KOOSMAN'S ARM, BAT TOP DODGERS
2nd Inning Lopes Error Yields Mets Rally
NEW YORK, Aug. 27 (AP) - Jerry Koosman was a one-man wrecking crew. He
fired his first shutout of the year and his three-run home run in the bottom of
the second inning accounted for all of the scoring in the New York Mets' 3-0
victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Shea Stadium. Koosman scattered
eight hits en route to his 11th complete game of the season, besting Dodgers
starter Don Sutton, who also tossed a complete game. Koosman fanned six
batters and walked none, and all eight of the hits he allowed were singles.
In fact, Koosman himself produced the game's sole extra base hit. The
contest entered the bottom of the second inning scoreless and Sutton retired
Mike Vail on a ground ball to open the frame. But Jerry Grote's one-out
roller to second baseman Dave Lopes was booted for an error. Roy Staiger
fanned for the second out but Sutton walked Bud Harrelson to put runners on
first and second. Koosman then teed off on a 2-1 fastball for his first
home run of the year to give the Mets a 3-0 advantage. All three runs were
unearned as a function of the Lopes error.
It was the first of three hits for Koosman on the day. No one else in the
New York lineup had more than one. In fact, Mets players not named "Koosman"
finished the game 4-for-27.
The Dodgers didn't have a baserunner advance as far as second until there were
two outs in the bottom of the sixth when Steve Garvey's single moved Bill
Buckner--who had singled himself, two batters earlier--there. Ron Cey
followed with a routine grounder to short but Harrelson kicked it, filling the
bases for Lee Lacy. But on the first pitch from Koosman Lacy flied
routinely to left to end the inning.
The game remained 3-0 into the ninth and the Dodgers immediately mounted a
threat on back-to-back singles to open the frame from Cey and Lacy. But
Koosman induced Dusty Baker to roll into a 4-6-3 double play and closed out the
contest by retiring Steve Yeager on a grounder to Staiger at third.
The complete games were numbers 42 and 36 for the Mets and Dodgers
respectively. The two clubs rank first and second--again, respectively--in
the National League in that category.
8/27/1976, LA 76-NYN76, Shea Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2 8 2 1976 Mets 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 3 7 1 8 1 Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Mets AB R H BI AVG Lopes 2b 4 0 1 0 .242 Boisclair cf 3 0 1 0 .261 Buckner lf 4 0 1 0 .315 Millan 2b 3 0 0 0 .290 Russell ss 4 0 0 0 .281 Milner lf 4 0 1 0 .270 Garvey 1b 4 0 2 0 .307 Kranepool 1b 4 0 0 0 .277 Cey 3b 4 0 1 0 .269 Vail rf 3 0 0 0 .187 Lacy cf 4 0 1 0 .260 Grote c 4 1 1 0 .227 Baker,D rf 4 0 2 0 .233 Staiger 3b 4 0 1 0 .236 Yeager c 4 0 0 0 .218 Harrelson ss 2 1 0 0 .232 Sutton p 3 0 0 0 .118 Koosman p 3 1 3 3 .328 35 0 8 0 30 3 7 3 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Sutton L 14-8 8.0 7 3 0 4 5 115 66 2.63 8.0 7 3 0 4 5 115 66 Mets INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Koosman W 11-10 9.0 8 0 0 0 6 129 88 2.85 9.0 8 0 0 0 6 129 88 E-Lopes, Cey, Harrelson. HR-Koosman(1). RBI-Koosman 3(13). K-Lopes 2, Russell, Yeager 2, Sutton, Boisclair, Millan, Milner, Staiger, Harrelson. BB-Millan, Vail, Harrelson 2. SH-Boisclair. GWRBI: Koosman Temperature: 76, Sky: cloudy, Wind: out to left at 9 MPH. Attendance: 15,131 Game Time: 1:56