1   0     0   0   .200      Bowa ss               6   0   2   0     0   0   .333
Oliver cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .400      Schmidt 3b            5   1   0   0     1   3   .000
Stargell 1b           4   0   3   2     1   1   .750      Luzinski lf           3   1   2   0     1   0   .667
Zisk lf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Martin pr,lf        1   1   1   0     0   0  1.000
Parker rf             4   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Allen 1b              3   0   1   2     1   0   .333
Hebner 3b             5   2   2   0     0   0   .400      Johnstone rf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Taveras ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Brown ph,rf         1   0   0   1     0   0   .000
  Kirkpatrick ph      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Maddox cf             2   0   0   1     2   0   .000
  Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Oates c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .500
  Mendoza ss          1   0   1   1     0   0  1.000        Boone c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Medich p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Kaat p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Tolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Christenson p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Robinson ph         0   0   0   1     0   0   .000        McGraw p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Demery p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               42   5  12   5     2   3             Totals               38   4   9   4     6   5

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 42,147
Left on Base: Pirates 7, Phillies 11
DP: Pirates 0, Phillies 1
Errors: Stargell, Johnstone, Brown
Doubles: Stargell (1), Hebner (1), Luzinski (1)
Stolen Bases: Bowa (1)
Caught Stealing: Allen (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Kaat (1), Allen (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Robinson (1), Maddox (1), Brown (1)
GIDP: Medich (1)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich                  7.1   5   3   3   3   4   0  30   3.68
Giusti                  0     1   1   1   1   0   0   2   0.00
Hernandez               0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   0.00
Demery W(1-0)           3     3   0   0   1   1   0  13   0.00
Totals                 11     9   4   4   6   5   0  48

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat                    7     9   3   2   0   1   0  27   2.57
Christenson             1     2   1   1   2   1   0   7   9.00
McGraw L(0-1)           3     1   1   0   0   1   0  11   0.00
Totals                 11    12   5   3   2   3   0  45

Wild Pitches: Christenson (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Dutch Rennert


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett singled to center; Sanguillen grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Stennett to second]; Oliver grounded out
(second to first) [Stennett to third]; Stargell doubled to right
[Stennett scored]; Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: Cash grounded out (second to first); Bowa grounded
out (pitcher to first); Schmidt flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Parker grounded out (third to first); Hebner flied
out to left; Taveras flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Luzinski doubled to left; Allen walked; Johnstone
reached on an error by Stargell [Luzinski to third, Allen to
second]; Maddox hit a sacrifice fly to left [Luzinski scored];
Oates grounded out (second to first) [Allen to third, Johnstone
to second]; Kaat grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Medich grounded out (third to first); Stennett
grounded out (second to first); Sanguillen flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 3RD: Cash walked; Bowa flied out to center; Schmidt
struck out; Luzinski flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver flied out to right; Stargell singled to
center; Zisk flied out to center; Parker flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Allen flied out to left; Johnstone flied out to
center; Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Hebner singled to right [Hebner to second (error by
Johnstone)]; Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Medich
struck out; Stennett singled to left [Hebner scored (unearned),
Stennett out at second (left to third to second)]; 1 R (0 ER), 2
H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: Oates singled to second; Kaat out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Oates to second]; Cash was called out
on strikes; Bowa grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen singled to center; Oliver singled to
right [Sanguillen to second]; Stargell singled to center
[Sanguillen scored, Oliver out at third (center to third)]; Zisk
flied out to right; Parker grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: Schmidt struck out; Luzinski singled to center;
Allen forced Luzinski (shortstop to second); Allen was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Taveras
singled to center; On a bunt Medich grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to second) [Taveras out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 7TH: Johnstone was called out on strikes; Maddox popped
to first; Oates singled to center; TOLAN BATTED FOR KAAT; Tolan
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Phillies 1.

PIRATES 8TH: CHRISTENSON REPLACED TOLAN (PITCHING); Stennett was
called out on strikes; Sanguillen grounded out (first
unassisted); Oliver singled to center; Christenson threw a wild
pitch [Oliver to second]; Stargell was walked intentionally;
Zisk flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 8TH: Cash singled to center; Bowa flied out to right;
Schmidt walked [Cash to second]; GIUSTI REPLACED MEDICH
(PITCHING); Luzinski walked [Cash to third, Schmidt to second];
MARTIN RAN FOR LUZINSKI; Allen singled to center [Cash scored,
Schmidt scored, Martin to third]; BROWN BATTED FOR JOHNSTONE;
HERNANDEZ REPLACED GIUSTI (PITCHING); Brown hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Martin scored, Allen to second]; Maddox was walked
intentionally; Oates flied out to left; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 3, Phillies 4.

PIRATES 9TH: MARTIN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BROWN STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING RF); Parker walked; Hebner doubled to right
[Parker to third]; KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR TAVERAS; MCGRAW
REPLACED CHRISTENSON (PITCHING); ROBERTSON BATTED FOR
KIRKPATRICK; Robertson made an out to third; ROBINSON BATTED FOR
HERNANDEZ; Robinson hit a sacrifice fly to left [Parker
scored]; Johnny Oates left with broken collarbone after
collision with Dave Parker; BOONE REPLACED OATES (PLAYING C
); Stennett flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
4, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 9TH: MENDOZA REPLACED ROBERTSON (PLAYING SS); DEMERY
REPLACED ROBINSON (PITCHING); McGraw grounded out (second to
first); Cash flied out to center; Bowa singled to center; Bowa
stole second; Schmidt struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
4, Phillies 4.

PIRATES 10TH: Sanguillen grounded out (shortstop to first);
Oliver grounded out (second to first); Stargell struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 10TH: Martin singled to center; Allen out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Martin to second]; Brown
grounded out (third to first); Maddox was walked intentionally;
Boone popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Phillies 4.

PIRATES 11TH: Zisk flied out to right; Parker flied out to left;
Hebner reached on an error by Brown [Hebner to third]; Mendoza
singled to center [Hebner scored (unearned)]; Demery popped to
catcher in foul territory; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
5, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 11TH: HUTTON BATTED FOR MCGRAW; Hutton grounded out
(second to first); Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Bowa
singled to left; Schmidt popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Phillies 4.

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