Bill Buckner slammed a two-out solo homer in the eighth inning to give the Cubs their first victory of the season, a 4-3 triumph over the Pirates. The Cub first baseman also had two singles, two stolen bases and scored his team's third run of the game. The Pirates had tied the game in the fifth on Frank Taveras' two-out, two-run double. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Sunday, April     9, 1978 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Cubs         0  1  1    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   4 13  0
Pirates      0  0  1    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           3   0   0   0     2   0   .417      Taveras ss            3   0   1   3     0   0   .167
Clines cf,lf          4   1   1   0     1   0   .100      Garner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Buckner 1b            5   2   3   1     0   0   .357      Parker rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Kingman lf            5   1   1   1     0   4   .167      B. Robinson lf        2   0   1   0     2   1   .250
  Wallis cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Sanguillen c          3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Murcer rf             4   0   0   0     1   0   .077        Ott ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Ontiveros 3b          4   0   1   0     1   1   .100      Stennett 2b           2   0   0   0     0   0   .100
Trillo 2b             5   0   4   1     0   0   .455        Gonzalez 2b         2   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Rader c               5   0   3   0     0   0   .364      Fregosi 1b            2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Fryman p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kison p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stargell ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Brye cf               2   2   2   0     0   0  1.000
                                                            Moreno ph,cf        2   0   0   0     0   1   .111
                                                          Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Milner ph,1b        2   1   1   0     0   0   .250

Totals               39   4  13   3     5   5             Totals               30   3   7   3     4   4

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance: 11,632
Left on Base: Cubs 14, Pirates 5
DP: Cubs 3, Pirates 0
Doubles: Brye (2), Taveras (1)
Home Runs: Kingman (1), Buckner (1)
Stolen Bases: Clines (1), Buckner 2 (2), Rader (1), Taveras (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Fryman (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Taveras (1)
GIDP: Stennett (1), Sanguillen 2 (2)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman                  6     6   3   3   3   2   0  24   4.50
Moore W(1-0)            1.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   5   0.00
Sutter SV(1)            1.1   1   0   0   1   2   0   6   5.40
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4   4   0  35

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   5     9   3   3   2   3   1  26   5.40
Kison L(0-1)            3     2   1   1   3   2   1  14   3.00
Jackson                 1     2   0   0   0   0   0   5   6.75
Totals                  9    13   4   4   5   5   2  45

Wild Pitches: Fryman 2 (2), Sutter (1)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Joe West, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Nick Colosi


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Clines
grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied out to center; Garner grounded out
(second to first); Parker singled to center; Fryman threw a wild
pitch [Parker to second]; B. Robinson was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Pirates 0.

CUBS 2ND: Kingman homered; Murcer flied out to right; Ontiveros
grounded out (third to first); Trillo singled to left; Rader
singled to left [Trillo to third]; Fryman lined to third; 1 R, 3
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 1, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Sanguillen singled to right; Stennett grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Sanguillen out at
second]; Fregosi popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
1, Pirates 0.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus lined to shortstop; Clines singled to left;
Buckner singled to right [Clines to third]; Clines stole home
and Buckner stole second; Kingman struck out; Murcer walked;
Ontiveros struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Brye doubled to left; Fryman threw a wild pitch
[Brye to third]; On a bunt Reuss popped to third in foul
territory; Taveras hit a sacrifice fly to right [Brye scored];
Garner was called out on strikes; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Pirates 1.

CUBS 4TH: Trillo singled to center; Rader grounded out (first
unassisted) [Trillo to second]; Fryman out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to first) [Trillo to third]; De Jesus walked; Clines
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 2,
Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Parker grounded out (second to first); B. Robinson
walked; Sanguillen grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [B. Robinson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 2, Pirates 1.

CUBS 5TH: Buckner singled to shortstop; Buckner stole second;
Kingman struck out; Murcer grounded out (pitcher to second to
first); Ontiveros singled to shortstop [Buckner to third];
Trillo singled to right [Buckner scored, Ontiveros to third];
Rader grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cubs 3, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett grounded out (second to first); Fregosi
popped to third; Brye singled to left; MILNER BATTED FOR REUSS;
Milner singled to center [Brye to second]; Taveras doubled to
left [Brye scored, Milner scored]; Taveras stole third; Garner
walked; Parker popped to shortstop; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs
3, Pirates 3.

CUBS 6TH: MILNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); KISON REPLACED
FREGOSI (PITCHING); GONZALEZ REPLACED STENNETT (PLAYING 2B);
Fryman grounded out (shortstop to first); De Jesus walked;
Clines walked [De Jesus to second]; Buckner flied out to left;
Kingman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 6TH: B. Robinson walked; Sanguillen grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [B. Robinson out at
second]; Gonzalez popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Pirates 3.

CUBS 7TH: Murcer lined to first; Ontiveros walked; Trillo flied
out to center; Rader singled to left [Ontiveros to second];
BIITTNER BATTED FOR FRYMAN; Biittner lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 7TH: MOORE REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Kison grounded
out (third to first); MORENO BATTED FOR BRYE; Moreno flied out
to center; Milner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Pirates 3.

CUBS 8TH: MORENO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); De Jesus flied out
to left; Clines popped to shortstop; Buckner homered; Kingman
struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: WALLIS REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING CF); CLINES
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Taveras grounded out (third to
first); Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); SUTTER
REPLACED MOORE (PITCHING); Parker flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 3.

CUBS 9TH: JACKSON REPLACED KISON (PITCHING); Murcer grounded out
(first unassisted); Ontiveros grounded out (first unassisted);
Trillo singled to left; Rader singled to right [Trillo to
third]; Rader stole second; Sutter grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: B. Robinson singled to right; OTT BATTED FOR
SANGUILLEN; Ott struck out; Gonzalez flied out to left [B.
Robinson to second]; STARGELL BATTED FOR JACKSON; Sutter threw a
wild pitch [B. Robinson to third]; Stargell walked; Moreno was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 4, Pirates 3.