Camden Courier-Post - June 15, 1980

Carlton whiffs 13, Phils down Padres

By Rusty Pray of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – Parachute Man floated softly toward the Veterans Stadium Astroturf, his destination a huge X marking a spot just behind pitcher's mound.

But the latest in a summer-long series of promotions by Phillies Vice President Bill Giles never got an opportunity to deliver last night's game-ball to pitcher Steve Carlton. A sudden gust of wind lifted poor Parachute Man out of the stadium and into the parking lot behind the center field wall. So much for his control.

Fortunately for the Phils, Carlton's control was somewhat better. In fact, the lefthander was impeccable with his pitches, blowing the San Diego Padres away, 3-1, with a 13-strikeout performance that tied a National League season high.

The Phillies have all but run out of good things to say about Carlton. And no wonder. Last night's performance was merely typical of the season he has produced, lifting his record to an admirable 11-2 and lowering his earned run average to 1.77, second in the league to the 1.50 of Houston's fireballing J.R. Richard.

"He's one of the sharpest lefthanders going," said San Diego's Dave Cash, who was the Phils' second baseman from 1974-76. "He's not only pitching well now, but he has been for years. He's the kind of guy, you go out there and you know it's going to be a two-hour game, you know he's going to be around the strike zone, and you're ready."

Cash was one of the few Padres to solve Carlton during his; eight innings of work. Cash owned two of the Padres' six singles, and drove in their only run in the eighth.

Carlton brushed aside the rest of the San Diego order, striking out seven of the first nine batters he faced and not permitting a runner past first until the eighth, when he made pinchhitter Gene Tenace his final strikeout. It was the 35th time since Carlton has been with a Phils that he has struck out at least 10. And it gave him 118 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched this season. Not bad for a guy who never runs and, presumably, never , jumps out of airplanes.

"He has had so many good ones, I’ve lost count of them," said Phillies Manager Dallas Green. "I didn't think his fastball was what we've seen in the past, but he's got that gosh-awful slider."

That gosh-awful slider has been Carlton's most reliable pitch. And, when he is throwing it the way he was last night, it has a devastating effect on hitters.

"It is," said catcher Bob Boone, who continued to lift his average with two singles, "an unhittable pitch. Steve's got such good control, he's always ahead in the count, so you have to try to hit it. You're checkmated."

San Diego Manager Jerry Coleman watched Carlton checkmate the Padres time and again, then observed, "We swung at 20 bad pitches, minimum, tonight. And the good pitchers make you swing at bad balls."

Despite the obvious command Carlton had over the Padres, Green found himself forced to pinchhit for his pitcher in the eighth. Boone and Garry Maddox had opened the inning with singles off Bob Shirley, who started the eighth in relief of Steve Mura.

Mura pitched well and, had he not served Greg Luzinski and Mike Schmidt home run pitches, the score might have been 1-0 Padres. Instead, it was the Phillies who were trying to pad a narrow lead.  But what seemed to be a developing rally evaporated when Boone was picked off second, Larry Bowa popped up and Keith Moreland, who hit for Carlton, grounded out.

"I was trying to get another run or two," said Green. "He (Carlton) was high with his breaking ball the last inning. But I'll tell you one thing, he makes managing this team a lot easier."

Green also wants to rest Carlton, ' who literally embodies the Phillies' starting rotation right now, whenever he can. With righthander Dick Ruthven likely to miss a start with a bruised shoulder, Green will use Carlton twice on the upcoming West Coast road trip.

The manager probably will fill Ruthven's spot in the rotation with Noles, an idea that does not particularly appeal to Green. He has, of course, little choice. Presently, the only other healthy Phillies starters are rookie Bob Walk and confused Randy Lerch.

Luzinski gave Carlton all the runs he would need in the third, sending a 2-0 Mura pitch over the wall in left-center for his 15th homer. Schmidt scored ahead of Luzinski, having proceeded him with a walk. And Schmidt, who also singled in the seventh, added some insurance with his 20th homer, a shot that opened the fifth.

PHIL UPS – X-rays taken of Ruthven's right shoulder yesterday were negative... Carlton will probably continue to pitch with three days rest until the All-Star break... Lonnie Smith started in right, went 0-for-4... Padres are a dismal 1-7 on this road trip... Win was Carlton's sixth straight... Walk is scheduled to pitch against former Phillie Rick Wise this afternoon in series and homestand finale.