Reading Eagle - April 27, 1980

Phils’ Carlton Gets 6th One-Hitter

 

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 left-hander, 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 leftied.

 

Dueled Fulgham

 

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.

 

“Lefty had great stuff,” said Phillies catcher Bob Boone.  “He had an outstanding curve and he stayed with it tonight.”

 

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.

 

Boone Homers

 

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.

 

Simmons was the only player to reach first base through the first three innings.  He singled to lead off the second, but failed to advance as Bobby Bonds struck out, George Hendrick flied to center and Ken Reitz to right.

 

Carlton’s strike out of Bonds was the 2,700th of his career, making him only the 10th pitcher in baseball to reach that plateau.

 

First Hit

 

The Phillies got their first base runner in the fourth, when Gross walked.  Maddox followed with a single to center for the Phillies’ first hit.

 

Mike Schmidt popped out, but Luzinski beat out an infield single. Boone then grounded to Garry Templeton for a forceout at second.

 

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa grabbed Templeton’s sailing liner on Carlton’s first pitch of the game for one of several outstanding defensive plays by the Phillies.

 

In the third, Maddox made a fine running catch of Simmons’ long drive, and in the ninth right fielder Gross made an excellent catch of Templeton’s long fly.

Phils’ Trillo Disabled

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Second baseman Manny Trillo has been placed on the disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies because of a sprained ankle, a spokesman for the National League team said Saturday.

 

Trillo, who batted .417 in seven games, injured his ankle during a game against the Montreal Expos on April 20.

 

The Phillies brought up minor league infielder Ramon Aviles, 28, to replace Trillo, who will be eligible to return to play May 4.

 

Aviles was batting .326 with Oklahoma City, the Phillies’ AAA farm team, with one home run and three RBI in 12 games.

 

Aviles appeared in 27 games with the Phillies last year and hit .279.