Tom Seaver gained his sixth victory without a defeat in 10 opening-day starts when the Mets erupted for four runs in the sixth inning to beat the Cubs, 5-3. With a crowd of 39,937 on hand, the Cubs had a homer by Steve Ontiveros in taking a 2-0 lead.

However in the sixth, Seaver drew a walk from Ray Burris and Lee Mazzilli singled. When Jerry Morales and Bobby Murcer collided going after a fly by John Milner, the ball fell for a double, Seaver scoring. Following an intentional pass to Dave Kingman, Mazzilli crossed the plate on an infield out by Ed Kranepool. John Stearns then capped the outburst with a single, driving in two runs. Seaver failed to go the route, giving up the mound to Skip Lockwood in the eighth inning. [The Sporting News]

New York Mets 5, Chicago Cubs 3

Game Played on Thursday, April 7, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Mets         0  0  0    0  0  4    1  0  0  -   5  7  0
Cubs         1  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .250      De Jesus ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Millan 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cardenal lf           3   2   2   0     1   0   .667
Milner lf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .250      Biittner 1b           4   0   3   0     0   0   .750
  Boisclair lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Murcer rf             4   0   1   1     0   2   .250
Kingman rf            3   1   1   0     1   1   .333      Morales cf            4   0   0   1     0   2   .000
Kranepool 1b          4   0   1   1     0   0   .250      Ontiveros 3b          4   1   2   1     0   1   .500
Stearns c             4   0   1   2     0   0   .250      Swisher c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Staiger 3b            4   1   1   0     0   2   .250        Gordon c            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Harrelson ss          4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Trillo 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Seaver p              1   1   0   0     1   1   .000      Burris p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Wallis ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            R. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   5   7   4     2   6             Totals               35   3   9   3     1   8

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance: 39,937
Left on Base: Mets 3, Cubs 6
DP: Mets 0, Cubs 0
Errors: Biittner
Doubles: Kingman (1), Kranepool (1), Milner (1)
Home Runs: Ontiveros (1)
Stolen Bases: Cardenal (1), Murcer (1)
Caught Stealing: Stearns 2 (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Seaver (1)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver W(1-0)           7     9   3   3   1   7   1  30   3.86
Lockwood SV(1)          2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   0.00
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   8   1  36

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Burris L(0-1)           5.1   4   4   4   2   4   0  22   6.75
Sutter                  1.2   3   1   1   0   2   0   7   5.40
R. Hernandez            2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   0.00
Totals                  9     7   5   5   2   6   0  35

Wild Pitches: Sutter (1)
Balks: Seaver (1)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Dutch Rennert


METS 1ST: Mazzilli grounded out (pitcher to first); Millan
grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner lined to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus made an out to second; Cardenal singled to
third; Cardenal stole second; Biittner grounded out (first
unassisted) [Cardenal to third]; On a bunt Murcer singled to
third [Cardenal scored]; Murcer stole second; Morales struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 1.

METS 2ND: Kingman doubled to left; Kranepool grounded out
(second to first) [Kingman to third]; Stearns reached on a
fielder's choice [Kingman out at home (second to catcher)];
Stearns was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 2ND: Ontiveros singled to right; Swisher flied out to
center; Trillo lined to right; Burris flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 1.

METS 3RD: Staiger struck out; Harrelson reached on an error by
Biittner [Harrelson to first]; Seaver out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Harrelson to second]; Mazzilli lined to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus singled to third; Seaver balked [De Jesus to
second]; De Jesus was picked off second (pitcher to second);
Cardenal walked; Biittner singled to center [Cardenal to third];
Murcer struck out; Morales popped to third; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 1.

METS 4TH: Millan grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner lined
to shortstop; Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Ontiveros homered; Swisher flied out to left; Trillo
lined to left; Burris struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cubs 2.

METS 5TH: Kranepool doubled to right; Stearns grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Kranepool to third]; Staiger struck out;
Harrelson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: De Jesus lined to left; Cardenal popped to third in
foul territory; Biittner singled to center; Murcer struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cubs 2.

METS 6TH: Seaver walked; Mazzilli singled to right [Seaver to
second]; On a bunt Millan made an out to pitcher; Milner doubled
to right [Seaver scored, Mazzilli to third]; Kingman was walked
intentionally; SUTTER REPLACED BURRIS (PITCHING); Kranepool
grounded out (first to pitcher) [Mazzilli scored, Milner to
third, Kingman to second]; Stearns singled to left [Milner
scored, Kingman scored]; Stearns was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: Morales was called out on strikes; Ontiveros was
called out on strikes; Swisher grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Cubs 2.

METS 7TH: Staiger singled to left; Harrelson singled to right
[Staiger to third]; Sutter threw a wild pitch [Staiger scored,
Harrelson to second]; Seaver struck out; Mazzilli struck out;
Millan grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Trillo was called out on strikes; WALLIS BATTED FOR
SUTTER; Wallis popped to catcher in foul territory; De Jesus
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
5, Cubs 2.

METS 8TH: R. HERNANDEZ REPLACED WALLIS (PITCHING); GORDON
REPLACED SWISHER (PLAYING C ); Milner popped to catcher in foul
territory; Debut game for Mike Gordon; Kingman popped to
shortstop; Kranepool flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: BOISCLAIR REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING LF); Cardenal
singled to left; Biittner singled to left [Cardenal to second];
LOCKWOOD REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Murcer forced Biittner
(second to shortstop) [Cardenal to third]; Morales forced Murcer
(third to second) [Cardenal scored]; Ontiveros popped to third;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 3.

METS 9TH: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Staiger
flied out to center; Harrelson popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 3.

CUBS 9TH: Gordon struck out; Trillo made an out to shortstop;
GROSS BATTED FOR R. HERNANDEZ; Gross grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 5, Cubs 3.

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