The Expos slipped out of first place in the East division behind the Pirates when they lost the first game of a doubleheader to the Mets, 4-2, although coming back to win the second game, 7-3. The score was 2-2 in the seventh inning of the opener when Jose Cardenal cracked a homer to put the Mets ahead, 3-2. A single by Frank Taveras and double by Willie Montanez added an insurance tally in the same stanza.

Reliever Rudy May upped his record to 7-0 in the nightcap as the Expos scored three times in the second inning and twice more in the third. The second-inning runs were produced with a homer by Rusty Staub and a bases-loaded double by Duffy Dyer. The Expos' third-inning markers counted on a single by Ellis Valentine and double by Larry Parrish. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Montreal Expos 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, August    5, 1979 (Day game) at Stade Olympique
Mets         0  2  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   4 11  0
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   2  7  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cardenal rf           5   1   2   1     0   1   .246      Cromartie lf          4   0   1   0     0   1   .283
Taveras ss            5   1   3   0     0   2   .264      Scott 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .247
Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .312      Dawson cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .270
Montanez 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .239      Perez 1b              4   1   1   0     0   2   .279
Stearns c             4   0   0   0     0   2   .248      Carter c              3   0   1   1     0   2   .283
Youngblood lf         4   1   1   0     0   0   .286      Valentine rf          3   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Trevino 3b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .352      Parrish 3b            4   0   1   1     0   2   .303
Flynn 2b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .241      Speier ss             1   0   0   0     1   0   .221
Ellis p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Staub ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .240
  Flores ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .170        Mason ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .172
  Glynn p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Cash ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .441
                                                          Grimsley p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .212
                                                            Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            White ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .282
                                                            Sanderson p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .189
                                                            Dyer ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .214

Totals               38   4  11   4     0   7             Totals               32   2   7   2     1   9

Time of Game: 2:39
Left on Base: Mets 7, Expos 7
DP: Mets 1, Expos 0
Errors: Speier
Doubles: Cardenal (6), Taveras (23), Mazzilli (26), Montanez (16)
Triples: Flynn (5)
Home Runs: Cardenal (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Scott (11), Valentine (1)
GIDP: Staub (1)
Hit by Pitch: Carter (4,by Ellis)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis W(2-4)            6     6   2   2   1   6   0  26   5.96
Glynn SV(7)             3     1   0   0   0   3   0  10   2.29
Totals                  9     7   2   2   1   9   0  36

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley L(8-7)         6.2  11   4   3   0   5   1  31   4.96
Bahnsen                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.49
Sanderson               2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   3.54
Totals                  9    11   4   3   0   7   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Ellis (1)

Umpires: HP - Eric Gregg, 1B - Lanny Harris, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Andy Olsen


METS 1ST: Cardenal doubled to left; Taveras struck out; Mazzilli
struck out; Montanez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Cromartie singled to right; Scott out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Cromartie to second]; Dawson flied out
to left; Perez struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Expos
0.

METS 2ND: Stearns struck out; Youngblood singled to left;
Trevino reached on an error by Speier [Youngblood to second,
Trevino to first]; Flynn tripled to right [Youngblood scored
(unearned), Trevino scored]; Ellis flied out to right; Cardenal
grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Carter struck out; Valentine singled to center;
Parrish struck out; Speier walked [Valentine to second];
Grimsley flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 2,
Expos 0.

METS 3RD: Taveras doubled to right [Taveras out at third (right
to shortstop to third)]; Mazzilli doubled to left; Montanez
popped to shortstop; Stearns struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Cromartie grounded out (pitcher to first); Scott
singled to center; Dawson struck out; Perez was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 0.

METS 4TH: Youngblood flied out to right; Trevino struck out;
Flynn singled to right; Ellis made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Carter was hit by a pitch; Valentine flied out to
left; Parrish was called out on strikes; Speier forced Carter
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 0.

METS 5TH: Cardenal popped to catcher in foul territory; Taveras
singled to left; Mazzilli forced Taveras (third to second);
Montanez flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Grimsley grounded out (first unassisted); Cromartie
grounded out (second to first); Scott grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 0.

METS 6TH: Stearns grounded out (third to first); Youngblood
flied out to center; Trevino singled to left; Flynn flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 0.

EXPOS 6TH: Dawson singled to right; Perez singled to center
[Dawson to third]; Carter singled to left [Dawson scored, Perez
to second]; Valentine out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Perez to third, Carter to second]; Parrish reached on a
fielder's choice [Perez scored, Carter stayed at second]; STAUB
BATTED FOR SPEIER; Staub grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Parrish out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 2, Expos 2.

METS 7TH: MASON REPLACED STAUB (PLAYING SS); FLORES BATTED FOR
ELLIS; Flores grounded out (third to first); Cardenal homered;
Taveras singled to right; Mazzilli flied out to right; Montanez
doubled to right [Taveras scored]; BAHNSEN REPLACED GRIMSLEY
(PITCHING); Stearns flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 4, Expos 2.

EXPOS 7TH: GLYNN REPLACED FLORES (PITCHING); WHITE BATTED FOR
BAHNSEN; White struck out; Cromartie struck out; Scott flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Expos 2.

METS 8TH: SANDERSON REPLACED WHITE (PITCHING); Youngblood lined
to center; Trevino grounded out (shortstop to first); Flynn
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Expos 2.

EXPOS 8TH: Dawson flied out to left; Perez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Carter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Mets 4, Expos 2.

METS 9TH: Glynn grounded out (pitcher to first); Cardenal struck
out; Taveras struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Expos 2.

EXPOS 9TH: Valentine grounded out (third to first); Parrish
singled to right; CASH BATTED FOR MASON; Cash forced Parrish
(third to second); DYER BATTED FOR SANDERSON; Dyer lined to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Expos 2.