After losing an early lead in the first game and falling out of first place with a 5-2 defeat, the Expos staged a dramatic rally in the nightcap and regained the East division lead with a 7-6 decision over the Pirates. A single by Gary Carter off Bert Blyleven in the first inning of the opener plated two runs, but the Bucs struck for three runs in the sixth after Dan Schatzeder had retired 13 straight batters. Dave Parker walked and Bill Robinson tied the score with his 24th homer of the season and first since August 15. A walk to Willie Stargell resulted in the ouster of Schatzeder in favor of Stan Bahnsen. Bill Madlock hit into a forceout, stole second, went to third on a throwing error by Carter and scored the winning run when Bahnsen fumbled a dribbler off the bat of Steve Nicosia.

In the nightcap, the Pirates used a four-run fifth inning to race to a 6-3 lead after seven innings. Three runs in their big frame were unearned due to second baseman Dave Cash's third error of the game. The Expos tied the game in the eighth. With one out, Joe Coleman gave up walks to Rusty Staub and Duffy Dyer and was replaced by Kent Tekulve. After a forceout, Parrish drove home a run with a single and pinch-hitter John Tamargo tied the contest at 6-6 with a double. Staub walked again in the ninth, this time off loser Grant Jackson. He took second on a single by Dyer and scored the winning run on a single to right by Ellis Valentine. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Montreal Expos 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, September 24, 1979 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Expos        2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  3
Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  3    1  1  x  -   5 10  0


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cromartie lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .275      Moreno cf             5   0   0   0     0   0   .281
Cash 2b               4   1   2   0     0   0   .322      Foli ss               5   0   1   0     0   0   .277
Dawson cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .277      Parker rf             3   2   2   0     1   0   .298
Perez 1b              3   0   1   0     1   0   .276      B. Robinson lf        4   1   2   3     0   0   .264
Carter c              4   0   1   2     0   0   .280      Stargell 1b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .288
Valentine rf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .282      Madlock 3b            4   2   2   0     0   0   .292
Parrish 3b            3   0   1   0     0   2   .310      Nicosia c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .290
Speier ss             3   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Garner 2b             4   0   2   0     0   1   .288
Schatzeder p          2   0   1   0     0   1   .216      Blyleven p            2   0   0   0     0   2   .132
  Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .071        Easler ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .288
  Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .263        Tekulve p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .154
  Fryman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Atkinson p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   2   8   2     2   5             Totals               35   5  10   3     3   5

Time of Game: 2:30
Left on Base: Expos 4, Pirates 9
DP: Expos 0, Pirates 4
Errors: Carter 2, Bahnsen
Doubles: Madlock (22)
Triples: B. Robinson (6)
Home Runs: B. Robinson (24)
Stolen Bases: Cash (7), Madlock (31)
GIDP: Valentine (21), Speier (13), Cromartie (11), Cash (6)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Schatzeder L(10-5)      5.1   4   3   2   3   4   1  23   2.83
Bahnsen                 0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   4   3.04
Fryman                  1     4   2   1   0   0   0   7   2.89
Atkinson                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.68
Totals                  8    10   5   3   3   5   1  38

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(12-5)        6     7   2   2   2   4   0  24   3.50
Tekulve SV(30)          3     1   0   0   0   1   0   9   2.53
Totals                  9     8   2   2   2   5   0  33

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Andy Olsen, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Eric Gregg


EXPOS 1ST: Cromartie flied out to right; Cash singled to left;
Dawson singled to left [Cash to second]; Perez singled to first
[Cash to third, Dawson to second]; Carter singled to left [Cash
scored, Dawson scored, Perez to second]; Valentine grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Carter out at
second]; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (first to pitcher); Foli
singled to center; Parker singled to right [Foli to second]; B.
Robinson popped to first in foul territory; Stargell struck out;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Parrish struck out; Speier struck out; Schatzeder
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Madlock doubled to left; Nicosia walked; Garner
popped to second; On a bunt Blyleven struck out; Moreno popped
to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Cromartie flied out to center; Cash singled to
pitcher; Cash stole second; Dawson struck out; Perez popped to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Foli flied out to center; Parker flied out to left;
B. Robinson popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2,
Pirates 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Carter grounded out (pitcher to third to first);
Valentine walked; Parrish singled to right [Valentine to third];
Speier grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Parrish out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates
0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell grounded out (second to first); Madlock
flied out to left; Nicosia popped to first in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Schatzeder singled to third; Cromartie grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Schatzeder out at
second]; Cash popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos
2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Garner struck out; Blyleven struck out; Moreno
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

EXPOS 6TH: Dawson popped to shortstop; Perez walked; Carter
forced Perez (third to second); Valentine grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Foli grounded out (second to first); Parker walked;
B. Robinson homered [Parker scored]; Stargell walked; BAHNSEN
REPLACED SCHATZEDER (PITCHING); Madlock forced Stargell (third
to second); Madlock stole second [Madlock to third (error by
Carter)]; Nicosia reached on an error by Bahnsen [Madlock scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Nicosia to first]; Garner singled to left
[Nicosia to second]; EASLER BATTED FOR BLYLEVEN; Easler struck
out; 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 3.

EXPOS 7TH: TEKULVE REPLACED EASLER (PITCHING); Parrish struck
out; Speier grounded out (first unassisted); HUTTON BATTED FOR
BAHNSEN; Hutton grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 7TH: FRYMAN REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Moreno grounded
out (second to first); Foli grounded out (third to first);
Parker singled to right; B. Robinson tripled to right [Parker
scored]; Stargell grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 4.

EXPOS 8TH: Cromartie singled to center; Cash grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Cromartie out at
second]; Dawson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 8TH: Madlock singled to left; Nicosia singled to right
[Madlock to second]; ATKINSON REPLACED FRYMAN (PITCHING); On a
bunt Garner singled to pitcher [Madlock scored (error by Carter)
(unearned), Nicosia to second]; Tekulve forced Nicosia (third
unassisted) [Garner to second]; Moreno flied out to center; Foli
flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2,
Pirates 5.

EXPOS 9TH: Perez grounded out (second to first); Carter popped
to shortstop; Valentine grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Pirates 5.