Jerry Koosman pitched six hitless innings before being knocked out in the seventh, but Bob Apodaca relieved and saved the Mets' 2-1 victory over the Cubs. The Mets counted in the second on a triple by Bud Harrelson and infield out by Leo Foster.

Their deciding run in the fifth resulted from a spell of wildness by Bill Bonham, who walked Foster, uncorked a wild pitch and, after an infield out, threw another wild pitch. The Cubs chased Koosman with their run in the seventh on singles by Mick Kelleher, Manny Trillo, Jerry Morales and George Mitterwald. Apodaca, relieving with none out, retired three straight pinch-hitters without another run scoring. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 2, Chicago Cubs 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 26, 1976 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  7  1
Mets         0  1  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   2  5  2


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Monday cf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .271      Mazzilli cf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .241
Kelleher ss,3b        4   1   2   0     0   1   .229      Millan 2b             3   0   1   0     1   1   .286
Trillo 2b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .234      Boisclair lf          2   0   0   0     1   1   .285
Morales rf            3   0   1   1     1   0   .279      Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   3   .240
Mitterwald 1b         4   0   1   0     0   1   .212      B. Baldwin rf         3   0   1   0     0   1   .286
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Torre ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .309
Sperring 3b           1   0   0   0     1   0   .247        Brown rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Biittner ph,lf      2   0   0   0     0   0   .234      Stearns c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Tyrone lf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Harrelson ss          3   1   2   0     0   0   .229
  Summers ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Foster 3b             2   1   0   1     1   0   .203
  Putman c            1   0   1   0     0   0   .500      Koosman p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .224
Swisher c             2   0   0   0     0   2   .237        Apodaca p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .125
  LaCock ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .221
  Rosello ss          1   0   0   0     0   0   .242
Bonham p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .194
  Tabb ph,1b          2   0   0   0     0   0   .313

Totals               33   1   7   1     2   9             Totals               27   2   5   1     4   9

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  6,958
Left on Base: Cubs 8, Mets 6
DP: Cubs 1, Mets 0
Errors: Bonham, Harrelson, Foster
Doubles: Mazzilli (2)
Triples: Harrelson (3)
Stolen Bases: Trillo (16)
Caught Stealing: Sperring (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Trillo (7), Boisclair (6)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham L(8-13)          7     5   2   2   3   7   0  28   4.41
Knowles                 1     0   0   0   1   2   0   4   2.89
Totals                  8     5   2   2   4   9   0  32

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman W(21-9)         6     4   1   1   1   9   0  23   2.71
Apodaca SV(5)           3     3   0   0   1   0   0  13   2.87
Totals                  9     7   1   1   2   9   0  36

Wild Pitches: Bonham 2 (10)

Umpires: HP - Nick Colosi, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Ed Vargo


CUBS 1ST: Monday struck out; 43-minute rain delay with 2-2
count on Kelleher; Kelleher was called out on strikes;
Trillo was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Mazzilli walked; Millan singled to right [Mazzilli to
second]; Boisclair out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Mazzilli to third, Millan to second]; Kingman struck out; B.
Baldwin struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 2ND: Morales flied to center; Mitterwald was called out on
strikes; Sperring walked; Sperring was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Stearns flied to right; Harrelson tripled to center;
Foster grounded out (second to first) [Harrelson scored];
Koosman popped to shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets
1.

CUBS 3RD: Tyrone grounded out (shortstop to first); Swisher
struck out; Bonham struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Mazzilli doubled to right; Millan struck out;
Boisclair flied to right; Kingman grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 1.

CUBS 4TH: Monday struck out; Kelleher reached on an error by
Foster; Trillo reached on an error by Harrelson [Kelleher to
second]; Morales forced Kelleher (third unassisted) [Trillo to
second]; Trillo stole third [Trillo out at home (catcher to
first to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Mets 1.

METS 4TH: B. Baldwin singled to left; Stearns lined to left; B.
Baldwin was picked off first but was safe on an error by Bonham
[B. Baldwin to third]; Harrelson hit into a double play (right
to right to catcher) [B. Baldwin out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 1.

CUBS 5TH: Mitterwald grounded out (pitcher to first); Sperring
flied to right; Tyrone grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Foster walked; Bonham threw a wild pitch [Foster to
second]; Koosman struck out; Mazzilli grounded out (second to
first) [Foster to third]; Bonham threw a wild pitch [Foster
scored]; Millan walked; Boisclair was called out on strikes; 1
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 2.

CUBS 6TH: Swisher struck out; Bonham struck out; On a bunt
Monday made an out to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Kingman struck out; B. Baldwin flied to right; Stearns
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
0, Mets 2.

CUBS 7TH: Kelleher singled to left; Trillo singled to center
[Kelleher to second]; Morales singled to left [Kelleher scored,
Trillo to second]; Mitterwald singled to left [Trillo to third,
Morales to second]; APODACA REPLACED KOOSMAN (PITCHING);
BIITTNER BATTED FOR SPERRING; Biittner forced Trillo (first to
catcher) [Morales to third, Mitterwald to second]; SUMMERS
BATTED FOR TYRONE; Summers popped to first in foul territory;
LACOCK BATTED FOR SWISHER; LaCock grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 1, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: BIITTNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); PUTMAN REPLACED
SUMMERS (PLAYING C ); ROSELLO REPLACED LACOCK (PLAYING SS);
KELLEHER CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Harrelson singled to
center; Foster grounded out (shortstop to first) [Harrelson to
second]; Apodaca struck out; Mazzilli flied to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Mets 2.

CUBS 8TH: TABB BATTED FOR BONHAM; Tabb flied to left; Monday
singled to left; On a bunt Kelleher singled to pitcher [Monday
to second]; Trillo out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Monday to third, Kelleher to second]; Morales was walked
intentionally; Mitterwald flied to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Cubs 1, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: TABB STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); KNOWLES REPLACED
MITTERWALD (PITCHING); Millan grounded out (second to first);
Boisclair walked; Kingman struck out; TORRE BATTED FOR B.
BALDWIN; Torre struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Mets 2.

CUBS 9TH: BROWN REPLACED TORRE (PLAYING RF); Biittner grounded
out (first unassisted); Putman singled to third; Rosello flied
to right; Tabb flied to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Mets 2.