Getting relief help from Dale Murray, Andy Hassler picked up his first National League victory as the Mets defeated the Cardinals, 6-2, before a Cap Day crowd of 50,163, the third largest regular season crowd in Busch Stadium history.

The Mets jumped ahead, 2-0, in their first turn at bat when Frank Taveras led off with a single, went to second on pitcher Bob Forsch's wild pickoff attempt and scored on a single by Elliott Maddox. After Richie Hebner walked, Maddox took third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Willie Montanez. The Mets scored four times in the seventh on doubles by Montanez and Joel Youngblood, and singles by Doug Flynn, Maddox and Lee Mazzilli. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 6, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Sunday, June      24, 1979 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II
Mets         2  0  0    0  0  0    4  0  0  -   6 11  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   2  6  2


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   2   2   0     0   0   .254      Templeton ss          5   0   1   1     0   0   .315
Maddox rf             5   1   2   2     0   1   .241      Brock lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .343
Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   1     1   0   .333        McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hebner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .292      Hernandez 1b          1   0   0   0     3   0   .326
Montanez 1b           3   1   1   1     0   0   .201      Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .321
Stearns c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .233        Swisher c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Youngblood lf         4   1   2   1     0   0   .277      Hendrick rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .341
Flynn 2b              3   1   2   1     1   0   .233      Scott cf              3   1   2   0     1   0   .298
Hassler p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Reitz 3b              3   1   1   0     1   0   .276
  Murray p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Tyson 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .222
                                                            Oberkfell 2b        1   0   0   0     0   0   .292
                                                          Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .156
                                                            Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Freed ph            1   0   1   1     0   0   .235
                                                            Fulgham pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Mumphrey lf         0   0   0   0     1   0   .278

Totals               35   6  11   6     3   4             Totals               31   2   6   2     6   2

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 48,693
Left on Base: Mets 6, Cardinals 8
DP: Mets 1, Cardinals 0
Errors: Simmons, Forsch
Doubles: Montanez (11), Youngblood (12), Brock (3), Freed (1)
Caught Stealing: Youngblood (8), Flynn (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Montanez (4)
GIDP: Simmons (3)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hassler W(1-1)          6.2   5   2   2   4   2   0  28   6.21
Murray SV(2)            2.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   9   3.02
Totals                  9     6   2   2   6   2   0  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(3-7)           6.2   8   6   6   2   3   0  28   4.38
Bruno                   0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.82
Knowles                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.52
McEnaney                2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   1.69
Totals                  9    11   6   6   3   4   0  39

Wild Pitches: Forsch (3)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Dick Stello


METS 1ST: Taveras singled to shortstop; Taveras was picked off
first but was safe on an error by Forsch [Taveras to second];
Maddox singled to center [Taveras scored]; Mazzilli flied out to
left; Hebner walked [Maddox to second]; Forsch threw a wild
pitch [Maddox to third, Hebner to second]; Montanez hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Maddox scored, Hebner to third]; Stearns
flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton flied out to center; Brock grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hernandez walked; Simmons forced Hernandez
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals
0.

METS 2ND: Youngblood singled to center; Youngblood was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Flynn popped to second;
Hassler was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hendrick flied out to right; Scott popped to
first in foul territory; Reitz walked; Tyson forced Reitz
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals
0.

METS 3RD: Taveras popped to shortstop; Maddox grounded out
(shortstop to first); Mazzilli walked; Mazzilli was picked off
first but was safe on an error by Simmons [Mazzilli to second];
Hebner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Forsch struck out; Templeton lined to left; Brock
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

METS 4TH: Montanez flied out to center; Stearns grounded out
(third to first); Youngblood grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez walked; Simmons flied out to right;
Hendrick flied out to left; Scott singled to left [Hernandez out
at home (left to second to catcher)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

METS 5TH: Flynn singled to right; Flynn was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop to first to second); Hassler struck
out; Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Reitz grounded out (second to first); Tyson flied
out to right; Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

METS 6TH: Maddox was called out on strikes; Mazzilli grounded
out (pitcher to first); Hebner grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton grounded out (third to first); Brock
doubled to left; Hernandez grounded out (first unassisted)
[Brock to third]; Simmons grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Cardinals 0.

METS 7TH: Montanez doubled to left; Stearns grounded out
(shortstop to first); Youngblood doubled to left [Montanez
scored]; Flynn singled to right [Youngblood scored]; Hassler
popped to pitcher; Taveras singled to center [Flynn to second];
BRUNO REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Maddox singled to left [Flynn
scored, Taveras to second]; KNOWLES REPLACED BRUNO (PITCHING);
Mazzilli singled to center [Taveras scored, Maddox to second];
Hebner grounded out (first to pitcher); 4 R, 6 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 6, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 7TH: Hendrick struck out; Scott walked; Reitz singled
to left [Scott to second]; Tyson flied out to right; FREED
BATTED FOR KNOWLES; Freed doubled to right [Scott scored, Reitz
to third]; FULGHAM RAN FOR FREED; Templeton singled to left
[Reitz scored, Fulgham to third]; MURRAY REPLACED HASSLER
(PITCHING); Brock grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Mets 6, Cardinals 2.

METS 8TH: MUMPHREY REPLACED FULGHAM (PLAYING LF); MCENANEY
REPLACED BROCK (PITCHING); Montanez grounded out (first
unassisted); Stearns singled to center; Youngblood grounded out
(third to first) [Stearns to second]; Flynn was walked
intentionally; Murray struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 6,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Hernandez walked; Simmons grounded into a double
play (first to shortstop to pitcher) [Hernandez out at second];
Hendrick popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 6, Cardinals 2.

METS 9TH: SWISHER REPLACED SIMMONS (PLAYING C ); OBERKFELL
REPLACED TYSON (PLAYING 2B); Taveras flied out to center; Maddox
grounded out (shortstop to first); Mazzilli flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 6, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Scott singled to left; Reitz flied out to center;
Oberkfell flied out to left; Mumphrey walked [Scott to second];
Templeton grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Mets 6, Cardinals 2.