Ed Kranepool and Joe Torre hit two-run homers to help the Mets win the first game of a doubleheader, 7-5, but Cesar Geronimo and Dave Concepcion drove in seven runs between them to lead the Reds to an 8-1 victory in the second game. Jon Matlack won his fourth straight decision for the Mets in the opener. After homers by Kranepool and Torre led to a 5-3 lead, the Mets put over the deciding pair in the eighth inning on two walks and two singles.

In the nightcap, Concepcion batted in four runs with a double and two singles. Geronimo accounted for three RBIs with a sacrifice fly and triple. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 7, Cincinnati Reds 5 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, May       16, 1976 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Mets         0  2  0    3  0  0    0  2  0  -   7 14  1
Reds         2  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  1  -   5  9  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Phillips ss,3b        5   0   1   0     0   0   .286      Rose 3b               4   1   2   1     0   0   .392
Millan 2b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .279      Concepcion ss         4   2   1   0     0   0   .207
Milner lf             5   0   1   0     0   2   .472      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Kingman rf,1b         4   3   3   0     1   0   .272      Perez 1b              4   1   1   2     0   1   .234
  Harrelson pr,ss     0   0   0   0     0   0   .242      Foster rf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .313
Kranepool 1b,rf       5   2   2   2     0   0   .267      Bailey lf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .316
Torre 3b,1b           5   1   2   2     0   2   .380      Youngblood cf         4   0   0   0     0   1   .286
Hodges c              3   1   2   0     1   0   .387      Flynn 2b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .292
Unser cf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .203      Nolan p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Matlack p             3   0   2   2     1   1   .167        Norman p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Armbrister ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Driessen ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .222

Totals               39   7  14   7     3   6             Totals               36   5   9   5     0   3

Time of Game: 2:36
Left on Base: Mets 8, Reds 4
DP: Mets 0, Reds 1
Errors: Hodges
Doubles: Hodges (1), Matlack (1), Bailey 2 (4)
Home Runs: Kranepool (3), Torre (2), Rose (3)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion 2 (6), Perez (3)
Caught Stealing: Torre (1)
GIDP: Milner (2)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack W(4-0)          9     9   5   5   0   3   1  36   2.87
Totals                  9     9   5   5   0   3   1  36

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan L(3-2)            4     9   5   5   0   2   2  19   2.82
Norman                  3     1   0   0   1   3   0  11   4.00
Borbon                  0.1   1   2   2   2   1   0   4   5.94
McEnaney                1.2   3   0   0   0   0   0   8   7.36
Totals                  9    14   7   7   3   6   2  42

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Bill Williams


METS 1ST: Phillips singled to right; Millan flied out to left;
Milner grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Phillips out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to center; Concepcion forced Rose
(shortstop to second) [Concepcion to first]; Concepcion stole
second; Bench grounded out (second to first) [Concepcion to
third]; Perez singled to left [Concepcion scored]; Perez stole
second [Perez to third (error by Hodges)]; Foster singled to
center [Perez scored]; Bailey flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 0, Reds 2.

METS 2ND: Kingman singled to third; Kranepool homered [Kingman
scored]; Torre singled to center; Torre was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Hodges singled to center; Unser
grounded out (first unassisted) [Hodges to second]; Matlack
struck out; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Reds 2.

REDS 2ND: Youngblood was called out on strikes; Flynn grounded
out (shortstop to first); Nolan grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Reds 2.

METS 3RD: Phillips grounded out (second to first); Millan flied
out to center; Milner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2,
Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: KINGMAN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); KRANEPOOL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Rose grounded out (shortstop to
first); Concepcion grounded out (third to first); Bench flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Reds 2.

METS 4TH: Kingman singled to third; Kranepool flied out to
right; Torre homered [Kingman scored]; Hodges doubled; Unser
grounded out (second to first) [Hodges to third]; Matlack
doubled [Hodges scored]; Phillips grounded out (second to
first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Perez flied out to center; Foster flied out to center;
Bailey doubled to left; Youngblood grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 2.

METS 5TH: NORMAN REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); Millan popped to
second; Milner struck out; Kingman flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Norman flied
out to center; Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 2.

METS 6TH: Kranepool flied out to center; Torre was called out on
strikes; Hodges flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
5, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: Concepcion singled to center; Concepcion stole second;
Bench flied out to right [Concepcion to third]; Perez grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Concepcion scored]; Foster grounded
out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 3.

METS 7TH: Unser singled to center; Matlack walked [Unser to
second]; Phillips forced Unser (pitcher to third) [Matlack to
second, Phillips to first]; Millan was called out on strikes;
Milner flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds
3.

REDS 7TH: Bailey grounded out (shortstop to first); Youngblood
flied out to left; Flynn singled to center; ARMBRISTER BATTED
FOR NORMAN; Armbrister grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Reds 3.

METS 8TH: BORBON REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); Kingman walked;
Kranepool singled to right [Kingman to second]; Torre was called
out on strikes; Hodges walked [Kingman to third, Kranepool to
second]; MCENANEY REPLACED BORBON (PITCHING); Unser forced
Hodges (second to shortstop) [Kingman scored, Kranepool to
third, Unser to first]; Matlack singled to shortstop [Kranepool
scored, Unser to second]; Phillips popped to shortstop; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 7, Reds 3.

REDS 8TH: Rose homered; Concepcion flied out to center; On a
bunt Bench grounded out (pitcher to first); Perez struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 7, Reds 4.

METS 9TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner
singled to center; Kingman singled to left [Milner to second];
HARRELSON RAN FOR KINGMAN; Kranepool flied out to center; Torre
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 7,
Reds 4.

REDS 9TH: PHILLIPS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); HARRELSON
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); TORRE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); Foster flied out to left; Bailey doubled to left;
Youngblood flied out to left; Flynn singled to center [Bailey
scored]; DRIESSEN BATTED FOR MCENANEY; Driessen struck out; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 7, Reds 5.