Ed Ott, making his first start as Pittsburgh catcher because of injuries to Manny Sanguillen and Duffy Dyer, knocked in a run with a double in the 10th inning to beat the Cubs, 5-4, and enable the Pirates to remain six games behind the Phillies in the East Division race. The Pirates took an early 4-0 lead, scoring twice in the first inning on a double by Willie Stargell and adding a pair in the fourth on a triple by Rennie Stennett and sacrifice fly by Larry Demery.

The Cubs rallied to tie the score in the sixth. Mick Kelleher, leading off, was hit by a pitch and Jerry Tabb walked. After the next two batters went out, Bill Madlock and Jerry Morales hit run-scoring singles and Larry Biittner drove in two runs with a double. With one out in the Pirates' 10th, Stennett singled and raced home with the winning run when Ott delivered his double. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Thursday, September 23, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Pirates      2  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0    1  -   5 11  1
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  4    0  0  0    0  -   4  9  2


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            6   0   1   0     0   0   .260      Monday 1b,cf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .271
Hebner 3b             4   1   3   0     0   0   .249      Summers lf            3   0   0   0     0   2   .210
Oliver cf             3   1   0   0     2   1   .322        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Stargell 1b           5   0   1   2     0   0   .262        LaCock ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .214
Parker rf             5   0   0   0     0   1   .308        Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Zisk lf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .292        Sperring ss         1   0   0   0     0   0   .276
  Dilone pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Madlock 3b            4   1   1   1     1   0   .336
  Robinson lf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .304      Morales cf,rf         5   1   3   1     0   1   .276
Stennett 2b           5   2   3   1     0   0   .263      Biittner rf,lf        5   0   1   2     0   0   .241
Ott c                 4   0   2   1     1   0   .400      Trillo 2b             3   0   1   0     2   1   .237
Demery p              1   0   0   1     0   0   .108      Mitterwald c          5   0   1   0     0   0   .211
  Moose p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Kelleher ss           3   1   0   0     0   0   .226
  Kirkpatrick ph      1   0   0   0     0   0   .225        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Robertson ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .223      R. Reuschel p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .221
  Kison p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .211        Tabb ph,1b          2   1   1   0     1   0   .385

Totals               39   5  11   5     4   3             Totals               36   4   9   4     5   4

Time of Game: 2:52   Attendance:  2,132
Left on Base: Pirates 11, Cubs 9
DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Taveras, Trillo, Mitterwald
Doubles: Stargell (19), Hebner (20), Ott (1), Biittner (13), Monday (19)
Triples: Stennett (9)
Stolen Bases: Taveras (57), Dilone (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Demery (4), Hebner (3), Monday (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Demery (1)
GIDP: Mitterwald (9)
Hit by Pitch: Kelleher (2,by Demery)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Demery                  5.2   4   4   4   1   4   0  23   3.31
Moose                   1.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   7   3.78
Giusti W(5-4)           2     4   0   0   1   0   0  10   4.47
Kison SV(1)             1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.94
Totals                 10     9   4   4   5   4   0  43

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel             6     6   4   3   2   0   0  27   3.48
Hernandez               1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   3.43
Sutter                  1.1   2   0   0   2   1   0   8   2.79
Knowles L(5-7)          1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   2.93
Garman                  0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.95
Totals                 10    11   5   4   4   3   0  46

Hit by Pitch: Demery (2)
Wild Pitches: R. Reuschel (7)

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


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras grounded out (third to first); Hebner
singled to center; Oliver walked [Hebner to second]; Stargell
doubled to left [Hebner scored, Oliver scored]; Parker grounded
out (second to first) [Stargell to third]; Zisk popped to
second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday grounded out (second to first); Summers flied
out to center; Madlock flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stennett grounded out (third to first); Ott singled
to left; Demery out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Ott
to second]; Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Morales singled to shortstop [Morales to second (error
by Taveras)]; Biittner grounded out (shortstop to first); Trillo
flied out to center; Mitterwald lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Hebner grounded out (second to first); Oliver flied
out to center; Stargell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Kelleher flied out to right; R. Reuschel popped to
first; Monday grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Parker popped to third in foul territory; Zisk
walked; Stennett tripled to center [Zisk scored]; Ott reached on
an error by Mitterwald [Stennett stayed at third, Ott to first];
Demery hit a sacrifice fly to right [Stennett scored (unearned),
Ott to second (error by Trillo; assists by Biittner, Monday and
Kelleher)]; R. Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Ott to third];
Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 2 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Summers struck out; Madlock flied out to center;
Morales was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 4, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Hebner singled to center; Oliver flied out to
right; Stargell lined to left; Parker lined to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Biittner grounded out (second to first); Trillo was
called out on strikes; Mitterwald flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Zisk grounded out (third to first); Stennett
singled to shortstop; Ott popped to shortstop; Demery grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs
0.

CUBS 6TH: Kelleher was hit by a pitch; TABB BATTED FOR R.
REUSCHEL; Tabb walked [Kelleher to second]; On a bunt Monday
popped to catcher in foul territory; Summers struck out; Madlock
singled to left [Kelleher scored, Tabb to second]; Morales
singled to left [Tabb scored, Madlock to second]; Biittner
doubled to left [Madlock scored, Morales scored]; MOOSE REPLACED
DEMERY (PITCHING); Trillo walked; Mitterwald popped to second; 4
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

PIRATES 7TH: TABB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); MONDAY CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); MORALES CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
BIITTNER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); HERNANDEZ REPLACED
SUMMERS (PITCHING); Taveras singled to center; Hebner out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Taveras to second]; Taveras
stole third; Oliver was called out on strikes; Stargell flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 7TH: Kelleher lined to third; Tabb flied out to right;
Monday doubled to left; LACOCK BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; LaCock
walked; Madlock flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

PIRATES 8TH: SUTTER REPLACED LACOCK (PITCHING); Parker struck
out; Zisk singled to shortstop; DILONE RAN FOR ZISK; Dilone
stole second; Stennett grounded out (first unassisted) [Dilone
to third]; Ott was walked intentionally; KIRKPATRICK BATTED FOR
MOOSE; Kirkpatrick lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 8TH: GIUSTI REPLACED KIRKPATRICK (PITCHING); ROBINSON
REPLACED DILONE (PLAYING LF); Morales grounded out (shortstop to
first); Biittner flied out to right; On a bunt Trillo singled to
pitcher; Mitterwald singled to left [Trillo to second]; Kelleher
flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Taveras grounded out (first unassisted); Hebner
doubled to right; Oliver was walked intentionally; KNOWLES
REPLACED KELLEHER (PITCHING); SPERRING REPLACED SUTTER (PLAYING
SS); Stargell grounded out (first to pitcher) [Hebner to third,
Oliver to second]; Parker flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 9TH: Tabb singled to left; Monday out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Tabb to second]; Sperring grounded out
(shortstop to first); Madlock was walked intentionally; Morales
singled to shortstop [Tabb out at home (shortstop to first to
catcher), Madlock to second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Cubs 4.

PIRATES 10TH: Robinson flied out to left; Stennett singled to
center; Ott doubled to left [Stennett scored, Ott to third (on
throw to home)]; ROBERTSON BATTED FOR GIUSTI; GARMAN REPLACED
KNOWLES (PITCHING); Robertson was called out on strikes; Taveras
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
5, Cubs 4.

CUBS 10TH: KISON REPLACED ROBERTSON (PITCHING); Biittner flied
out to left; Trillo walked; Mitterwald grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Trillo out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 5, Cubs 4.