Standings after 2 weeks

74 Mets take 2 of 3 from 68 Pirates

Game 1 -  Mets win it 9-4 as they score 6 runs against Bob Veale to break the game open. John Milner hit a 2 run HR and Wayne Garrett a 3 run HR in the inning. Mets CF Don Hahn went 3-5 with 2 doubles. George Stone scattered 12 hits in 7 innings to pick up the victory.

Game 2-   Mets 3 Pirates 0 as Jon Matlack pitches a complete game shutout, scattering 8 hits and fanning 5. Steve Blass is the hard luck loser. John Milner drove in 2 of the 3 Mets runs, with a sac fly and a single. Buddy Harrelson was 2-3 and scored 2 runs

Game 3 -  An INSTANT CLASSIC as the Pirates win it 6-5 in FIFTEEN INNINGS! Matty Alou scored on a wild pitch by reliever Harry Parker to score what proved to be the winning run. The Mets trailed 4-0 after 3 ½ but stormed back to tie it with 4 runs in the bottom of the 4^th. Ed Kranepool pinch hit a sac fly to make it 4-1 and then light hitting Ted Martinez belted a 3 run HR off Jim Bunning to tie the game. Bunning helped his won cause, singling in a run in the 6^th to make it 5-4 Bucs. But the Mets came right back to tie it once again when backup catcher Ron Hodges homered to right in the bottom of the frame.

After that the pitchers took over as Mets relievers Bob Apodaca and Jack Aker combined for 6 innings of shutout ball, allowing only 4hits. For the Bucs, Roy Face and Juan Pizzaro pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits. Dock Ellis pitched the final 2 innings for Pittsburgh and was perfect, with 4 strikeouts – as he was the winning pitcher. Bucs relievers finished with 4+ hitless innings. Jerry Koosman started against Bunning and both starters gave up 5 runs.

Pittsburgh had 18 hits and 7 walks and left 18 on base. The Mets had 11 hits and 3 walks  Wills, Clemente and Mazeroski each had 3 hits. Each team used 17 players.

--submitted by Alan Raylesberg--