Camden Courier-Post - July 15, 1980

Bucs get madcap win over Phils

By Rusty Pray of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies and Pirates went at each other last night like two rival collectors at an art auction. Every time one made a bid, the other topped it, escalating the tally at a whirlwind pace.

And, after Dave Parker's two-run home run in the ninth inning off reliever Ron Reed gave the Bucs an improbable 13-11 victory before 44,235 stunned fans in Veterans Stadium, it seemed only the most astute of auctioneers could have kept track of the proceedings.

"The Pirates open the bidding at two... Do I hear four? Yes, the fellow in the red pinstripes... Do I hear five?... Seven! I have a bid of seven. Do I hear – what's that 11? Going once, twice... 13? Sold to the man in the bruised-banana suit."

NOT SINCE Pete Rose became a free agent has the bidding been so furious. For more than 2½ hours the two teams raised each other for the right to claim one night's supremacy. The Pirates led six times, the Phillies twice. The game was tied three times, at seven, nine and 11. Had Parker not made a 2-1 pitch his second homer of the night, the score might now be 53-all with the Phils batting in the bottom of the 30th.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, this game had it all. For the first time in the memory of the official scorer, who had seen a game or two during his career, a hit was recorded in each half inning. The total of 36 hits – a season-high 21 for the Pirates – included eight doubles, three homers and one triple. There were also 11 walks, four errors, one wild pitch and a hit batter.

"When you got two teams like this, you kind of expect it," said Parker, who was among five players with at least three hits. "Both of us have good offense and good speed. When you get these two teams together, you don't know what's going to happen.

"WE PLAY them three times and all three could be 2-1, or all could be like this one."

Few games could offer more in the way of trivia and fewer still – last year's infamous 23-22 game is one – could offer the kind of scoring usually reserved for football. Indeed, both teams could have given the Eagles a run last night.

One of the more unusual plays came in the sixth, when Garry Maddox hit a sacrifice fly to shortstop. This oddball occurred because Tim Foli, the shortstop, crashed headlong into Lee Lacy (playing center field because Omar Moreno retired early with a jammed finger) as both raced for Maddox' soft pop to shallow left center. Foli hung on to the ball, but fell to the ground, allowing Rose to score and tie the game at nine.

Manny Trillo is the answer to the game's most interesting trivia question. He missed hitting for the cycle – a feat of some rarity – by not getting a single. He doubled in the first, driving in a run off starter Rick Rhoden that gave the Phils a 4-2 lead. Trillo picked on Rhoden again in the third, smashing his first homer of the year, to bring the Phillies within 7-6. And, Trillo tripled in the eighth off Grant Jackson, the last of 10 pitchers to appear and the game's winner.

ASTONISHINGLY, the three hits put Trillo in the National League batting lead. The second baseman is hitting .329, four points higher than the Dodgers' Reggie Smith.

Another Smith, the Phils' Lonnie, produced five hits – a team high for the season – scored three runs, stole a base and raised his average to an otherworldly .410. But he also made an error in left field and was caught trying to stretch a single into a double in the ninth.

Smith's baserunning gaff proved the more costly, coming as it did with one out in the ninth and Greg Gross arriving at third base.

"I think you have to mix aggressiveness with common sense in that situation," said Manager Dallas Green. "I'm sure Lonnie knows deep down he made a mistake."

SMITH'S mistake was glaring because it occurred in the ninth inning of a close game. But this was, from start to finish, hardly a perfect ballgame. Larry Bowa tried to go from second to third on a grounder... Mike Schmidt, the only regular for either team not to get a hit, broke too soon for second on an attempted steal and was caught by pitcher Enrique Romo... Parker let a ball drop from his glove for a double near the right field warning track... Moreno, the league's top base stealer, was caught for the third time in the series...

Said Green: "We just pitched horse. It's that simple."

Maybe not quite that simple. But it's as good an explanation as any.

PHIL UPS – Game featured 35 players... Only non-pitchers not used were Vance Law and Manny Sanguillen for the Pirates, and Ramon Aviles and Del Unser for the Phillies... Smith is seventh player this season to get five hits in one game... Parker leads all visiting players with 16 homers in Vet... Bill Robinson had four hits... Rose drove in three runs with two bits, making him 10-for-17 with 10 RBIs during five-game home stand. Pete was named National League Player of the Week yesterday after batting .571 in the games following the All-Star break. He had eight hits in 14 at-bats, including five doubles and drove in seven runs... Phils open three-city, 10-game road trip tonight in Houston with Dick Ruthven scheduled to pitch.