John Stearns was credited with a steal of home [later retracted and scored as a wild pitch] for the winning run as the Mets outlasted the Pirates, 4-3 in 13 innings. The score was 3-3 when Stearns drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the 13th and went to third on a single by Ron Gardenhire.

With the count 1-2 on Brian Giles and Stearns running, Mark Lee uncorked a pitch low and outside past catcher Tony Pena and Stearns dashed across the plate. The Bucs had knotted the count in the ninth on an RBI single by Mike Easler and a sacrifice fly by Johnny Ray. [The Sporting News]
New York Mets 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 3

Game Played on Monday, September 21, 1981 (Night game) at Shea Stadium

Pirates      0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  -   3  8  1
Mets         1  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0    1  -   4 12  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moreno cf             6   0   1   0     0   2   .289      Wilson cf             6   1   2   0     0   1   .291
Foli ss               5   0   1   0     1   0   .237      Mazzilli lf           4   0   2   2     0   0   .231
Parker rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .264        Howard lf           2   0   0   0     0   1   .176
  Madlock pr          0   1   0   0     0   0   .341        Boitano p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lacy rf             2   0   0   0     0   0   .260      Brooks 3b             5   1   2   0     1   0   .313
Thompson 1b           4   1   2   1     0   1   .226      Kingman 1b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .206
  M. Alexander pr     0   1   0   0     0   0   .200        Jorgensen 1b        2   0   0   0     1   0   .217
  B. Robinson 1b      2   0   0   0     0   1   .246      Valentine rf          6   0   1   1     0   2   .203
Easler lf             5   0   2   1     1   0   .284      Stearns c             4   1   0   0     2   0   .275
Pena c                4   0   0   0     1   3   .292      Flynn 2b              3   1   1   0     0   1   .217
Berra 3b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .226        Cubbage ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .237
  Stargell ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .291        Gardenhire pr,ss    2   0   2   0     0   0   .286
  Law pr,3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .160      Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .230
Ray 2b                4   0   1   1     0   0   .308        Staub ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .290
Tiant p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .154        Giles pr,2b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Montanez ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .204      Harris p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .150
  Scurry p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .176        Allen p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hodges ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .289
  Bevacqua ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .304        Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  D. Robinson p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .273        Leach p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boyland ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Trevino ph,lf       1   0   0   0     0   1   .254
  Lee p               0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000

Totals               44   3   8   3     5  11             Totals               46   4  12   3     6   8

Time of Game: 3:51   Attendance:  7,429
Left on Base: Pirates 9, Mets 11
DP: Pirates 3, Mets 2
Errors: Pena, Taveras
Doubles: Moreno (14), Wilson (8), Flynn (11)
Home Runs: Thompson (12)
Stolen Bases: Parker (6), Stearns (10), Brooks (9), Wilson (23)
Caught Stealing: Easler (7), Gardenhire (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Pena (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Ray (1)
GIDP: Parker (3), Kingman (8)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tiant                   7     5   2   2   0   3   0  24   3.66
Scurry                  0.2   3   1   1   0   1   0   5   3.88
Tekulve                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.58
D. Robinson             3     2   0   0   4   3   0  14   6.06
Lee L(0-1)              1.1   2   1   1   2   1   0   8   1.50
Totals                 12.1  12   4   4   6   8   0  52

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Harris                  8     4   2   2   2   6   1  30   4.50
Allen                   1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   2.88
Marshall                2.2   1   0   0   2   3   0  11   2.55
Leach                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1.59
Boitano W(2-1)          1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   4.91
Totals                 13     8   3   3   5  11   1  51

Wild Pitches: Lee (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Dave Pallone, 3B - Paul Runge


PIRATES 1ST: Moreno flied out to right; Foli flied out to
center; Parker flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Wilson doubled to left; Mazzilli singled to center
[Wilson scored]; Brooks made an out to catcher; Kingman grounded
into a double play (third to second to first) [Mazzilli out at
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Mets 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Thompson homered; Easler flied out to center; Pena
struck out; Berra struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Valentine grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
made an out to third; Flynn struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Mets 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Ray grounded out (second to first); Tiant grounded
out (shortstop to first); Moreno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Taveras flied out to center; Harris grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wilson lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Foli grounded out (third to first); Parker reached
on an error by Taveras; Parker stole second; Thompson struck
out; Easler walked; Pena grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Mazzilli grounded out (first unassisted); Brooks
singled to left; Kingman singled to left [Brooks to second];
Valentine singled to right [Brooks scored, Kingman to third];
Stearns hit into a double play to center [Valentine out at
second (center to second)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Mets 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Berra struck out; Ray grounded out (first to
pitcher); Tiant grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

METS 5TH: Flynn flied out to center; Taveras made an out to
first; Harris struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets
2.

