Atlantic City Press - April 27, 1980

Carlton Sets New Mark In Shutout

Phila. 7, St. Louis 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Steve Carlton's performance Saturday night may not have been suspenseful, but the one-hit shutout certainly was masterful as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0. 

“I hit that fast ball in the second. It’s not like it was the bottom of the ninth,” said St. Louis catcher Ted Simmons, whose line-drive single to left leading off the second inning was the only hit for the Cardinals. 

The victory was Carlton’s sixth career one-hitter, a modern National League record. The 35-year-old lefthander, who has never pitched a no-hitter, had two one-hitters last year, one in 1975, one in 1972 and his first in 1968. 

“Simmons hit a fast ball over the plate that Lefty, I’m sure, would like to have back,” said Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green. “Simmons makes a living hitting fast balls from both sides of the plate and he’s hard on lefties.” 

Carlton, 3-1, struck out five and walked only one in a duel with John Fulgham, 1-2, who allowed only three hits before Del Unser’s two-run pinch triple opened the floodgates in the seventh. 

Carlton, who has not spoken to reporters in several years, was unavailable for comment. 

Carlton shared the modern NL record for one-hitters with five other pitchers, including Cincinnati’s Tom Seaver and Don Sutton of Los Angeles. The all-time NL record is seven one-hitters by Charles Radbourne in the 1880s. Cleveland’s Bob Feller holds the major league record of 12 one-hitters between 1938 and 1955. 

Batting for Luis Aguayo after Greg Luzinski's double and a walk to Bob Boone, Unser tripled to the wall in right-center for his third consecutive pinch hit and the Phillies' eighth in their last 10 pinch-hitting appearances. 

The relay from second baseman Tom Herr skipped past third and Unser jogged home as the ball bounced into the St. Louis dugout. Garry Maddox singled two more runs home in the eighth inning, driving in Pete Rose and Greg Gross, who singled, and Boone added a two-run homer.