A two-run rally in the ninth inning brought the Mets a 4-3 victory over the Pirates, who dropped six games behind the Phillies in the Eastern Division race. Joe Torre homered with a man on base for the Mets in the fourth, but the Pirates held a 3-2 lead going into the ninth inning with one of their runs coming on a circuit clout by Rennie Stennett.

Dave Kingman opened the Mets' rally with a single and scored the tying run on singles by John Stearns and pinch-hitter Ed Kranepool. Bud Harrelson forced Leo Foster, running for Kranepool, and when the Pirates failed to complete the double play, Stearns came home with the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Tuesday, September 14, 1976 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Mets         0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  2  -   4  8  0
Pirates      0  0  1    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   3  6  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .077      Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Millan 2b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .282      Moreno cf             4   2   2   0     0   0   .283
Milner lf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .274      Zisk lf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .290
Torre 1b              3   1   2   2     1   0   .313        Robinson lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Kingman rf            4   1   1   0     0   2   .229      Stargell 1b           2   0   0   0     2   0   .255
Stearns c             3   1   1   0     1   0   .306      Parker rf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .304
Staiger 3b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Hebner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .243
  Kranepool ph        1   0   1   1     0   0   .289      Stennett 2b           3   1   1   1     1   1   .267
  Foster pr,3b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Dyer c                4   0   0   0     0   1   .246
Harrelson ss          4   0   0   1     0   0   .234      Rooker p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .215
Swan p                2   0   1   0     0   1   .118        Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Oliver ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .330
  Lockwood p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .375

Totals               33   4   8   4     3   4             Totals               33   3   6   3     3   4

Time of Game: 2:07   Attendance:  7,867
Left on Base: Mets 5, Pirates 6
DP: Mets 0, Pirates 2
Errors: Moreno
Home Runs: Torre (5), Stennett (2)
Stolen Bases: Moreno 2 (14), Parker (16)
GIDP: Milner (11), Stearns (2)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Swan                    7     5   2   2   2   2   1  28   3.52
Lockwood W(8-7)         2     1   1   1   1   2   0   8   2.94
Totals                  9     6   3   3   3   4   1  36

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker L(13-8)          8.1   7   4   3   3   4   1  33   3.50
Tekulve                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.47
Totals                  9     8   4   3   3   4   1  36

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Ed Montague


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

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied to left; Moreno grounded out (second
to first); Zisk popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 0.

METS 2ND: Torre singled to center; Kingman flied to right;
Stearns grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Torre out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell walked; Parker singled to right [Stargell
to second]; Hebner popped to first; Stennett walked [Stargell to
third, Parker to second]; Dyer struck out; Rooker flied to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 0.

METS 3RD: Staiger grounded out (shortstop to first); Harrelson
popped to catcher in foul territory; Swan singled to center;
Mazzilli grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras grounded out (first to pitcher); On a bunt
Moreno singled to first; Moreno stole second; Zisk singled to
center [Moreno scored]; Stargell flied to right; Parker grounded
out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Pirates 1.

METS 4TH: Millan grounded out (second to first); Milner walked;
Torre homered [Milner scored]; Kingman struck out (catcher to
first); Stearns walked; Staiger grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Stennett
flied to center; Dyer flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 2, Pirates 1.

METS 5TH: Harrelson grounded out (third to first); Swan struck
out; Mazzilli was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: On a bunt Rooker struck out; Taveras popped to
shortstop; Moreno flied to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
2, Pirates 1.

METS 6TH: Millan grounded out (pitcher to first); Milner popped
to third in foul territory; Torre walked; Kingman struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Zisk lined to shortstop; Stargell grounded out
(first to pitcher); Parker singled to center; Hebner lined to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 1.

METS 7TH: Stearns popped to shortstop; Staiger grounded out
(third to first); Harrelson flied to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Mets 2, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 7TH: Stennett homered; Dyer flied to left; Rooker popped
to shortstop in foul territory; Taveras flied to center; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Pirates 2.

METS 8TH: VAIL BATTED FOR SWAN; Vail popped to first in foul
territory; Mazzilli grounded out (shortstop to first); Millan
singled to right; Milner flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 8TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED VAIL (PITCHING); Moreno singled
to pitcher; Moreno stole second; Zisk grounded out (second to
first) [Moreno to third]; Stargell was walked intentionally;
Parker forced Stargell (second to shortstop) [Moreno scored];
Parker stole second; Hebner struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Pirates 3.

METS 9TH: ROBINSON REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF); Torre popped to
second; Kingman singled to left; Stearns singled to center
[Kingman to third]; TEKULVE REPLACED ROOKER (PITCHING);
KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR STAIGER; Kranepool singled to center
[Kingman scored, Stearns to third (error by Moreno)]; FOSTER RAN
FOR KRANEPOOL; Harrelson forced Foster (second to shortstop)
[Stearns scored (unearned)]; Lockwood flied to right; 2 R (1
ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: FOSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Stennett struck
out (catcher to first); Dyer flied to right; OLIVER BATTED FOR
TEKULVE; Oliver grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 4, Pirates 3.