The Pirates won the first game of a doubleheader, 4-3, but then lost valuable ground in the Eastern Division race by bowing to the Cubs in the second game, 2-1, in 13 innings. As a result of the split, the Pirates fell five lengths behind the pace-setting Phillies, who won over the Cardinals. The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the opener before Richie Zisk tied the score with a homer in the sixth inning. Willie Stargell doubled with one out in the ninth and Dave Parker was passed intentionally. After the runners moved up on an infield out by Richie Hebner, Rennie Stennett drove them home with a single. The Cubs came back with one run in their half of the ninth, but Jim Rooker made his first relief appearance of the season, replacing Bruce Kison with one away, and fanned both Wayne Tyrone and Mick Kelleher to save the game.

In the nightcap, the Cubs picked up an unearned run in the third inning. The Pirates tied the score in the fourth when Zisk walked, Parker singled and Hebner hit a sacrifice fly. Bob Moose, following Jerry Reuss and Dave Giusti to the mound, appeared in the 13th and retired the first two Cub batters but Jerry Morales then doubled and Manny Trillo slashed a single to pin the Pirates with their fourth defeat in the last five games. [The Sporting News]

Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Chicago Cubs 3 (Game 1)

Game Played on Tuesday, September 21, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Pirates      1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  2  -   4  7  1
Cubs         0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  1  -   3  7  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .263      Monday 1b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .276
Moreno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Wallis cf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .250
Zisk lf               4   1   2   1     0   1   .289      Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .341
  Robinson lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .305      Morales rf            4   0   1   0     0   2   .270
Stargell 1b           4   0   2   0     0   0   .263      Biittner lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .242
  Dilone pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000      Trillo 2b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .235
  Kirkpatrick 1b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Mitterwald c          2   1   0   0     1   1   .211
Parker rf             3   1   0   0     1   3   .312        LaCock ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Hebner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .243        Tyrone ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Stennett 2b           4   0   1   2     0   1   .264      Kelleher ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .228
Dyer c                3   0   0   0     1   0   .235      Renko p               3   0   1   1     0   1   .096
Kison p               4   0   0   0     0   2   .211
  Rooker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .209

Totals               34   4   7   3     2   7             Totals               33   3   7   3     2   9

Time of Game: 2:05
Left on Base: Pirates 5, Cubs 5
DP: Pirates 0, Cubs 0
Errors: Hebner, Trillo
Doubles: Stargell (18), Trillo (24)
Home Runs: Zisk (21)
Stolen Bases: Taveras (56), Trillo (15)
Caught Stealing: Wallis (9)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kison W(14-8)           8.1   7   3   2   2   7   0  33   2.95
Rooker SV(1)            0.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   2   3.64
Totals                  9     7   3   2   2   9   0  35

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Renko L(7-11)           9     7   4   3   2   7   1  36   4.18
Totals                  9     7   4   3   2   7   1  36

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Dutch Rennert


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras singled to right; Taveras stole second;
Moreno popped to third; Zisk was called out on strikes; Stargell
singled to second [Taveras scored (error by Trillo) (unearned)
(no RBI)]; Parker struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Wallis
walked; Madlock popped to second in foul territory; Morales was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Hebner popped to second; Stennett was called out on
strikes; Dyer grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Biittner grounded out (second to first); Trillo struck
out; Mitterwald struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Cubs 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Kison was called out on strikes; Taveras flied out
to center; Moreno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Kelleher struck out; Renko grounded out (second to
first); Monday popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Zisk singled to center; Stargell forced Zisk
(second to shortstop); Parker struck out; Hebner lined to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Wallis lined to second; On a bunt Madlock grounded out
(third to first); Morales struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett grounded out (third to first); Dyer
grounded out (pitcher to first); Kison struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Biittner singled to left; Trillo forced Biittner
(second to shortstop); Trillo stole second; Mitterwald walked;
Kelleher lined to right; Renko singled to left [Trillo scored,
Mitterwald to second]; Monday singled to left [Mitterwald
scored, Renko out at third (left to third)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first); Moreno
flied out to center; Zisk homered; Stargell grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: Wallis was called out on strikes; Madlock singled to
right; Morales singled to left [Madlock to second]; Biittner
flied out to left; Trillo forced Madlock (third unassisted); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker struck out; Hebner grounded out (second to
first); Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Mitterwald popped to shortstop; Kelleher popped to
right; Renko struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs
2.

PIRATES 8TH: Dyer flied out to right; Kison grounded out (second
to first); On a bunt Taveras singled to pitcher; Moreno popped
to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: Monday flied out to left; Wallis singled to right;
Madlock flied out to right; Wallis was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 9TH: Zisk popped to right; Stargell doubled to left;
DILONE RAN FOR STARGELL; Parker was walked intentionally; Hebner
grounded out (first unassisted) [Dilone to third, Parker to
second]; Stennett singled to left [Dilone scored, Parker scored,
Stennett to second (on throw to home)]; Dyer was walked
intentionally; Kison popped to shortstop; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 4, Cubs 2.

CUBS 9TH: KIRKPATRICK REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING 1B); ROBINSON
REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF); Morales reached on an error by
Hebner [Morales to first]; Biittner forced Morales (second to
shortstop); Trillo doubled to left [Biittner scored (unearned)];
LACOCK BATTED FOR MITTERWALD; ROOKER REPLACED KISON (PITCHING);
TYRONE BATTED FOR LACOCK; Tyrone was called out on strikes;
Kelleher was called out on strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Pirates 4, Cubs 3.

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