After starting a double play to escape from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, Nino Espinosa proceeded to pitch the Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Keith Hernandez rapped to Espinosa to leave the Cardinals with nothing to show for filling the sacks with one away.

The Mets didn't waste opportunities in their half of the first, scoring three runs. Lenny Randle was safe on an error by Garry Templeton and counted the first tally on singles by Felix Millan and Steve Henderson. John Milner also singled, driving in the second run, and the third counted as Mike Vail bounced into a twin killing. Milner also doubled a run home in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Tuesday, August    9, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  2
Mets         3  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   4 10  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              4   0   2   1     0   0   .273      Randle 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .310
Templeton ss          4   0   1   0     0   1   .326      Millan 2b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .248
Cruz rf               2   0   0   0     2   1   .260      Henderson lf          4   2   2   1     0   0   .295
Simmons c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .325      Milner 1b             4   0   2   2     0   2   .267
Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .294      Stearns c             2   0   0   0     1   0   .283
Mumphrey cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .321      Vail rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .287
Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .274      Mazzilli cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .232
Tyson 2b              4   1   2   0     0   0   .224      Flynn ss              4   0   3   0     0   0   .234
Denny p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .114      Espinosa p            2   0   0   0     1   0   .086
  Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Kessinger ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .248
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .300
  Rader ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .278

Totals               33   1   8   1     2   6             Totals               32   4  10   3     2   5

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 15,351
Left on Base: Cardinals 8, Mets 7
DP: Cardinals 1, Mets 1
Errors: Templeton, Schultz
Doubles: Templeton (15), Brock (16), Milner (12)
Stolen Bases: Mumphrey (12)
Caught Stealing: Randle (17)
Sacrifice Hits: Denny (4)
GIDP: Hernandez (12), Vail (7)
Hit by Pitch: Stearns (6,by Denny)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny L(7-4)            5     6   4   2   1   3   0  23   3.61
Schultz                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   1.24
Eastwick                2     3   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.55
Totals                  8    10   4   2   2   5   0  35

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa W(6-8)         9     8   1   1   2   6   0  36   3.70
Totals                  9     8   1   1   2   6   0  36

Hit by Pitch: Denny (3)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - Dutch Rennert


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock flied out to left; Templeton doubled to
left; Cruz walked; Simmons singled to right [Templeton to third,
Cruz to second]; Hernandez grounded into a double play (pitcher
to catcher to first) [Templeton out at home]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle reached on an error by Templeton [Randle to
first]; Millan singled to right [Randle to second]; Henderson
singled to center [Randle scored (unearned), Millan to second];
Milner singled to right [Millan scored, Henderson to third];
Stearns was hit by a pitch [Milner to second]; Vail grounded
into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Henderson
scored (unearned) (no RBI), Milner to third, Stearns out at
second]; Mazzilli grounded out (second to first); 3 R (1 ER), 3
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Mumphrey grounded out (second to first); Reitz
grounded out (second to first); Tyson singled to center; Denny
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
0, Mets 3.

METS 2ND: Flynn lined to center; Espinosa walked; Randle forced
Espinosa (second to shortstop); Millan grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 3.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock lined to left; Templeton grounded out
(second to first); Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 3.

METS 3RD: Henderson grounded out (second to first); Milner
struck out; Stearns grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons flied out to left; Hernandez struck out;
Mumphrey singled to right; Mumphrey stole second; Reitz struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets 3.

METS 4TH: Vail was called out on strikes; Mazzilli was called
out on strikes; Flynn singled to center; Espinosa forced Flynn
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Mets
3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Tyson singled to center; Denny out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Tyson to second]; Brock doubled to
left [Tyson scored]; Templeton was called out on strikes; Cruz
walked; Simmons grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 3.

METS 5TH: Randle lined to left; Millan singled to left;
Henderson forced Millan (second unassisted); Milner doubled to
left [Henderson scored]; Stearns popped to first; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hernandez grounded out (second to first);
Mumphrey flied out to center; Reitz grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

METS 6TH: SCHULTZ REPLACED DENNY (PITCHING); Vail grounded out
(shortstop to first); Mazzilli struck out; Flynn singled to
pitcher [Flynn to second (error by Schultz)]; Espinosa flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: Tyson flied out to left; KESSINGER BATTED FOR
SCHULTZ; Kessinger struck out; Brock singled to right; Templeton
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

METS 7TH: EASTWICK REPLACED KESSINGER (PITCHING); On a bunt
Randle singled to first; Randle was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Millan flied out to right; Henderson
singled to left; Milner was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: Cruz was called out on strikes; Simmons grounded
out (second to first); Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: Stearns walked; Vail flied out to center; Mazzilli
grounded out (second to first) [Stearns to second]; Flynn
singled to center [Stearns out at home (center to catcher)]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.

CARDINALS 9TH: Mumphrey grounded out (second to first); Reitz
singled to right; Tyson popped to catcher in foul territory;
RADER BATTED FOR EASTWICK; Rader struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 1, Mets 4.