Allentown Morning Call - July 3, 1980
Phils miss their chance
MONTREAL (AP) – Right-hander Steve Rogers of the Montreal Expos handled his matchup against Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night as calmly as he pitched out of a bases-loaded threat in the first inning.
"Pitching against Carlton didn't give me any more incentive than usual," said Rogers, who contributed a run-scoring single in the second to help defeat the Phillies and the major leagues' leading pitcher, 6-1.
"I only have to face Carlton about three times, but I have to face the rest of the Phillies' batting order maybe 30 times."
Carlton assisted in his own demise by uncorking wild pitches in the third and fifth innings, allowing Montreal runners to score from third both times.
"Steve struggled all night," said Phillies Manager Dallas Green. "But we could have put the game away in the first inning. We had enough chances to score."
Rogers escaped the bases-loaded, none-out jam in the first, with Philadelphia's only run of the game scoring on a fielder's choice.
"I wasn't thrilled with the situation," said Rogers. "But if you're throwing the ball well, you just continue to do so and hope to get out of it. "
Rogers, 10-6, drilled a single up the middle that scored Warren Cromartie and tied the game 1-1 in the second after Cromartie had doubled.
The Expos took a 2-1 lead in the third as Andre Dawson doubled to center and went to third on Gary Carter's fly ball to left. Carlton. 13-4, then uncorked his first wild pitch, enabling Dawson to score the go-ahead run.
In the fifth, Carlton committed his second wild pitch to allow Rodney Scott to score from third with the third Montreal run. Scott reached first on a fielder's choice, then stole second and third before crossing the plate.
The Expos added three runs in the eighth on Carter's run-scoring double, a sacrifice fly by Larry Parrish and Chris Speier's single.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first. They loaded the bases on Pete Rose's leadoff single, a bunt single by Manny Trillo and a walk to Mike Schmidt.
Rose scored when Gary Maddox hit into a fielder's choice.
Rogers, who ended a personal three-game losing streak against the Phillies, struck out five and walked two.
Carlton recorded five strikeouts and moved ahead of Ferguson Jenkins of the Texas Rangers into eighth place on the all-time strikeout list with 2.829.
Prior to the game the Phils announced that starting pitcher Nino Espinosa. ailing since spring training, has been activated and reliever Tug McGraw has been placed on the 21-day disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Carlton heads staff selected by Tanner
NEW YORK (AP) – Steve Carlton of Philadelphia, baseball's winningest pitcher with a 13-3 record, heads the eight-man staff named yesterday by National League President Chub Feeney and Pittsburgh Manager Chuck Tanner for the NL All Star team.
Joining Carlton on the NL team for the July 8 game against the National League at Los Angeles are Jim Bibby of Pittsburgh, San Francisco's Vida Blue, Jerry Reuss of Los Angeles, J R. Richard of Houston, Bob Welch of Los Angeles, Pittsburgh's Kent Tekulve and Chicago's Bruce Sutter.
Carlton, who started last year's game for the NL in Seattle and also was the NL starting pitcher in the 1969 game at Washington, has a 1.93 earned run average and was NL pitcher of the month for May. He leads the league in strikeouts and innings pitched.
Four NL pitchers – Bibby. Blue, Reuss and Richard – have won nine games apiece.
Bibby, 9-1 with a 3.00 ERA. leads the league in winning percentage. Blue, 9-5. won seven straight over one stretch and is the only man to start the All Star Game for both leagues, opening for the AL in 1971 – the only AL victory in the last 17 years – and for the NL in 1978.
Reuss. 9-2 with a league-leading 1.74 ERA. pitched the season's only no-hitter last week and was chosen NL pitcher of the month for June. He was the starting pitcher for the NL in the 1975 game in Milwaukee and pitched three shutout innings. Richard, 9-4 and 1 .90, had a string of 31 consecutive scoreless innings earlier this season.
Sutter, winning pitcher in the last two All Star games, is 3-4 with a 3.06 ERA and leads the majors with 18 saves. Tekulve, bulwark of the Pirate bullpen, is 5-4 with nine saves and a 3.23 ERA and Welch is 8-3 with a 2.35 ERA.