Montreal ace Steve Rogers threw a complete game shutout as the Pirates dropped a 3-0 game to the Expos. The win gave home team two of three in the teams’ series.
John Candelaria started and pitched well for the Pirates, giving up just a run in six innings. He allowed six hits and walked nobody. The run came in the fourth, when Rodney Scott beat out a bunt and scored on a Tony Perez triple. The Candy Man allowed just one more baserunner before departing for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh.
The Pirates had some chances against Rogers. Omar Moreno led off the game with a single, the first of his three hits, and took second on a Tim Foli bunt, but Dave Parker and Willie Stargell flied out. Dale Berra led off the third with a double, but got no further than third base.
The Bucs’ best chance came in the sixth. Moreno led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Foli walked, but Parker popped up, Stargell struck out and John Milner flied out.
There were other opportunities later. Moreno led off the eighth with a double and went to third on another Foli sacrifice, but Parker and Stargell again couldn’t get him in.
It was still 1-0 at that point, but the Expos tacked on a pair of insurance runs off Kent Tekulve in the bottom of the eighth. Teke had a scoreless seventh, but the eighth started with three straight singles, with two steals sandwiched in.
In the ninth, the Pirates got two on with one out, but Berra grounded into a double play to end the game. The loss dropped Candelaria to 3-3. The Pirates dropped to seven games behind the Phillies and six and a half behind the Expos.
