After extending the Pirates to 14 innings before succumbing on the previous night, the Mets took the measure of the division leaders in 15 innings, 3-2. Lee Mazzilli walked before Ed Kranepool homered in the sixth to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. The Pirates came back with two in the eighth on singles by Steve Nicosia, pinch-hitter Willie Stargell and Omar Moreno coupled with a sacrifice fly by Tim Foli.

The Mets had two men on base in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings and the Bucs had men at second and third in 11th and 13th, but the issue was not decided until Mazzilli led off the 15th with a two-bagger, moved to third on Richie Hebner's groundout, and scored on a two-out liner by John Stearns that went off the glove of a diving Lee Lacy in left field. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 8, 1979 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  0
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   3 14  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moreno cf             7   0   4   1     0   0   .290      Taveras ss            7   0   3   0     0   1   .265
Foli ss               6   0   2   1     0   0   .280      Maddox rf             7   0   0   0     0   0   .260
Parker rf             4   0   0   0     3   0   .293      Mazzilli cf           5   2   3   0     2   1   .311
B. Robinson 1b        4   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Hebner 3b             6   0   0   0     0   1   .251
  Milner ph,1b        3   0   0   0     0   1   .291      Kranepool 1b          4   1   1   2     0   1   .232
Lacy lf               6   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Flores ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .177
Madlock 3b            6   0   0   0     0   1   .281        Bernard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Garner 2b             6   0   1   0     0   0   .287        Norman ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .191
Nicosia c             2   0   1   0     1   1   .295        Ellis p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Alexander pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .538        Chapman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .146
  Ott c               2   0   0   0     1   1   .271      Youngblood lf         5   0   3   0     2   0   .280
Blyleven p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Hodges c              2   0   0   0     2   0   .147
  Stargell ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .304        Reardon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lois pr             0   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Stearns ph,1b       3   0   1   1     0   0   .241
  Romo p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Flynn 2b              6   0   1   0     0   1   .245
  Easler ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .283      Kobel p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .190
  Roberts p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Glynn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Trevino c           3   0   1   0     0   0   .276
  Boyland ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sanguillen ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .221
  Rooker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .107
  Bibby p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167

Totals               51   2   9   2     5   5             Totals               53   3  14   3     6   6

Time of Game: 4:18   Attendance:  8,095
Left on Base: Pirates 11, Mets 14
DP: Pirates 1, Mets 1
Doubles: Youngblood (35), Mazzilli (30)
Home Runs: Kranepool (2)
Stolen Bases: Foli (5), Moreno 2 (65), Parker (20), Youngblood (16)
Caught Stealing: Taveras (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Blyleven (14), Kobel (7), Hebner (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Foli (4)
GIDP: Ott (6)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven                7     8   2   2   2   2   1  30   3.45
Romo                    2     3   0   0   1   0   0   8   2.60
Roberts                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.04
Tekulve                 1.2   0   0   0   1   2   0   6   2.72
Jackson                 3     0   0   0   1   2   0  10   3.21
Rooker L(3-7)           0.2   1   1   1   0   0   0   3   4.71
Bibby                   0     1   0   0   1   0   0   2   2.96
Totals                 14.2  14   3   3   6   6   1  61

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kobel                   7.1   4   2   2   2   2   0  28   3.36
Glynn                   0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.16
Reardon                 2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.52
Bernard                 2     2   0   0   1   2   0   9   4.86
Ellis W(3-7)            3     3   0   0   2   0   0  13   6.11
Totals                 15     9   2   2   5   5   0  58

Passed Balls: Ott (7)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Fred Brocklander, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Bob Engel


