Wilmington News Journal - July 12, 1980

Phils rip Cubs 7-2 to tie Expos for 1^st

By Ray Finocchiaro, Staff Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies made it into first place for the first time since May 28, waltzing past the stumbling Chicago Cubs 7-2 last night and Manager Dallas Green said it was about time.

"This was a long time coming," Green said as his charges joined the season's biggest crowd to watch the fireworks snow that followed the game.

"I felt all along that we'd get here. Now it's up to us to stay there. We seem to be swinging the bat pretty well right now. I hope it continues.

Actually, the Phils are in a first-place tie with the Montreal Expos, but Green wasn't bothering with the small stuff. First is first.

The Phils pounded 14 hits – seven for extra bases – against three Cubs' pitchers last night to make rookie Bob Walk 5-0. But at least three of the extra-base hits – two of Pete Rose's three doubles and one of Mike Schmidt's triples – should've been, and would've been, caught by any respectable defense.

Asked where he'd be with the Cubs' defense, Green said, "Probably right where they are." Which is sixth place, which is as low as they can go until the National League expands.

As for Walk, who pitched 6.2 innings, Green said his Oklahoma City walk-on "has really pitched well. He's gained confidence and a little more poise. You know you'll always get a top effort out of him."

Walk did it without a curve ball, throwing only four changeups all night. But his slider kept the Cubs off-balance and for the first few innings, the right-hander merely overpowered them.

Then he let the Cubs' defense do them in.

Walk struck out five of the first nine Cubs he faced and looked like an easy winner, except for the fact that the Phillies always find a way to make things tough for themselves against Lynn McGlothen.

The first two Phillies runs hardly were effortless productions.

Bob Boone singled to left to start the third inning and was sacrificed to second ty Walk's bunt. McGlothen and the Cubs seemed out of danger on Rose's two-out liner to left.

But Jesus Figueroa lost it in the lights and let the ball skip past him for a run-scoring double.

The Phils made it 2-0 in the fourth when Garry Maddox singled, raced to third on Manny Trillo's grounder and scored on Larry Bowa's two-out bunt to McGlothen.

It wasn't a suicide squeeze, but Maddox gave it the appearance of one by racing down the line as the Cubs' pitcher futilely picked up the ball and threw late to first.

"I've talked to Larry about using that play with Garry or Lonnie Smith on third," said Green. "It's an excellent play and it utilizes two guys' speed – Bowa and Maddox."

Bowa, still upset about being implicated in the amphetamine investigation, wasn't talking... about the play or anything else last night.

The Cubs got their two runs in the sixth when they loaded the bases with none out on singles by Bill Buckner and Mike Vail and a walk to Jerry Martin.

Figueroa and pinch-hitter Larry Biittner each got a run home with a force-play grounder. Trillo made a barehanded stab of Bowa's flip on Biittner's grounder for the force at second and Manny barely missed ending the inning when Biittner beat the relay to first by an eyelash.

The Phils quickly regained the lead in their half of the sixth, thanks in great part to Vail misjudging Schmidt's opposite-field liner.

Vail turned the wrong way, watched the ball sail over bis head, then juggled it as Schmidt made it to third with a head-first slide. Maddox' sacrifice fly to center got Schmidt home.

Bill Caudill, who'd allowed just one run in his last 21 innings, was greeted with three when he came in to relieve McGlothen in the seventh.

Lonnie Smith, who had doubled to open the game, singled to left, stole second and went to third on catcher Mike O'Berry's throwing error.

Then left fielder Figueroa went into his fadeaway fielding act First he backed ofi on Rose's blooper, giving Pete bis second double of the night as Smith scored. Then Figueroa tried to one-hop Schmidt's liner and turned it into Schmidt's second triple of the night for another run.

After Maddox singled. Schmidt home for a 6-2 lead, Caudill was mercifully taken out. Willie Hernandez escaped the carnage, though the Phils did load the bases before Ron Reed's grounder ended it.

The Phils' final run came in the eighth on back-to-back doubles by John Vukovich and Rose (his 25th of the season).

EXTRA INNINGS - Season's largest crowd of 50,209 (plus 7,942 Knotholers) pushed the season's attendance to 1,320,766, which is 219,616 behind last vear... Lenny Randle, the Cubs' fielding goat in Thursday night's game, injured his right thigh catching Larry Bowa's foul pop while falling into the Cub dugout in the sixth... Randle left the game and took his six-game hitting streak with him, going 0-for-3... Steve Carlton (14-4) faces Pittsburgh's Jim Bibby (11-1) in tonight's 7:05 game... Nino Espinosa vs. Don Robinson tomorrow at 1:35 p.m.

Phillies’ role in drug probe over

By Ray Finocchiaro, Staff Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania' drug officials who wanted to talk to certain Phillies' players in connection with their ongoing investigation into the illegal prescribing of amphetamines did their talking yesterday.

What was said – and to whom – wasn't released to the media, and probably won't be, if state officials and club brass have their way.

The Phillies called a press conference a half hour before last night's game with the Cubs and handed out a statement from owner Ruly Carpenter, who did not attend, though he did meet with the players in the clubhouse.

"I strongly requested that Ruly Carpenter attend but he is not allowed to be here," said Phillies' publicity director Larry Shenk, who would not say who requested that Carpenter not meet the press.

"There's a lot I don't know," Shenk added.

Carpenter's statement read:

"Philadelphia Phillies players and their wives were contacted today by officials from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation of persons not employed by the club.

"Each individual interviewed cooperated fully and was assured that he or she was not suspected of any criminal involvement.

"The officials from the Commonwealth requested that none of the details of the interview, including the identity of the individuals interviewed, be disclosed at this time.

"I trust that this request will be honored by the media. Any further comments will have to come from the Commonwealth."

The three-week investigation by the Pa. Drug Law Enforcement Agency is reportedly directed at Dr. Patrick A. Mazza, a Reading physician who serves unofficially as the Reading Phillies' team physician and who signed the prescriptions that have come under scrutiny. The prescriptions allegedly were issued without state-required medical examinations.

State drug officials have not charged any Phillies players and, from Carpenter's statement, apparently don't intend to.