Reading Eagle - August 27, 1980
Dodgers Dust Phils
Baker Frolics in Favorite Park
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Los Angeles left-fielder Dusty Baker showed why Veterans Stadium is his favorite ball park Tuesday as he belted a two-run homer and a run-scoring single in leading the Dodgers to an 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
“This is my favorite ball park,” said Baker, who has hit in nine straight games while going 15 for 39. “I see the ball better here, the fans seem to add some excitement, and even the music is better.
“I’m serious, the music makes you feel like jumping,” he added.
Los Angeles manager Tom Lasorda says Baker has been doing it all since the season began. “He’s been really consistent all year,” said Lasorda. “He’s the type of player who beats you with his glove, his arm, his legs and his bat.
The Phillies scored a run in the first on singles by Pete Rose and Bake McBride and a Greg Luzinski fielder’s choice. Rose’s hit moved him into fourth place on the all-time list with 3,516. Stan Musial is third with 3,630.
Los Angeles tied it in the second on an RBI single from Bill Russell, then knocked out Phillies starter Bob Walk (9-3) with a four-run third.
Davey Lopes opened with a walk, and scored on Jay Johnstone’s triple. Baker knocked in Johnstone, and singles by Rick Monday and Mike Scioscia accounted for two more runs.
Baker’s home run, his 25th, following a walk to Johnstone in the fourth, gave the Dodgers a 7-1 lead, but the Phillies came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning as Joe Beckwith relieved Rick Sutcliffe.
A Mike Schmidt double, Keith Moreland’s single and a groundout by Manny Trillo scored one run. After Larry Bowa beat out an infield hit, pinch-hitter George Vukovich singled in a run, and Lonnie Smith’s base hit narrowed the Dodger lead to 7-4.
That weas all of the scoring until Ron Cey hit his 19th homer off Phillies reliever Ron Reed in the seventh inning.
After giving up a leadoff single to Bowa in the bottom of the sixth, Beckwith, who has been bothered by a tender elbow, and a hand injury, was replaced by right-hander Bob Castillo.
Castillo pitched shutout ball over the final four innings to gain his fourth victory against six losses as the Dodgers kept within two games of Houston in the Western Division race.
Philadelphia manager Dallas Green was not overly disappointed with his team despite two straight losses to Los Angeles. “We’re still only two down in the loss column,” he said, “and we’re still hitting the ball decently. WE’ve just got to start getting some guys out.”
Rose passed Frank Robinson on the all-time runs scored list with 1,830. Mel Ott is in eighth place iwht 1,859. Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey played in his 797th straight game, placing him ninth on the all-time list, one game behind Nellie Fox.