A four-run uprising in the seventh inning enabled the Mets to defeat the Cardinals, 7-6, in the clubs' continuing battle to determine the worst team in the league. The score was 3-3 going into the seventh when Lee Mazzilli drew a leadoff walk and reached second safely when Redbird shortstop Garry Templeton errored on an attempted forceout at second on a bunt by Tim Foli.

Steve Henderson then walked to load the sacks and bring on Aurelio Lopez in relief of George Frazier. Willie Montanez grounded a ball into center for a two-run single. John Stearns followed with a sacrifice fly and when Dan Norman stroked a single, Lopez departed in favor of Roy Thomas. Elliott Maddox hit a sacrifice fly to complete the scoring. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 7, St. Louis Cardinals 6
Game Played on Wednesday, September 20, 1978 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Mets         0  0  0    3  0  0    4  0  0  -   7  9  0
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  2    0  2  1  -   6 10  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           2   2   2   2     3   0   .276      Templeton ss          4   1   1   1     0   0   .279
Foli ss               5   1   0   0     0   1   .251      Morales rf            5   1   2   1     0   0   .238
S. Henderson lf       3   1   1   0     1   1   .268      Hernandez 1b          3   2   2   3     1   1   .254
Montanez 1b           4   1   2   2     1   1   .258      Simmons lf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .289
Stearns c             4   0   0   1     0   1   .270      Hendrick cf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .280
Norman rf             5   0   1   0     0   1   .229      Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Maddox 3b             3   1   2   1     0   0   .265      Swisher c             4   0   2   0     0   0   .276
  Randle 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .237        Lentine pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Flynn 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Tyson 2b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .235
Kobel p               4   1   1   1     0   1   .200      O'Brien p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Koosman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .086        Scott ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .230
                                                            Frazier p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Lopez p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
                                                            Thomas p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Freed ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .232
                                                            Ramsey pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Mumphrey ph         0   0   0   0     0   0   .252

Totals               34   7   9   7     5   6             Totals               33   6  10   6     3   2

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance:  6,030
Left on Base: Mets 8, Cardinals 5
DP: Mets 2, Cardinals 0
Errors: Templeton
Doubles: Kobel (1), Montanez (30), Mazzilli (27), Morales (18)
Triples: Hernandez (4)
Home Runs: Mazzilli (16), Hernandez (11)
Stolen Bases: Templeton (32)
Caught Stealing: Mazzilli (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Mumphrey (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Stearns (6), Maddox (5), Templeton (3)
GIDP: Simmons (18), Tyson (14)
Hit by Pitch: S. Henderson (2,by O'Brien)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kobel W(4-5)            7.2   8   5   5   1   2   1  30   3.03
Koosman SV(1)           1.1   2   1   1   2   0   0   8   3.78
Totals                  9    10   6   6   3   2   1  38

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
O'Brien                 5     6   3   3   3   4   1  24   4.91
Frazier L(0-3)          1     0   3   2   2   0   0   6   4.09
Lopez                   0.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   3   4.09
Thomas                  1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.81
Schultz                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.72
Totals                  9     9   7   5*  5   6   1  42

Hit by Pitch: O'Brien (2)

Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


METS 1ST: Mazzilli walked; Mazzilli was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Foli grounded out (third to first); S.
Henderson singled to center; Montanez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: On a bunt Templeton singled to third; Templeton
stole second; Morales doubled to left [Templeton scored];
Hernandez walked; Simmons grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Morales to third, Hernandez out at second];
Hendrick grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Cardinals 1.

METS 2ND: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Norman
lined to shortstop; Maddox singled to center; Flynn forced
Maddox (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Reitz grounded out (third to first); Swisher
singled to center; Tyson grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Swisher out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 1.

METS 3RD: Kobel struck out; Mazzilli walked; Foli grounded out
(third to first) [Mazzilli to second]; S. Henderson was hit by a
pitch; Montanez walked [Mazzilli to third, S. Henderson to
second]; Stearns struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Mets 0,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: O'Brien flied out to center; Templeton grounded
out (shortstop to first); Morales flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Cardinals 1.

METS 4TH: Norman flied out to left; Maddox singled to right;
Flynn popped to shortstop; Kobel doubled to left [Maddox
scored]; Mazzilli homered [Kobel scored]; Foli grounded out
(third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez was called out on strikes; Simmons
grounded out (second to first); Hendrick grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Cardinals 1.

METS 5TH: S. Henderson was called out on strikes; Montanez
doubled to left; Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Montanez to third]; Norman grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Reitz flied out to right; Swisher grounded out
(shortstop to first); Tyson singled to left; SCOTT BATTED FOR
O'BRIEN; Scott flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3,
Cardinals 1.

METS 6TH: FRAZIER REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); Maddox grounded out
(third to first); Flynn grounded out (third to first); Kobel
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton flied out to center; Morales singled to
left; Hernandez homered [Morales scored]; Simmons was called out
on strikes; Hendrick flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 3, Cardinals 3.

METS 7TH: Mazzilli walked; Foli reached on an error by Templeton
(assist by Hernandez) [Mazzilli to second, Foli to first]; S.
Henderson walked [Mazzilli to third, Foli to second]; LOPEZ
REPLACED FRAZIER (PITCHING); Montanez singled to center
[Mazzilli scored (unearned), Foli scored, S. Henderson to
third]; Stearns hit a sacrifice fly to left [S. Henderson
scored]; Norman singled to right [Montanez to third]; THOMAS
REPLACED LOPEZ (PITCHING); Maddox hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Montanez scored (unearned, but earned for the pitcher)]; Flynn
flied out to right; 4 R (3 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 7,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 7TH: Reitz flied out to right; Swisher grounded out
(second to first); Tyson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 7, Cardinals 3.

METS 8TH: Kobel flied out to center; Mazzilli doubled to right;
Foli struck out; S. Henderson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 7, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 8TH: FREED BATTED FOR THOMAS; Freed singled to center;
RAMSEY RAN FOR FREED; Templeton flied out to center; Morales
flied out to left; Hernandez tripled to left [Ramsey scored];
KOOSMAN REPLACED KOBEL (PITCHING); Simmons walked; Hendrick
singled to center [Hernandez scored, Simmons to third]; Reitz
forced Hendrick (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 7, Cardinals 5.

METS 9TH: SCHULTZ REPLACED RAMSEY (PITCHING); Montanez grounded
out (first to pitcher); Stearns flied out to left; Norman struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 7, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 9TH: RANDLE REPLACED MADDOX (PLAYING 3B); Swisher
singled to center; LENTINE RAN FOR SWISHER; Tyson walked
[Lentine to second]; MUMPHREY BATTED FOR SCHULTZ; Mumphrey out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Lentine to third, Tyson
to second]; Templeton hit a sacrifice fly to right [Lentine
scored]; Morales grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 7, Cardinals 6.