KINGMAN'S HR TEAR HIGHLIGHTS BLISTERING NL LONG BALL RACE
Mets Slugger's 2-HR Game Gives Him 8 in Last 6 Games
NEW YORK, Sept. 28 (AP) - There may not be a pennant race in the National League
this year but an epic chase for the home run crown is unfolding in the final
week of the season. Dave Kingman belted two more home runs--giving him
eight in his last six games--to lead the New York Mets past the Montreal Expos
in the first game of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium. Almost overshadowed
by Kingman's performance in the 4-0 victory was a five-hit complete game shutout
by Mets starter Nino Espinosa.
Kingman's recent run of long balls has been remarkable. It began with a
three-home run outburst on Sept. 22 against the Expos at Jarry Park and,
following an off-day, continued with a solo shot against the Chicago Cubs at
Shea on Sept. 24. After Steve Renko and a trio of Cubs relievers kept
Kingman in the park on the 25th, the carnage continued with a home run off
Chicago's Bill Bonham on the 26th. Then, on the 27th, Kingman crushed a
three-run first inning shot off Larry Landreth of the Expos, only to double that
output off Joe Keener in the twinbill opener. The eight home runs have
come in a grand total of 21 at bats.
Today's output gives Kingman 37 home runs on the season, placing him in a
four-way tie with Rick Monday of the Cubs, Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia
Phillies and George Foster of the Cincinnati Reds. Five days remain in the
regular season.
Kingman's lead-off homer in the second inning gave the Mets a lead they wouldn't
surrender, but the Mets right fielder wasn't finished. In the third
inning, after Keener retired Felix Millan and John Milner without incident, Ed
Kranepool lashed a single to center and Kingman followed with a towering blast
down the left field line for his second long ball of the game and a 3-0 New York
advantage. Mike Phillips capped the scoring in the fifth when his two-out
single scored Kranepool, who had reached on a one-out base hit of his own.
Espinosa, meanwhile, held the Expos at bay. He pitched around a one-out
second inning triple off the bat of Earl Williams by striking out both Larry
Parrish and Barry Foote and also worked around Andre Dawson's one out double in
the fourth. Following Dawson's two-bagger, Espinosa held Montreal without
another hit until surrendering pinch hitter Wayne Garrett's lead-off single in
the eighth. In the ninth, Espinosa, who appeared to be running out of gas,
allowed a pair of singles but retired Foote on a fly to right to preserve the
shutout in what was his first complete game of the season.
9/28/1976, Mon76-NYN76, game 1, Shea Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Expos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 7 1 1976 Mets 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 x 4 11 0 9 0 Expos AB R H BI AVG Mets AB R H BI AVG Unser lf 4 0 0 0 .264 Boisclair cf 4 0 1 0 .258 Foli ss 3 0 0 0 .269 Millan 2b 4 0 1 0 .297 Scott,R ph 1 0 0 0 .231 Milner lf 4 0 0 0 .290 Dawson cf 3 0 1 0 .250 Vail rf 0 0 0 0 .188 Valentine,E rf 3 0 0 0 .286 Kranepool 1b 4 2 2 0 .268 Murray,D p 0 0 0 0 .000 Torre 1b 0 0 0 0 .326 Cromartie ph 1 0 1 0 .291 Kingman rf 4 2 2 3 .228 Williams,E 1b 4 0 1 0 .207 Mangual,P cf 0 0 0 0 .240 Parrish 3b 3 0 0 0 .219 Staiger 3b 3 0 0 0 .216 Roenicke ph 1 0 1 0 .284 Phillips ss 4 0 1 1 .228 Foote c 4 0 0 0 .246 Hodges c 2 0 1 0 .276 Frias 2b 2 0 0 0 .238 Stearns c 1 0 1 0 .306 Garrett,W ph 1 0 1 0 .208 Espinosa p 3 0 2 0 .214 Keener p 1 0 0 0 .500 33 4 11 4 Atkinson p 0 0 0 0 .000 Jorgensen ph 1 0 0 0 .245 32 0 5 0 Expos INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Keener L 1-1 4.1 8 4 4 2 1 69 41 5.79 Atkinson 0.2 1 0 0 1 0 17 9 9.00 Murray,D 3.0 2 0 0 1 0 30 21 5.22 8.0 11 4 4 4 1 116 71 Mets INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Espinosa W 5-3 9.0 5 0 0 2 6 112 80 3.22 9.0 5 0 0 2 6 112 80 Mon: Jorgensen batted for Atkinson in the 6th Unser moved to rf in the 6th Jorgensen moved to lf in the 6th Garrett,W batted for Frias in the 8th Scott,R batted for Foli in the 8th Scott,R moved to ss in the 8th Garrett,W moved to 2b in the 8th Cromartie batted for Murray,D in the 9th Roenicke batted for Parrish in the 9th NYN: Boisclair moved to lf in the 8th Vail inserted at rf in the 8th Mangual,P inserted at cf in the 8th Stearns inserted at c in the 8th Torre inserted at 1b in the 9th 2B-Dawson(3). 3B-Williams,E(6). HR-Kingman 2(37). RBI-Kingman 3(82), Phillips(19). K-Dawson, Valentine,E, Parrish, Foote, Frias, Scott,R, Boisclair. BB-Dawson, Jorgensen, Boisclair, Staiger, Hodges, Espinosa. WP-Atkinson 2. GWRBI: Kingman Temperature: 62, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 5 MPH. Attendance: N/A Game Time: 2:15