Playing before a record opening-day crowd of 45,777 at Wrigley Field, the Cubs gained a dramatic victory when Larry Biittner hit the first pitch thrown by Jim Bibby in the ninth inning for a homer to beat the Pirates, 5-4. After the Cubs jumped off to a 3-0 lead, the Pirates tied the score in the sixth and went ahead when Willie Stargell came up as a pinch-hitter and homered in the eighth. The Cubs pulled even in their half with a single by Manny Trillo and double by Ivan DeJesus to set the stage for Biittner's blow. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Game Played on Friday, April     14, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  3    0  1  0  -   4  6  3
Cubs         1  2  0    0  0  0    0  1  1  -   5 10  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   0   1   0     0   0   .241      De Jesus ss           5   0   2   2     0   0   .367
Brye cf               2   0   0   0     2   0   .375      Clines cf             3   1   2   1     0   0   .222
  Moreno cf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Gross ph,cf         2   0   1   0     0   0   .214
Parker rf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .185      Buckner 1b            1   0   1   0     0   0   .455
B. Robinson lf        2   1   1   1     2   0   .353        Biittner 1b         3   1   2   1     1   0   .333
Fregosi 1b            2   1   0   0     1   1   .200      Murcer rf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .250
  Stargell ph,1b      1   1   1   1     0   0   .231      Kingman lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .192
Stennett 2b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .143      Trillo 2b             3   2   1   0     0   0   .391
Garner 3b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .118      Cruz 3b               2   0   1   0     1   0   .214
Sanguillen c          3   0   0   0     1   0   .167      Rader c               3   1   0   0     1   0   .200
Reuss p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Fryman p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Gonzalez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .083        Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ontiveros ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .100
  Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bibby p             0   0   0   0     1   0   .000

Totals               31   4   6   4     7   4             Totals               33   5  10   4     4   5

Time of Game: 2:36   Attendance: 45,777
Left on Base: Pirates 7, Cubs 10
DP: Pirates 1, Cubs 2
Errors: Taveras, Stennett 2
Doubles: Parker (2), Buckner (2), De Jesus (2)
Triples: B. Robinson (1), Biittner (1)
Home Runs: Stargell (1), Biittner (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Cruz (1)
GIDP: Parker (1), Moreno (1), Rader (2)
Hit by Pitch: Trillo (1,by Reuss)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss                   5     6   3   2   1   4   0  24   4.50
Tekulve                 1.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   6   1.93
Jackson                 0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   5.40
Bibby L(1-1)            1.1   3   2   2   1   0   1   8   2.84
Totals                  8    10   5   4   4   5   1  39

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman                  7     4   3   3   6   4   0  30   4.15
Moore                   1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   3.00
Hernandez W(1-0)        1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   1.93
Totals                  9     6   4   4   7   4   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Reuss (1)
Wild Pitches: Reuss (1)

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


PIRATES 1ST: On a bunt Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first);
Brye walked; Parker grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Brye out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Clines
reached on an error by Stennett [Clines to first]; Buckner
doubled to right [Clines scored (error by Stennett) (unearned)
(no RBI)]; Reuss threw a wild pitch [Buckner to third]; Murcer
struck out; Kingman struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Cubs 1.

PIRATES 2ND: BIITTNER REPLACED BUCKNER (PLAYING 1B); B. Robinson
walked; Fregosi was called out on strikes; Stennett grounded out
(first to pitcher) [B. Robinson to second]; Garner struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 2ND: Trillo was hit by a pitch; Cruz singled to center
[Trillo to second]; Rader forced Cruz (shortstop to second)
[Trillo to third]; Fryman struck out; De Jesus singled to left
[Trillo scored, Rader to second]; Clines singled to center
[Rader scored, De Jesus out at home (center to first to second
to catcher), Clines to second (on throw to home)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 3RD: Sanguillen grounded out (first unassisted); Reuss
grounded out (shortstop to first); Taveras grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 3.

CUBS 3RD: Biittner tripled to right; Murcer popped to second;
Kingman reached on a fielder's choice [Biittner out at home
(shortstop to catcher)]; Trillo reached on an error by Taveras
[Kingman to second, Trillo to first]; Cruz forced Trillo (third
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Brye walked; Parker was called out on strikes; B.
Robinson walked [Brye to second]; Fregosi popped to second;
Stennett forced B. Robinson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 3.

CUBS 4TH: Rader walked; Fryman struck out; De Jesus lined to
center; Clines singled to left [Rader to second]; Biittner
forced Rader (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
0, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Garner flied out to right; Sanguillen flied out to
right; Reuss struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs
3.

CUBS 5TH: Murcer grounded out (second to first); Kingman flied
out to center; Trillo grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Taveras popped to first; Brye grounded out
(shortstop to first); Parker doubled to center; B. Robinson
tripled to right [Parker scored]; Fregosi walked; Stennett
singled to right [B. Robinson scored, Fregosi to second]; Garner
singled to left [Fregosi scored, Stennett to third, Garner to
second (on throw)]; Sanguillen was walked intentionally;
GONZALEZ BATTED FOR REUSS; Gonzalez flied out to right; 3 R, 4
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 6TH: TEKULVE REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Cruz walked;
Rader grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to
first) [Cruz out at second]; On a bunt Fryman grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 7TH: Taveras popped to catcher in foul territory; Brye
grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker lined to shortstop; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

CUBS 7TH: De Jesus lined to center; GROSS BATTED FOR CLINES;
Gross singled to left; Biittner walked [Gross to second];
JACKSON REPLACED TEKULVE (PITCHING); Murcer struck out; BIBBY
REPLACED JACKSON (PITCHING); Kingman popped to third; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Cubs 3.

PIRATES 8TH: GROSS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); MOORE REPLACED
FRYMAN (PITCHING); B. Robinson grounded out (first unassisted);
STARGELL BATTED FOR FREGOSI; Stargell homered; Stennett flied
out to center; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: STARGELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); MORENO REPLACED
BRYE (PLAYING CF); Trillo singled to right; Cruz out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Trillo to second]; Rader
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Trillo to third]; ONTIVEROS
BATTED FOR MOORE; Ontiveros walked; De Jesus doubled to left
[Trillo scored, Ontiveros to third]; Gross flied out to center;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

PIRATES 9TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED ONTIVEROS (PITCHING); Sanguillen
grounded out (first to pitcher); Bibby walked; Taveras singled
to left [Bibby to second]; Moreno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Taveras out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 9TH: Biittner homered; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Cubs 5.