The Mets converted a double steal into two runs in the ninth inning and defeated the Cardinals, 4-3. Pepe Mangual led off with a single and stopped at second on a single by John Stearns. With Roy Staiger at bat, Mangual and Stearns worked a double steal. Third baseman Hector Cruz had rushed in expecting a bunt, and when shortstop Garry Templeton failed to cover the bag, catcher Ted Simmons' throw went into left field, allowing both Mangual and Stearns to score, putting the Mets ahead, 4-1. The runs became earned when Staiger followed with a single.

Mickey Lolich, who started for the Mets, was hit on the left elbow by John Denny in the seventh. Skip Lockwood was knocked out in the ninth when the Cardinals rallied for two runs before Bob Apodaca saved the game for the Mets. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Game Played on Friday, September 10, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  2  -   4 11  2
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  2  -   3 10  2


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Boisclair cf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .276      Mumphrey cf           5   0   1   0     0   0   .251
  Mazzilli ph,cf      1   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Templeton ss          4   0   2   1     0   2   .320
Phillips 2b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .257      Brock lf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .299
  Millan 2b           0   0   0   0     1   0   .277      Simmons c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .290
Milner lf,1b          4   0   1   0     1   0   .274      Ferguson rf           3   0   0   0     1   2   .219
Kingman rf            4   0   0   0     0   2   .231      Hernandez 1b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .293
Kranepool 1b          3   0   2   0     0   0   .284      Cruz 3b               4   0   1   1     0   1   .222
  Mangual pr,lf       1   2   1   0     0   0   .232      Tyson 2b              2   0   0   0     0   1   .302
Stearns c             4   2   3   0     0   0   .333        Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .264
Foster 3b             1   0   0   0     1   0   .238        Alvarado 2b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  B. Baldwin ph       1   0   0   0     0   1   .125      Denny p               2   1   2   0     0   0   .214
  Staiger 3b          1   0   1   0     0   0   .245        Crawford ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .308
Harrelson ss          2   0   2   1     1   0   .234        Richard pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .180
Lolich p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .140        Greif p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Brown pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .214        Curtis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .400        Tamargo ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333
  Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               32   4  11   1     4   4             Totals               35   3  10   2     2   8

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 14,935
Left on Base: Mets 8, Cardinals 7
DP: Mets 1, Cardinals 3
Errors: Kingman, Staiger, Simmons, Denny
Doubles: Mumphrey (13), Templeton (6), Hernandez (16)
Stolen Bases: Mangual 2 (24), Stearns (1)
Caught Stealing: Stearns (1), Harrelson (2), Ferguson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Lockwood (3)
GIDP: Lolich 2 (2)
Hit by Pitch: Harrelson (2,by Denny), Lolich (1,by Denny)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lolich W(8-12)          6     5   1   1   1   3   0  22   2.94
Lockwood                2.1   4   2   2   1   5   0  12   2.90
Apodaca SV(4)           0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.95
Totals                  9    10   3   3   2   8   0  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny L(9-7)            8     8   2   1   2   4   0  31   2.69
Greif                   0     3   2   2   0   0   0   3   4.93
Curtis                  1     0   0   0   2   0   0   5   4.54
Totals                  9    11   4   3   4   4   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Denny 2 (8)

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


METS 1ST: Boisclair singled to center; Phillips lined into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Boisclair out at first];
Milner singled to right; Kingman grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey flied out to right; Templeton singled to
center; Brock lined into a double play (second to first)
[Templeton out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cardinals 0.

METS 2ND: Kranepool grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
singled to left; Stearns was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Foster flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (shortstop to first);
Ferguson walked; Ferguson was caught stealing second (pitcher to
first to shortstop to first to second to catcher); Hernandez
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

METS 3RD: Harrelson singled to second; On a bunt Lolich grounded
into a double play (first to shortstop to second) [Harrelson out
at second]; Boisclair grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Cruz flied out to center; Tyson struck out
(catcher to first); Denny singled to shortstop; Mumphrey forced
Denny (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cardinals 0.

METS 4TH: Phillips grounded out (second to first); Milner
grounded out (second to pitcher); Kingman flied out to left; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Templeton struck out; Brock grounded out (second
to first); Simmons grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

METS 5TH: Kranepool singled to center; Stearns grounded out
(third to first) [Kranepool to second]; Foster walked; Harrelson
was hit by a pitch [Kranepool to third, Foster to second];
Lolich grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Harrelson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Ferguson lined to center; Hernandez grounded out
(second to first); Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

METS 6TH: Boisclair grounded out (second to first); Phillips was
called out on strikes; Milner walked; Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Tyson flied out to center; Denny singled to
center; Mumphrey doubled to left [Denny to third]; Templeton
doubled to left [Denny scored, Mumphrey to third]; Brock struck
out; Simmons grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 1.

METS 7TH: Kranepool singled to center; MANGUAL RAN FOR
KRANEPOOL; Mangual stole second; Stearns singled to second
[Mangual scored (error by Denny) (no RBI), Stearns to second];
B. BALDWIN BATTED FOR FOSTER; B. Baldwin struck out; Harrelson
singled to second [Stearns scored (unearned)]; Harrelson was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Lolich was hit by
a pitch; BROWN RAN FOR LOLICH; Boisclair flied out to left; 2 R
(1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: MILNER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); MANGUAL
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); STAIGER REPLACED B. BALDWIN
(PLAYING 3B); LOCKWOOD REPLACED BROWN (PITCHING); Ferguson
struck out; Hernandez singled to center; Cruz struck out; FAIRLY
BATTED FOR TYSON; Fairly flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 1.

METS 8TH: ALVARADO REPLACED FAIRLY (PLAYING 2B); Phillips
grounded out (second to first); Milner popped to second; Kingman
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: MILLAN REPLACED PHILLIPS (PLAYING 2B); CRAWFORD
BATTED FOR DENNY; Crawford walked; RICHARD RAN FOR CRAWFORD;
Mumphrey forced Richard (third to shortstop); Templeton struck
out; Brock struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals
1.

METS 9TH: GREIF REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Mangual singled to
left; Stearns singled to left [Mangual to second]; Mangual stole
third and Stearns stole second [Mangual scored, Stearns scored
(error by Simmons)]; Staiger singled to left; CURTIS REPLACED
GREIF (PITCHING); Harrelson walked [Staiger to second]; Lockwood
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Staiger to third,
Harrelson to second]; MAZZILLI BATTED FOR BOISCLAIR; Mazzilli
grounded out (first unassisted); Millan was walked
intentionally; Milner forced Millan (second to shortstop); 2 R,
3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 4, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 9TH: MAZZILLI STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Simmons
singled to right; Ferguson was called out on strikes; Hernandez
doubled to right [Simmons to third]; Cruz singled to third
[Simmons scored, Hernandez scored (error by Staiger) (error by
Kingman) (no RBI)]; APODACA REPLACED LOCKWOOD (PITCHING);
Alvarado flied out to left; TAMARGO BATTED FOR CURTIS; Tamargo
singled to center [Cruz to second]; Mumphrey forced Tamargo
(shortstop unassisted); 2 R, 4 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 4, Cardinals
3.