Allentown Morning Call - August 15, 1980
Schmidt, Espinosa lead Phils’ win
NEW YORK ( AP ) - When Mike Schmidt is swinging a hot bat, the Philadelphia Phillies are a menacing team.
Schmidt was hot last night as the Phils belted the New York Mets 8-1. The third baseman slammed his 31st home run as well as stroking a double and two singles and driving in four runs.
"If I knew the difference between being hot and not," said Schmidt, "I'd hit all the time."
But the National League home run leader is as hot as he can get, whether he knows the reasons or ' not. Schmidt now has 12 hits in his last 19 at bats, and has four homers in that span.
"I didn't do that well in the last month," said Schmidt, "but I stayed with it. I knew I'd come out of it sooner or later."
Schmidt has now raised his average to .275 and has 83 runs batted in.
Schmidt got the Phillies rolling with a two-run double in the third inning off Mets starter Pat Zachry, 6-6. Those runs were enough for Nino Espinosa, who scattered five hits and contributed his first hit of the season to the two-run outburst.
Espinosa, 3-3, walked two and struck out three in his eighth start of the season.
With one out in the third, Espinosa beat out a bunt single off Zachry. After Lonnie Smith walked, Pete Rose reached first on catcher's interference to load the bases and Schmidt singled to drive in Espinosa and Smith.
Philadelphia took a 6-0 lead in the seventh with two runs off reliever Dyar Miller. Schmidt doubled in one run and scored on Garry Maddox's single. The Phillies added another run off Miller in the eighth on Greg Gross's RBI single.
Claudell Washington's seventh homer in the sixth inning accounted for the Mets' run.
Schmidt, Espinosa lead Phils’ win
NEW YORK (AP) – Mike Schmidt homered and drove in four runs and Nino Espinosa pitched his first complete game of the season with a five-hitter to help the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-1 victory over the New York Mets last night.
Schmidt collected four hits and in the ninth inning hit his 31st homer leading off Ed Glynn, the third Mets pitcher. Earlier, he had a bases-loaded single and an RBI double.
Espinosa, 3-3, walked two and struck out three in his eighth start of the season.
With one out in the third, Espinosa beat out a bunt single off Pat Zachry, 6-6. After Lonnie Smith walked, Pete Rose reached first on catcher's interference to load the bases and Schmidt singled to drive in Espinosa and Smith.
Bob Boone hit his ninth homer of the year in the Philadelphia fourth and in the fifth Rose singled, took second on an infield out and scored on Bake McBride's single.
Philadelphia took a 6-0 lead in the seventh with two runs off reliever Dyar Miller. Schmidt doubled in one run and scored on Garry Maddox's single. The Phillies added another run off Miller in the eighth on Greg Gross's RBI single.
Claudell Washington's seventh homer in the sixth inning accounted for the Mets' run..