PIRATES 1ST: Moreno flied out to right; Foli grounded out
(shortstop to first); Parker made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Taveras singled to right; Maddox forced Taveras
(shortstop to second); Mazzilli flied out to right; Hebner flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 2ND: B. Robinson grounded out (third to first); Lacy
lined to second; Madlock popped to catcher in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Kranepool grounded out (first to pitcher); Youngblood
singled to center; Hodges grounded out (second to first)
[Youngblood to second]; Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Garner grounded out (pitcher to first); Nicosia
struck out; Blyleven popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Kobel singled to shortstop; Taveras popped to first;
Maddox flied out to center; Mazzilli singled to right [Kobel to
third]; Hebner popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Moreno popped to shortstop; Foli singled to center;
Foli stole second; Parker flied out to left; B. Robinson flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Kranepool struck out; Youngblood flied out to left;
Hodges flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Mets 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Lacy popped to catcher in foul territory; Madlock
struck out; Garner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: Flynn singled to left; Kobel out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Flynn to second]; Taveras singled to center
[Flynn out at home (center to catcher), Taveras to second (on
throw to home)]; Maddox grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Nicosia walked; Blyleven out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Nicosia to second]; Moreno popped to
second; Foli popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 6TH: Mazzilli walked; Hebner flied out to center; Kranepool
homered [Mazzilli scored]; Youngblood doubled to left; Hodges
walked; Flynn flied out to center; Kobel grounded out (second to
first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker walked; B. Robinson flied out to center;
Lacy popped to first in foul territory; Madlock flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Taveras flied out to center; Maddox grounded out
(second to first); Mazzilli struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Garner grounded out (second to first); Nicosia
singled to center; ALEXANDER RAN FOR NICOSIA; STARGELL BATTED
FOR BLYLEVEN; Stargell singled to right [Alexander to second];
LOIS RAN FOR STARGELL; Moreno singled to right [Alexander
scored, Lois to third]; GLYNN REPLACED KOBEL (PITCHING); Moreno
stole second; Foli hit a sacrifice fly to right [Lois scored];
Parker grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: OTT REPLACED ALEXANDER (PLAYING C ); ROMO REPLACED
LOIS (PITCHING); Hebner grounded out (second to first);
Kranepool flied out to left; Youngblood singled to left;
Youngblood stole second; Ott allowed a passed ball [Youngblood
to third]; Hodges was walked intentionally; Flynn flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 9TH: REARDON REPLACED HODGES (PITCHING); TREVINO
REPLACED GLYNN (PLAYING C ); B. Robinson popped to first; Lacy
flied out to center; Madlock flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 9TH: Trevino singled to left; On a bunt Taveras singled to
first [Trevino to second]; Maddox hit into a double play
(catcher to shortstop) [Trevino out at third]; Taveras was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 10TH: Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Ott
struck out; EASLER BATTED FOR ROMO; Easler flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 10TH: ROBERTS REPLACED EASLER (PITCHING); Mazzilli singled
to left; Hebner out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Mazzilli to second]; FLORES BATTED FOR KRANEPOOL; TEKULVE
REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Flores struck out; Youngblood was
walked intentionally; STEARNS BATTED FOR REARDON; Stearns
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 11TH: STEARNS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); BERNARD
REPLACED FLORES (PITCHING); Moreno singled to second; Foli
singled to center [Moreno to second]; Parker forced Foli (third
to second) [Moreno to third]; MILNER BATTED FOR B. ROBINSON;
Parker stole second; Milner struck out; Lacy flied out to left;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 11TH: MILNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Flynn popped to
shortstop; Trevino popped to shortstop; Taveras struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 12TH: Madlock flied out to right; Garner grounded out
(second to first); Ott walked; BOYLAND BATTED FOR TEKULVE;
Boyland struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 12TH: JACKSON REPLACED BOYLAND (PITCHING); Maddox flied out
to right; Mazzilli walked; Hebner struck out; NORMAN BATTED FOR
BERNARD; Norman flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 13TH: ELLIS REPLACED NORMAN (PITCHING); Moreno singled
to right; Foli grounded out (second to first) [Moreno to
second]; Parker was walked intentionally; Milner grounded out
(first unassisted) [Moreno to third, Parker to second]; Lacy
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Mets 2.

METS 13TH: Youngblood grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
flied out to left; Flynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 14TH: Madlock flied out to left; Garner singled to
center; Ott grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Garner out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Mets 2.

METS 14TH: Trevino flied out to center; Taveras lined to second;
Maddox grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 2, Mets 2.

PIRATES 15TH: SANGUILLEN BATTED FOR JACKSON; Sanguillen made an
out to second; Moreno singled to center; Moreno stole second;
Foli flied out to left; Parker was walked intentionally; Milner
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 2.

METS 15TH: ROOKER REPLACED SANGUILLEN (PITCHING); Mazzilli
doubled to center; Hebner grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Mazzilli to third]; CHAPMAN BATTED FOR ELLIS; Chapman popped to
shortstop; BIBBY REPLACED ROOKER (PITCHING); Youngblood was
walked intentionally; Stearns singled to left [Mazzilli scored,
Youngblood to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Mets 3.