The fading Pirates lost to the Cubs, 4-3, on a run-scoring single by Joe Wallis in the ninth inning and headed toward elimination in the East Division race. The defeat was Pirates' fifth in their last six games and dropped them six lengths behind the pace-setting Phillies with 12 games left on the Phillies' chart and 10 remaining for the Pirates.

The Pirates started off with a homer by Richie Hebner in the first inning, but the Cubs put three singles together for a run in the third and went ahead with a single by Jerry Morales and double by Larry Biittner in the fourth. A walk to Dave Parker, single by Richie Zisk and sacrifice fly by Rennie Stennett pulled the Pirates even in the sixth. The Cubs regained the lead in their half with a single by Morales and double by Steve Swisher before the Pirates tied the score again in the eighth with singles by Parker, Zisk and Ed Ott. However in the ninth, Jerry Tabb walked and Rob Sperring sacrificed. After an intentional pass to Rick Monday, Wallis hit his game-winning single. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Wednesday, September 22, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Pirates      1  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   3  9  0
Cubs         0  0  1    1  0  1    0  0  1  -   4 10  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     1   0   .262      Monday 1b             4   0   0   0     1   0   .271
Hebner 3b             4   1   2   1     1   0   .244      Wallis cf             5   0   2   1     0   0   .250
Oliver cf             5   0   0   0     0   1   .324      Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .337
Stargell 1b           4   0   1   0     0   3   .262      Morales rf            4   2   2   0     0   1   .273
Parker rf             3   2   1   0     1   0   .311      Biittner lf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .242
Zisk lf               3   0   3   0     1   0   .292      Trillo 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .236
  Dilone pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Swisher c             3   1   2   1     1   0   .238
  Robinson lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .305      Kelleher ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .228
Stennett 2b           3   0   0   1     0   0   .261        Tabb ph             0   1   0   0     1   0   .364
Dyer c                1   0   0   0     0   0   .232      Bonham p              3   0   1   1     0   0   .200
  Ott c               2   0   2   1     0   0   .381        Coleman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Medich p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .082        Sperring ph         0   0   0   0     0   0   .280
  Kirkpatrick ph      1   0   0   0     0   0   .226
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   3   9   3     4   5             Totals               33   4  10   4     4   2

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance:  3,375
Left on Base: Pirates 9, Cubs 9
DP: Pirates 0, Cubs 2
Doubles: Biittner (12), Swisher (13)
Home Runs: Hebner (8)
Stolen Bases: Madlock (15)
Sacrifice Hits: Medich 2 (8), Sperring (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Stennett (4)
GIDP: Oliver (12), Kirkpatrick (3)
Hit by Pitch: Dyer (3,by Bonham)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich                  7     8   3   3   1   1   0  29   3.63
Tekulve L(5-3)          1.1   2   1   1   3   1   0   9   2.48
Totals                  8.1  10   4   4   4   2   0  38

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham                  7     8   3   3   4   4   1  33   4.48
Coleman W(2-7)          2     1   0   0   0   1   0   6   4.43
Totals                  9     9   3   3   4   5   1  39

Hit by Pitch: Bonham (2)

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


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied out to right; Hebner homered; Oliver
flied out to center; Stargell singled to right; Parker flied out
to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday popped to third; Wallis lined to right; Madlock
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Zisk walked; Stennett forced Zisk (shortstop to
second); Dyer was hit by a pitch [Stennett to second]; Medich
out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Stennett to third,
Dyer to second]; Taveras walked; Hebner flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Morales popped to second; Biittner flied out to left;
Trillo flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Cubs 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Oliver lined to left; Stargell struck out; Parker
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Swisher singled to center; Kelleher singled to center
[Swisher to second]; Bonham singled to left [Swisher scored,
Kelleher out at third (left to third)]; Monday flied out to
right; Wallis lined to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Cubs 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Zisk singled to right; Stennett forced Zisk
(shortstop to second); Dyer forced Stennett (center to second);
Medich was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
1, Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Madlock struck out; Morales singled to right; Biittner
doubled to right [Morales scored, Biittner to third (on throw to
home)]; Trillo grounded out (shortstop to first); Swisher
walked; OTT REPLACED DYER (PLAYING C ); Kelleher grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); Duffy Dyer aggravated his
bruised right collarbone; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Cubs 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Hebner
singled to center; Oliver forced Hebner (shortstop to second);
Stargell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: Bonham flied out to center; Monday grounded out
(second to first); Wallis singled to left; On a bunt Madlock
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
1, Cubs 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Parker walked; Zisk singled to right [Parker to
third]; Stennett hit a sacrifice fly to left [Parker scored];
Ott singled to right [Zisk to second]; Medich out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Zisk to third, Ott to second]; Taveras
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
2, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: Morales singled to left; Biittner grounded out (second
to first) [Morales to second]; Trillo grounded out (pitcher to
first); Swisher doubled to left [Morales scored]; Kelleher lined
to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 7TH: Hebner walked; Oliver grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Hebner out at second]; Stargell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 3.

CUBS 7TH: Bonham lined to right; Monday popped to left; Wallis
popped to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Parker singled to left; Zisk singled to right
[Parker to third]; COLEMAN REPLACED BONHAM (PITCHING); DILONE
RAN FOR ZISK; Stennett popped to shortstop; Ott singled to right
[Parker scored, Dilone to third]; KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR MEDICH;
Kirkpatrick grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Ott out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: TEKULVE REPLACED KIRKPATRICK (PITCHING); ROBINSON
REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING LF); Madlock singled to right; Madlock
stole second; Morales was called out on strikes; Biittner was
walked intentionally; Trillo forced Biittner (first to
shortstop) [Madlock to third]; Swisher flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 9TH: On a bunt Taveras grounded out (third to first);
Hebner flied out to left; Oliver struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 9TH: TABB BATTED FOR KELLEHER; Tabb walked; SPERRING BATTED
FOR COLEMAN; Sperring out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Tabb to second]; Monday was walked intentionally;
Wallis singled to right [Tabb scored, Monday to second]; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 4.