Wilmington Evening Journal - July 1, 1980

Green lineup good enough to beat Expos

By Hal Bodley, Sports Editor

MONTREAL – They snickered when Phillies Manager Dallas Green posted the lineup.

"Doesn't he think this is a big series?" one of the proud Phillies asked. "Doesn't he think we need our best eight out there against them?"

Green knew some of his troops were unhappy yesterday. After all, can the Phillies go to war against tenacious Montreal with Keith Moreland catching, John Vukovich playing third and Ramon Aviles at shortstop?

And after all, didn't Green know Larry Bowa was ready to return to short and Mike Schmidt's hamstring pull was healed enough for him to play third?

And what about Bob Boone? The Expos run the bases with reckless abandon and rookie Moreland's arm is suspect.

Sure, Green knew there was some rumbling going on behind his back. What the rookie manager did last night in Olympic Stadium was turn a deaf ear to his critics, went with a patched-up lineup and the Phillies wobbled off the field with a 7-5 conquest of the first-place Expos.

It was Keith Moreland's first career Sand-slam homer that gave the Phils their first four runs. It was John Vukovich's first career triple that drove in the fifth run. Finally, it was Pete Rose's first homer of the season that brought in the sixth and seven runs. All of the runs scored in the explosive fourth inning.

The Phils, who now trail Montreal by two games in the National League East, managed just seven hits on the pleasant night, and if you were among ABC's television viewers, you missed all of their offense if you missed the fourth. Their only other hit was Ron Reed's harmless single in the ninth against Elias Sosa, the fifth Montreal pitcher.

"I've been preaching for the past 10 days that we needed to bunch our hits," Green said. "If we could have stretched that output over a week, we might not have lost all those one-run games, but of course we would have lost tonight."

The Expos tore into the Phils' 7-0 lead like it was made of paper mache and as early as the sixth inning there was a murmur of hope spreading through the crowd of 36,347.

That's when starter Dickie Noles, who was superb in the early going, began to run out of gas. That's also when Rodney Scott's single on a 3-2 Kevin Saucier pitch drove in two runs in the Expos' three-run sixth, making it 7-4.

In the eighth against overworked reliever Reed, Rowland Office's triple and pinch-hitter Jerry White's single produced another run.

"At that point it was Reed's game to win or lose," said Green. "He knew we had nobody else available. The bullpen has really been used a lot the last 10 days."

Reed, in gaining his fourth save, answered the call. He put out the fire in the eighth, getting Ron LeFlore and Scott to fly out, then did an outstanding job in the ninth.

"I knew what I had to do," said Reed, who was the loser in the first game against New York on Saturday night, then gave up the tying runs before the Mets won the second. "My arm felt like it was going to fall off over the weekend, but everybody in the bullpen is hurtin' some. I wanted to give them a lift."

With two down in the ninth, Warren Cromartie on first and Larry Parrish representing the tying run at the plate, Reed got the third baseman who just came off the injured list to fly to center.

"I knew I had to go after him," said Reed. "I blew two fastballs past him, then he hit my next pitch to center. Luckily, it was not that deep. He is capable of hitting the ball out."

On Friday night after the Phils lost the first of three to the Mets, Green said he felt some of his players needed to be motivated, that he had the opinion they were falling back into thinking they could make it on talent alone.

So, with this in mind, somebody asked him if that was why he put the lineup on the field he did last night.

Green merely smiled and said he would not comment on that. The smile answered the question.

"All 25 guys are part of the 1980 Phillies," he said. "If I didn't have confidence in them, they wouldn't be here. I don't want to rush Bowa and Schmidt back into the lineup. They both have hamstring pulls and if they pull them again, they might be out a lot longer. And Bob Boone is not hitting (.223). If I can't play Keith Moreland when Boone is not hitting, when can I play him?

"Tonight I was pleased with Dickie Noles. He did good enough to keep us tight until he ran out of gas. I was happy for Reed. I've worked the hell out of him, but he gave me what I wanted. I didn't have anybody else."

But back to the lineup.

"Sure, I know there was some snickering about it," Green said. "But if I didn't feel like the people I penciled in could do the job, I wouldn't have them out there."

Noles, who gave up four runs in 5⅔ innings, was not overly pleased with his first victory in four decisions.

"When they give you a seven-run lead, you're not supposed to give it up like I did," said Noles, who was making his first start since a three-day suspension for a bat-throwing incident in Los Angeles on June 17. "I made the game too close; that's what is disappointing to me."

EXTRA POINTS - The victory squared the Phils and Expos at five victories apiece. Montreal had won three of the last four played, all by one run. Of the 10 games, five have been decided by one run... Ross Grimsley, who pitched the sixth inning, was making his first appearance since June 14... The Phils also scored seven runs in an inning on June 13 against San Diego's Randy Jones... Parrish, on the disabled list since June 2, had missed 29 games. He singled his first time up, in the second… Moreland said he wasn't aware he had hit a grand slam until he neared home plate and saw all those runners waiting for him. "I just wanted to get the ball in the air, to make contact," he said. "I wasn't sure it was going to go out of here; this is a tough park"... Randy Lerch (2-10) goes against Scott Sanderson (7-4) tonight and Steve Carlton (13-3) against Steve Rogers (9-6) tomorrow night.

Dodgers land 4 ‘Star’ starters

Associated Press

NEW YORK – "Dodger Blue" was the primary color in the National League All-Star starting lineup announced by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn today as four Los Angeles Dodgers were selected to the mid-season classic.

Second baseman Davey Lopes, the leading vote-getter in the majors, headed the Dodger contingent which includes first baseman Steve Garvey, shortstop Bill Russell and outfielder Reggie Smith.

Joining the four Dodgers on the NL squad for next Tuesday night's Same at Los Angeles are catcher Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds; third baseman Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielders Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Dave Kingman of the Chicago Cubs.

"Obviously, we have some outstanding players on this team and the fans have shown it by the way they have backed their club," said Dodgers Manager Tom Lasorda.

And did they ever back their club. Twelve players in the senior circuit received over two million votes and seven were Dodgers.

The American League team was announced yesterday. It was headed by California first baseman Rod Carew and included Milwaukee second baseman Paul Molitor, Kansas City third baseman George Brett and New York shortstop Bucky Dent and outfielder Reggie Jackson. Boston Red Sox outfielders Fred Lynn and Jim Rice and catcher Carlton Fisk complete the team.

Lopes, the Dodgers' captain, drew 3,862,403 votes to end the three-year reign of Carew as the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game. Lopes had over two million more votes than Pittsburgh's Phil Garner, his nearest rival at second base.

"I'll be there," said Lopes, who earlier this season felt he wasn't performing up to All-Star caliber. I'm gratified that many people put the time into voting. It's nice to know you're that popular."