The Cubs failed to hold a 6-0 lead but then came back to defeat the Mets, 9-7. A three-run homer by Larry Cox in the second inning and three more runs in the fifth, with two scoring on bases-loaded walks, built up the Cubs' early lead.

The Mets rallied for seven runs in their half of the fifth on six hits, including a two-run triple by Joel Youngblood, another run-scoring triple by Lenny Randle and a three-run homer by Willie Montanez. The Cubs quickly regained the lead, scoring twice in the sixth on doubles by Ivan DeJesus and Larry Biittner and a single by Bill Buckner. Steve Ontiveros singled home an insurance run in the ninth. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 9, New York Mets 7

Game Played on Friday, July 7, 1978 (Night game) at Shea Stadium

Cubs         0  3  0    0  3  2    0  0  1  -   9 15  1
Mets         0  0  0    0  7  0    0  0  0  -   7  8  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           5   2   3   0     0   0   .271      Randle 3b,2b          5   1   1   1     0   0   .245
Biittner lf,1b        3   1   1   1     2   1   .266      Foli ss               5   1   2   1     0   1   .242
Buckner 1b            4   1   2   2     0   0   .304      Mazzilli cf           5   0   0   0     0   1   .276
  Clines pr,lf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .290      Stearns c             2   1   0   0     2   0   .262
Murcer cf             4   2   2   0     1   0   .268      Montanez 1b           4   1   1   3     0   1   .270
Ontiveros 3b          4   1   2   1     1   0   .242      S. Henderson lf       3   0   2   0     1   0   .254
Trillo 2b             4   1   2   1     1   0   .266      Maddox rf,3b          4   1   0   0     0   1   .279
Vail rf               5   0   0   0     0   1   .274      Flynn 2b              3   1   1   0     0   1   .239
Cox c                 4   1   2   4     1   0   .260        Kranepool ph,rf     1   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Roberts p             3   0   1   0     0   1   .310      Hausman p             0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Holtzman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Bernard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McGlothen p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Youngblood ph       1   1   1   2     0   0   .240
  Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Siebert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Boisclair ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
                                                            Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hodges ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .226

Totals               39   9  15   9     6   4             Totals               35   7   8   7     4   6

Time of Game: 2:58   Attendance: 13,815
Left on Base: Cubs 9, Mets 5
DP: Cubs 0, Mets 2
Errors: Biittner
Doubles: Buckner (9), De Jesus (13), Biittner (9), Murcer (12)
Triples: Youngblood (3), Randle (6)
Home Runs: Cox (2), Montanez (12)
Caught Stealing: De Jesus (6), S. Henderson (6)
GIDP: Buckner (4), Clines (5)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts                 4.1   6   5   5   1   0   0  20   4.13
Holtzman                0.1   1   2   2   2   0   1   4   6.63
McGlothen W(2-1)        2.1   0   0   0   1   2   0   7   4.34
Sutter SV(13)           2     1   0   0   0   4   0   8   1.84
Totals                  9     8   7   7   4   6   1  39

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hausman                 4.1   8   6   6   3   1   1  23  12.46
Bernard                 0.2   0   0   0   2   2   0   4   3.38
Siebert L(0-2)          1     3   2   2   0   0   0   6   4.50
Murray                  3     4   1   1   1   1   0  12   4.50
Totals                  9    15   9   9   6   4   1  45

Umpires: HP - Joe West, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Satch Davidson


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus flied out to center; Biittner walked; Buckner
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Biittner out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle flied out to right; Foli grounded out (third to
first); Mazzilli grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Mets 0.

CUBS 2ND: Murcer lined to right; Ontiveros walked; Trillo
singled to shortstop [Ontiveros to second]; Vail flied out to
left; Cox homered [Ontiveros scored, Trillo scored]; Roberts
singled to second; De Jesus grounded out (first unassisted); 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
grounded out (second to first); S. Henderson singled to center;
Maddox flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

CUBS 3RD: Biittner grounded out (first to pitcher); Buckner
grounded out (shortstop to first); Murcer singled to right;
Ontiveros forced Murcer (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Hausman
walked; Randle lined to left; Foli forced Hausman (third to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

CUBS 4TH: Trillo singled to center; Vail flied out to center;
Cox grounded out (first unassisted) [Trillo to second]; Roberts
lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Mazzilli grounded out (pitcher to first); Stearns
grounded out (second to first); Montanez grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Mets 0.

CUBS 5TH: De Jesus singled to right; Biittner struck out;
Buckner doubled to center [De Jesus scored]; Murcer was walked
intentionally; Ontiveros singled to left [Buckner to third,
Murcer to second]; BERNARD REPLACED HAUSMAN (PITCHING); Trillo
walked [Buckner scored, Murcer to third, Ontiveros to second];
Vail was called out on strikes; Cox walked [Murcer scored,
Ontiveros to third, Trillo to second]; Roberts struck out; 3 R,
3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cubs 6, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: S. Henderson singled to pitcher; Maddox forced S.
Henderson (shortstop to second); Flynn singled to right [Maddox
to second]; YOUNGBLOOD BATTED FOR BERNARD; Youngblood tripled to
left [Maddox scored, Flynn scored]; Randle tripled to center
[Youngblood scored]; Foli singled to left [Randle scored];
HOLTZMAN REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Mazzilli flied out to
center; Stearns walked [Foli to second]; Montanez homered [Foli
scored, Stearns scored]; S. Henderson walked; MCGLOTHEN REPLACED
HOLTZMAN (PITCHING); S. Henderson was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 7 R, 6 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 6, Mets 7.

CUBS 6TH: SIEBERT REPLACED YOUNGBLOOD (PITCHING); De Jesus
doubled to center; Biittner doubled to center [De Jesus scored];
Buckner singled to right [Biittner scored]; CLINES RAN FOR
BUCKNER; Murcer forced Clines (second to shortstop); Ontiveros
flied out to center; Trillo flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

METS 6TH: CLINES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BIITTNER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Maddox popped to third in foul
territory; Flynn was called out on strikes; BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR
SIEBERT; Boisclair grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

CUBS 7TH: MURRAY REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PITCHING); Vail grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cox grounded out (shortstop to first);
McGlothen grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

METS 7TH: Randle grounded out (second to first); Foli struck
out; Mazzilli popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

CUBS 8TH: De Jesus singled to right; De Jesus was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Biittner walked; Clines
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Biittner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

METS 8TH: Stearns walked; SUTTER REPLACED MCGLOTHEN (PITCHING);
Montanez struck out; S. Henderson reached on an error by
Biittner [Stearns to second, S. Henderson to first]; Maddox
struck out; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR FLYNN; Kranepool grounded out
(first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 8, Mets 7.

CUBS 9TH: KRANEPOOL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); RANDLE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); MADDOX CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B);
Murcer doubled to right; Ontiveros singled to center [Murcer
scored]; Trillo flied out to right; Vail forced Ontiveros
(shortstop to second); Cox singled to center [Vail to second];
Sutter was called out on strikes; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 9,
Mets 7.

METS 9TH: HODGES BATTED FOR MURRAY; Hodges struck out; Randle
grounded out (first unassisted); Foli singled to left; Mazzilli
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 9, Mets 7.

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