Wilmington Morning News - June 18, 1980
Pitchers, Gross put pinch on LA
By Hal Bodley, Sports Editor
LOS ANGELES – Manager Dallas Green reluctantly dug into his bullpen last night to find a starting pitcher and the move helped the Phillies to a second-straight victory over Los Angeles.
Dickie Noles, who had been the late-inning stopper, started and although he left after Steve Garvey blasted a three-run homer, his work set the stage for solid relief work by Ron Reed and Tug McGraw.
The Phils pushed aside a 5-3 Los Angeles lead, tied in the seventh and won the game 6-5 when pinch-hitter Greg Gross singled in the winning run off loser Bob Castillo in the eighth.
But in the end it was the pitching of Noles, Reed and McGraw that gave the Phils their fifth straight victory and second on this road trip.
Reed, now 5-1 and the winner for the second straight night, pitched two shutout innings and McGraw took over and was awesome in the eighth and ninth, putting the Dodgers down in order for his 65th career save with the Phils a club record.
After an inning and a half, the Phillies led 3-0 but the Dodgers started chipping away when Ron Cey blasted a one-out homer in the bottom of the second.
The Dodgers had runners on first and second with nobody out in the third, but Noles worked out of the jam. Dusty Baker, however, pulled his teammates within a run with his 15th homer of the year leading off the fourth.
Noles could have been out of trouble in the disastrous fifth had he been more alert in tagging first base on Reggie Smith's grounder.
Goltz opened the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Rudy Law. Davey Lopes flied to left for the second out, bringing up Smith.
The right-fielder hit a bouncer between first and second that Pete Rose gloved and threw to Noles covering. First-base umpire Joe West ruled that Noles did not have his foot on the bag and Smith was' safe on the error.
Garvey then blasted a 2-2 Noles fastball to the pavilion in left-center for his 14th homer and the Dodgers were up 5-3.
After Noles walked Baker, Green summoned Lerrin LaGrow who got Cey to line out for the third out. Noles, sitting in the dugout, continued to argue over West's call at first, prompting three umpires, led by Billy Williams, to charge the dugout. Noles threw his helmet at the feet of the umpires before finally leaving.
Rose, who had three singles, opened the game with with a single to left, stole second and scored on Greg Luzinski's single to left.
With one down in the second, Larry Bowa beat out an infield single and Manny Trillo drilled a double to right putting runners on second and third. Rose rifled a singled to center and the Phils were ahead 3-0 and Goltz was in trouble.
The Phils stormed back in the seventh to pull even and send Goltz to the showers.
Rose, who tied Willie Keeler for third place on the all-time singles list (2,534) bunted his way on to start the inning.
After Bake McBride flied to center, Mike Schmidt walked. Luzinski ripped a double to right, Rose scoring and Schmidt moving to third. Goltz was replaced by Bob Castillo, who got Bob Boone to ground out to third as Schmidt scored the fifth run.
The Phils' vaulted ahead 6-5 in the eighth during, but should have done better. Consecutive singles by Bowa, Trillo and pinch-hitter Greg Gross produced the run, but Gross was trapped between first and second for the first out. Rose then got in a heated argument with home-plate umpire John McSherry when Rose thought Castillo's first pitch hit him on the hand. McSherry insisted the ball hit the bat first and after the argument was over, Rose grounded out as did McBride.
EXTRA POINTS - Nino Espinosa threw three innings last night for Spartanburg against Macon, allowing just one hit and one walk... Warren Brusstar pitched three innings for Peninsula on Monday night, allowing three hits and two runs... Both pitchers, who have been suffering from shoulder ailments, were sent to the minors last weekend with hopes they can eventually rejoin the varsity... Lonnie Smith, who crashed against the right-field wall here Monday night, has a sore rib cage, but it is not considered serious... The Phils left immediately after the game for San Diego where they will play the Padres tonight and tomorrow afternoon... Steve Carlton will go against Eric Rasmussen in the opener.