A loser of seven straight decisions, Jon Matlack gained his first victory since May 18 when Steve Henderson hit a two-run homer for the Mets in the eighth inning to beat the Cubs, 4-2. The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the seventh when Steve Ontiveros walked and George Mitterwald homered, but the Mets tied the score in their half on a double by Mike Vail and single by Lee Mazzilli.

In the eighth, after Lenny Randle singled, Bruce Sutter took the mound for the Cubs in place of Rick Reuschel. The reliever then served up Henderson's homer, but Reuschel wound up as the loser for putting Randle on base. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Chicago Cubs 2
Game Played on Tuesday, July      12, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  6  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  1  0    1  2  x  -   4  7  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .272      Randle 3b             3   1   2   0     1   0   .314
Cardenal lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .207      Valentine ss,1b       3   0   0   0     0   2   .162
Biittner 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .289      Henderson lf          4   1   1   2     0   2   .243
Murcer rf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .270      Stearns c             3   0   0   0     1   1   .290
Morales cf            4   0   2   0     0   1   .332      Boisclair 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .258
Ontiveros 3b          3   1   1   0     1   1   .303        Millan 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .315      Vail rf               3   2   1   0     0   0   .310
Mitterwald c          3   1   1   2     0   0   .253      Mazzilli cf           3   0   2   2     0   1   .225
  Buckner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Flynn 2b,ss           3   0   1   0     0   1   .211
R. Reuschel p         2   0   0   0     1   2   .163      Matlack p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .056
  Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .063        Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               32   2   6   2     3  10             Totals               29   4   7   4     2  10

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance:  8,093
Left on Base: Cubs 6, Mets 4
DP: Cubs 0, Mets 1
Doubles: Randle (13), Mazzilli (10), Vail (8)
Home Runs: Mitterwald (6), Henderson (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Valentine (1)
GIDP: Mitterwald (12)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel L(12-3)     7     6   3   3   2   9   0  28   2.17
Sutter                  1     1   1   1   0   1   1   4   1.15
Totals                  8     7   4   4   2  10   1  32

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack W(4-11)         8.1   6   2   2   3   9   1  33   4.26
Lockwood SV(14)         0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   3.57
Totals                  9     6   2   2   3  10   1  35

Passed Balls: Stearns (5)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Ed Montague


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus lined to left; Cardenal popped to left;
Biittner lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle grounded out (second to first); Valentine
grounded out (shortstop to first); Henderson struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 2ND: Murcer singled to shortstop; Morales singled to left
[Murcer to third, Morales to second (on throw to 3b)]; Ontiveros
struck out; Trillo was walked intentionally; Mitterwald grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Trillo out at
second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Stearns lined to center; Boisclair grounded out
(shortstop to first); Vail grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 3RD: R. Reuschel struck out; De Jesus struck out; Cardenal
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Mazzilli was called out on strikes; Flynn grounded out
(third to first); Matlack struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 4TH: Biittner was called out on strikes; Murcer grounded
out (first unassisted); Morales singled to shortstop; Ontiveros
forced Morales (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Randle doubled to left [Randle out at third (left to
second to third)]; Valentine struck out; Henderson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 5TH: Trillo popped to first in foul territory; Mitterwald
flied out to left; R. Reuschel walked; De Jesus was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Stearns walked; Boisclair forced Stearns (second to
shortstop); Vail forced Boisclair (third to second); Mazzilli
doubled to right [Vail scored]; Flynn struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 1.

CUBS 6TH: Cardenal flied out to left; Biittner lined to left;
Murcer was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Matlack was called out on strikes; Randle walked;
Valentine was called out on strikes; Henderson struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 1.

CUBS 7TH: Morales was called out on strikes; Ontiveros walked;
Trillo popped to second; Mitterwald homered [Ontiveros scored];
R. Reuschel was called out on strikes; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 2, Mets 1.

METS 7TH: Stearns struck out; Boisclair lined to center; Vail
doubled to center; Mazzilli singled to center [Vail scored];
Flynn singled to center [Mazzilli to third]; Matlack grounded
out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 2.

CUBS 8TH: De Jesus popped to second; Cardenal grounded out
(shortstop to first); Biittner lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: Randle singled to left; SUTTER REPLACED R. REUSCHEL
(PITCHING); Valentine out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Randle to second]; Henderson homered [Randle scored]; Stearns
flied out to right; Boisclair struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 2, Mets 4.

CUBS 9TH: MILLAN REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PLAYING 2B); FLYNN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); VALENTINE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); Murcer singled to right; Morales lined to shortstop;
Ontiveros singled to second [Murcer to second]; LOCKWOOD
REPLACED MATLACK (PITCHING); Stearns allowed a passed ball
[Murcer to third, Ontiveros to second]; Trillo struck out;
BUCKNER BATTED FOR MITTERWALD; Buckner grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Mets 4.