NEW YORK -- Alvin Jackson, the New York Mets' ace southpaw, dealt the San Francisco Giant pennant hopes a severe blow Tuesday night by scattering six hits for a 4-1 victory in a game marked by the major league debut of Japanese pitcher Masanuri Murakami.
Jackson, in picking up his ninth victory, held the Giants scoreless until the ninth when a single by Hal Lanier, a walk to Willie Mays, a double play, and Orlando Cepeda's single provided the Giants with their only run.
Besides getting brilliant defensive support, Jackson was the beneficiary of a 10-hit attack against a trio of Giant pitchers, the last of whom was Murakami, a Japanese left-hander who was the first of his nationality to appear in the major leagues. Murakami struck out two of the four batters he faced and yielded one single.
Bob Hendley started and lost his 10th game for the Giants, lasting until the seventh when the Mets scored three times.
Ron Hunt hit his sixth home run off Hendley in the first and that was the only scoring in the game until the Mets broke it open in the seventh.
Ed Kranepool and Roy McMillan started the inning with singles and after Jackson struck out, Bobby Klaus singled Kranepool home. Both runners advanced when Mays' throw got past the catcher. John Pregenzer relieved and gave up two more runs on a double by Joe Christopher.
