The Pirates piled up 17 hits, including four for Dave Parker in four trips, and won the opener of a twi-night doubleheader, 12-3, but the Mets salvaged a split with a 4-2 victory in the nightcap. Willie Stargell batted in four runs in the first game, as the Pirates pinned the defeat on Tom Seaver, who was lifted for a pinch-hitter after giving up five runs in the fifth inning. The Pirates added five more in the seventh and concluded their scoring with a two-run homer by Stargell in the eighth.

Nino Espinosa, with help from two relievers, notched his first major league victory for the Mets in the second game. John Milner batted in three of the Mets' runs with a sacrifice fly and homer. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 12, New York Mets 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, August    7, 1976 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Mets         0  1  0    0  0  1    1  0  0  -   3 10  2
Pirates      0  0  0    0  5  0    5  2  x  -  12 17  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mangual cf            5   0   1   0     0   2   .242      Stennett 2b           5   2   2   1     0   1   .269
Boisclair lf          5   1   1   0     0   1   .275      Hebner 3b             5   3   3   1     0   1   .226
Milner 1b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Oliver cf             4   1   1   0     1   0   .332
Vail rf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .283      Stargell 1b           4   2   2   4     0   1   .253
Grote c               4   1   2   0     0   0   .254      Parker rf             4   1   4   2     1   0   .306
Staiger 3b            3   0   1   1     1   0   .243      Zisk lf               5   1   2   1     0   2   .285
Phillips 2b           4   0   3   1     0   0   .257      Dyer c                4   1   1   0     1   0   .225
Harrelson ss          2   0   0   0     2   0   .218      Mendoza ss            4   1   2   2     0   2   .197
Seaver p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .089      Kison p               4   0   0   0     0   1   .195
  Dwyer ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .178
  Sanders p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Myrick p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hodges ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .268

Totals               36   3  10   3     3   4             Totals               39  12  17  11     3   8

Time of Game: 2:32
Left on Base: Mets 9, Pirates 7
DP: Mets 0, Pirates 0
Errors: Staiger, Harrelson
Doubles: Staiger (6), Vail (2), Zisk 2 (26), Hebner 2 (14), Parker (17), Mendoza (2)
Home Runs: Stargell (15)
Caught Stealing: Parker (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Stargell (4)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver L(9-7)           5     8   5   5   2   7   0  24   2.65
Sanders                 1     2   2   2   0   1   0   5   2.31
Myrick                  2     7   5   5   1   0   1  14   3.86
Totals                  8    17  12  12   3   8   1  43

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kison W(9-7)            9    10   3   3   3   4   0  39   3.23
Totals                  9    10   3   3   3   4   0  39

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


METS 1ST: Mangual grounded out (third to first); Boisclair
grounded out (second to first); Milner flied to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Stennett struck out; Hebner struck out; Oliver
singled to left; Stargell popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Mets 0, Pirates 0.

METS 2ND: Vail singled to left; Grote grounded out (second to
first) [Vail to second]; Staiger doubled to center [Vail
scored]; Phillips singled to left [Staiger to third, Phillips to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Harrelson was walked intentionally;
Seaver struck out; Mangual flied to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
 Mets 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Parker walked; Parker was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Zisk doubled to left; Dyer grounded out
(second to first) [Zisk to third]; Mendoza struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 0.

METS 3RD: Boisclair struck out; Milner grounded out (second to
first); Vail flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Kison grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner popped to catcher in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 0.

METS 4TH: Grote singled to right [Grote out at second (right to
second)]; Staiger walked; Phillips singled to left [Staiger to
second]; Harrelson flied to center; Seaver flied to center; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver grounded out (second to first); Stargell
struck out; Parker singled to right; Zisk was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 0.

METS 5TH: Mangual struck out; Boisclair grounded out (second to
first); Milner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Dyer singled to center; Mendoza singled to right
[Dyer to second]; On a bunt Kison struck out; Stennett singled
to right [Dyer scored, Mendoza to third]; Hebner doubled to
right [Mendoza scored, Stennett to third]; Oliver was walked
intentionally; Stargell hit a sacrifice fly to left [Stennett
scored]; Parker doubled to left [Hebner scored, Oliver scored,
Parker to third (error by Harrelson)]; Zisk was called out on
strikes; 5 R, 5 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Pirates 5.

METS 6TH: Vail lined to shortstop; Grote singled to right;
Staiger grounded out (shortstop to first) [Grote to second];
Phillips singled to right [Grote scored]; Harrelson walked
[Phillips to second]; DWYER BATTED FOR SEAVER; Dwyer grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates
5.

PIRATES 6TH: SANDERS REPLACED DWYER (PITCHING); Dyer flied to
center; Mendoza struck out; Kison grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 5.

METS 7TH: Mangual struck out; Boisclair singled to left; Milner
grounded out (first unassisted) [Boisclair to second]; Vail
doubled to right [Boisclair scored]; Grote flied to right; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 7TH: Stennett singled to second; Hebner singled to third
[Stennett scored (error by Staiger) (no RBI), Hebner to second];
MYRICK REPLACED SANDERS (PITCHING); Oliver grounded out (first
unassisted) [Hebner to third]; Stargell singled to shortstop
[Hebner scored]; Parker singled to first [Stargell to second];
Zisk doubled to left [Stargell scored, Parker to third]; Dyer
was walked intentionally; Mendoza doubled to right [Parker
scored, Zisk scored, Dyer to third]; Kison grounded out (third
to first); Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); 5 R, 6 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 10.

METS 8TH: Staiger grounded out (shortstop to first); Phillips
lined to shortstop; Harrelson flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 10.

PIRATES 8TH: Hebner doubled to center; Oliver lined to
shortstop; Stargell homered [Hebner scored]; Parker singled to
right; Zisk popped to first in foul territory; Dyer flied to
right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Pirates 12.

METS 9TH: HODGES BATTED FOR MYRICK; Hodges flied to right; On a
bunt Mangual singled to pitcher; Boisclair lined to shortstop;
Milner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 3, Pirates 12.