Allentown Morning Call - July 29, 1980
Luzinski to miss at least three weeks
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Greg Luzinski, the Philadelphia Phillies' slugging left fielder, underwent a knee operation yesterday and is expected to be out of action approximately three more weeks, according to Dr. Phillip Marone, who performed the surgery.
The Phillies said Marone removed "multiple loose cartilaginous bodies and a small portion of the knee cartilage" during the two-hour operation at Methodist Hospital.
Luzinski injured his right knee sliding into second base during a July 5 game in St. Louis. He was expected to be discharged from the hospital within 24 hours.
He'll be on crutches for a while, although the knee was not placed in a cast, the Phillies said.
Luzinski, who had surgery on the same knee in 1974 as the result of a ligament injury, has been on the disabled list since July 8. He had shown improvement, but then last Friday the knee swelled again and after re-examination and X-rays on Saturday, Marone decided to operate.
Luzinski, who missed the Phillies' recent 10-game road trip, has a .245 batting average with 15 home runs and 42 RBI.
In his absence, Phillies manager Dallas Green has turned to rookie Lonnie Smith. Smith had seven hits in 15 at bats, including his first two major league homers in the weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.
The fleet 24-year-old is hitting .349 for the month of July and has 14 stolen bases, second on the team to Garry Maddox's 19 thefts.
"The kid's going to play," said Green. "I think he's done everything we've asked. “1 think he's capable of playing decent defense – I think he has."
Green said Luzinski's absence will mean more pressure on Mike Schmidt, the National League's leading home-run hitter with 26.
"I hope we'll be able to surround Schmitty with smoking bats so he can play," Green said.
"But Garry's (Maddox) hitting well, and we're not afraid to move the lineup around," Green said. "A couple weeks ( without Luzinski) – we can handle that."
"There's no question we'll miss him offensively." said Maddox, who has moved into the fifth slot in the lineup in Luzinski's absence.
Phils lose 3-2 in 10th on triple by Cedeno
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Cesar Cedeno's two-out triple broke a 10th-inning tie and gave the Houston Astros a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies last night.
Reliever Ron Reed. 6-4, gave up a one-out single to Joe Morgan, who was caught stealing, but Jose Cruz walked and Cedeno rifled a 1-1 pitch into the rightfield corner.
Houston Rookie Gordy Pladson pitched four-hit ball through eight innings but left for a pinch hitter in the ninth. The victory went to Joe Sambito, 6-1.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the third on a triple by Craig Reynolds and a single by Cruz, in the fourth. Pete Rose walked and Bake McBride was credited with a double after right fielder Dave Bergman and centerfielder Cesar Cedeno got crossed up and let his drive fall safely at the warning track. Rose scored on a grounder by Garry Maddox.
The Phillies went ahead 2-1 in the fifth when Larry Bowa led off with an infield single, stole second, reached third on a long fly ball by Bob Boone and stole home. He was trapped in a rundown after Nino Espinosa missed a squeeze bunt attempt, then missed the plate on his slide but touched it reaching back just ahead of the tag by Pladson.
Houston tied it again in the seventh on a walk to Alan Ashby. a single by Bergman, chasing Espinosa, and a single off reliever Tug McGraw by pinch-hitter Art Howe.