PIRATES 6TH: Moreno struck out; Foli singled to left; Parker
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Foli
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

METS 6TH: Wilson grounded out (pitcher to first); Mazzilli made
an out to second; Brooks grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Thompson flied out to right; Easler grounded out
(shortstop to first); Pena walked; Berra flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Valentine
struck out; Stearns flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Mets 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Ray grounded out (second to first); MONTANEZ BATTED
FOR TIANT; Montanez struck out; Moreno doubled; Foli grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: SCURRY REPLACED MONTANEZ (PITCHING); Flynn doubled to
left; Taveras grounded out (third to first); Harris singled to
third [Flynn to third]; Wilson struck out; Mazzilli singled to
center [Flynn scored, Harris to second]; TEKULVE REPLACED SCURRY
(PITCHING); Brooks forced Mazzilli (second to shortstop); 1 R, 3
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Mets 3.

PIRATES 9TH: JORGENSEN REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING 1B); HOWARD
REPLACED MAZZILLI (PLAYING LF); Parker singled to right; ALLEN
REPLACED HARRIS (PITCHING); Thompson singled to right [Parker to
second]; MADLOCK RAN FOR PARKER; M. ALEXANDER RAN FOR THOMPSON;
Easler singled to center [Madlock scored, M. Alexander to
second]; Dave Parker left with sprained left ankle; Pena
out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [M. Alexander to
third, Easler to second]; STARGELL BATTED FOR BERRA; Stargell
was walked intentionally; LAW RAN FOR STARGELL; Ray hit a
sacrifice fly to center [M. Alexander scored, Easler to third];
BEVACQUA BATTED FOR TEKULVE; Bevacqua struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

METS 9TH: D. ROBINSON REPLACED BEVACQUA (PITCHING); B. ROBINSON
REPLACED M. ALEXANDER (PLAYING 1B); LAW STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
3B); LACY REPLACED MADLOCK (PLAYING RF); Jorgensen grounded out
(second to first); Valentine struck out; Stearns walked; Stearns
stole second; CUBBAGE BATTED FOR FLYNN; Cubbage walked;
GARDENHIRE RAN FOR CUBBAGE; STAUB BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Staub
walked [Stearns to third, Gardenhire to second]; GILES RAN FOR
STAUB; HODGES BATTED FOR ALLEN; Hodges flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

PIRATES 10TH: MARSHALL REPLACED HODGES (PITCHING); GILES STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); GARDENHIRE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS);
Moreno struck out; Foli grounded out (second to first); Lacy
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

METS 10TH: Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); Howard was
called out on strikes; Brooks singled to center; Brooks stole
second [Brooks to third (error by Pena)]; Jorgensen walked;
Valentine flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Mets 3.

PIRATES 11TH: B. Robinson struck out; Easler flied out to left;
Pena struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

METS 11TH: Stearns popped to third in foul territory; Gardenhire
singled to center; Giles struck out while Gardenhire was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Mets 3.

PIRATES 12TH: Law flied out to right; Ray singled to center;
BOYLAND BATTED FOR D. ROBINSON; Boyland walked [Ray to second];
Moreno flied out to right [Ray to third]; Foli walked [Boyland
to second]; LEACH REPLACED MARSHALL (PITCHING); Lacy flied out
to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

METS 12TH: LEE REPLACED BOYLAND (PITCHING); TREVINO BATTED FOR
LEACH; Trevino struck out; Wilson singled to shortstop; Wilson
stole second; Howard grounded out (second to first) [Wilson to
third]; Brooks was walked intentionally; Jorgensen flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Mets 3.

PIRATES 13TH: BOITANO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); TREVINO STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); B. Robinson flied out to center; Easler
singled to center; Pena struck out while Easler was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Mets 3.

METS 13TH: Valentine grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
walked; Gardenhire singled to right [Stearns to third]; Lee
threw a wild pitch [Stearns scored]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Mets 4.
The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".