Phils’ problems more than physical

By Rusty Pray of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – You watch the Phillies lose three out of four – including Saturday night's doubleheader – to the New York Mets, and you wonder how it could happen.

How could a club with such superb natural talent as the Phillies allow the Mets, of all teams, three straight one-run decisions? Why is it that a team with seven All-Stars on its roster loses eight of 11 games?

"We've got physical injuries, a couple guys not swinging good and the pitching's thin," diagnosed Dallas Green, who watched his club snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over New York last night in Veterans Stadium. "Those things will suck a team dry without it knowing it."

Physical problems have made the Phils scuffle. What has happened to the pitching staff is already well documented. Hamstring injuries that sidelined shortstop Larry Bowa and third baseman Mike Schmidt have robbed the team of some of its offensive punch and two of its better gloves.

The first game of Saturday's double-header served as an excellent example of just how injuries have affected the Phillies. In the 11th inning of what would end a 2-1 loss, Manager Dallas Green pinch hit for the left side of his infield, fill-ins Ramon Aviles and John Vukovich. Had the pinch hitters managed to tie the game, Green would have been forced to use outfielder Greg Gross at first, second baseman Manny Trillo at short, catcher Keith Moreland at third and first baseman Pete Rose at second.

But Green knows, as well as anyone who has watched the Phillies over the course of the season, that the problem goes deeper than physical injuries.

"We're hurting physically, but worst of all, we're hurting mentally," Green said prior to last night's game. "I won't let this club feel sorry for itself because feeling sorry creates the kind of baseball we've been playing the last three, four games."

Indeed, the injury excuse can be used for only so long. And the Phillies used it last season. It is Green's opinion that his team begins an eight-game road trip tonight in Montreal as a club of good talent that is not playing within itself.

"The Mets are a fine example of a team staying within itself," Green said. "None of those guys try to hit the ball out of the park. They were losing for a long time. Now they have a club that wants to win, wants to play the game.

"The thing you can't do – the thing players always seem to forget – is that a slump or a down period takes time to take effect. And once it does, you can't just turn it off. That's what our guys don't understand about working hard. They want things to flow easy and it doesn't work that way."

Green seems to be saying his players are not working hard enough, a point they most assuredly would dispute. But few would argue that the Phillies have leaned heavily on their talent in the past. And it won more than a few games for them. But it may be that the Phils, who are not the youngest team in the National League, have reached the point where they can no longer overcome mistakes with sheer talent.

"You lean on talent alone and try to turn it on – and it's not there," said Green. "That's why Pete Rose is so great. He works all the time.

"I'm convinced it's ingrained and convinced they don't understand it. I've been around this ballclub a lot longer than people realize and I've seen our work. That's why I ran a tough spring training.

"We have not executed, we're not good at getting signs and we're breaking down physically – which means we're not working at our game. I've seen tools deteriorate since spring training. All the things they didn't do and got away with (in the past), now they're not getting away with them."

The syndrome of falling back on talent may be an old one with the Phillies, but Green replaced Danny Ozark last August in part to correct that flaw. So far, Green has not been particularly successful.

"The bottom line is, it's my fault I haven't made them work harder," he admitted. "That's what started Danny's downfall. He let them manage... They ran the show."

And, for the last 10 days at least, the Phillies Show has been something less than a hit.

Phils Finally Defeat Mets

Philadelphia 5, New York 2

By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA — Three weeks ago, Bob Walk looked like a ragged substitute for a big-league pitcher. He was only in Philadelphia because Phillie manager Dallas Green was in a desperate pitching situation. 

However, Walk has matured quickly. Five nights ago, he went eight tough innings against Montreal, giving up only an unearned run. That night he did not get the decision, although the Phillies won 2-1 in 10 innings, the only game of three they took from the Expos. 

Sunday night, the 23-year-old righthander blanked the New York Mets for seven innings while Philadelphia built a 4-0 lead. He needed relief help from Lerrin LaGrow when the visitors scored twice in the eighth. However the big righthander pitched well enough to earn his third victory, 5-2, while stopping the Phillies’ four-game losing streak. 

The Phillies were in serious trouble when the game began. 

The previous night, they had dropped a pair to the Mets, losing the second game 5-4 when New York scored three times in the last two innings. Another Met victory would have given them a four-game sweep and might have tolled the misery bell for the entire Philadelphia season. 

“I tried not to think of the teams’ losing streak,” Walk said. "I discovered in my last start that I am better off when I just take the ball and pitch without thinking about anything else. It’s worked now for two straight games, so I'm not about to switch.” 

The Phillies, who were in a woeful hitting slump most of the homestand which ended last night, managed to bunch five hits off righthander Pat Zachry, 2-5, while scoring three runs in the sixth inning. 

Consecutive singles by Walk, Pete Rose, Manny Trillo and Bake McBride accounted for two runs. The third run of the inning came across on catcher Keith Moreland's infield single. 

“I didn’t get to swing the bat in the minor leagues and I really like to hit and run the bases,” Walk said. “But I know my main job is to win some games. I was just happy to help get us going again.” 

A couple of errors helped the Phillies to their first run in the fourth inning. Trillo, who had two hits for the game, stroked a one-out single. When right fielder Claudell Washington allowed the ball to skip by him, Trillo hustled to third on the error. McBride then topped a ball between first and second. First baseman Lee Mazzilli’s throw toward Zachary was wild and Trillo scored. 

Walk allowed three straight singles after two out in the seventh. Then he buckled down to fan pinch hitter Ron Hodges with the bases loaded. 

“You have to give the young man credit for digging in right there,” Green said. “These Mets have given us grief all year in the late innings. They had me worried again tonight.” 

Walk gave up his only walk of the night to pinchhitter Jose Cardenal to start the eighth inning. 

“I made a mistake when I threw him a 3-2 breaking pitch,” Walk said. “Heck, we had a 4-0 lead I should have laid the ball right in there and defied him to hit it.” 

The pitcher appeared to work his way out of trouble when he struck out Mazzilli and got a nice play from shortstop Ramon Aviles on a ground ball by Frank Taveras to force Cardenal at second. But Washington lined an outside fastball down the left field line for a double, scoring Taveras. A single to left by Joel Youngblood scored Washington and Green brought LaGrow to the mound. 

The big righthander got off to a bad start, walking John Stearns and Steve Henderson to load the bases. But he got Elliott Maddox to ground toward John Vukovich who stepped on third base for the force-out that ended the inning. 

LaGrow allowed a one-out double to Cardenal in the ninth inning, but got the next two hitters on fly balls to earn his second save. 

The Phils begin a very important road trip in Montreal tonight. They will play three in Montreal and four in St. Louis before arriving at the All-Star game break. 

*        *       *

Late Saturday night Steve Henderson blasted a bases-loaded single broke a ninth-inning tie that capped a New York comeback and gave the Mets a 5-4 victory tor a sweep of their twi-night doubleheader with the Phillies. 

Lee Mazzilli, who was 6-for-8 in the two games, opened the ninth inning of the second game with a walk. Frank Taveras bunted and reliever Kevin Saucier threw the ball into center field, allowing the runners to move up to second and third. 

After Claudell Washington struck out, Joe Youngblood was intentionally walked. Henderson foiled the strategy of loading the bases with a line single to right. 

Tom Hausman, 3-2, picked up the victory and reliever Neil Allen notched his 13th save. 

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on singles by Garry Maddox and Keith Moreland, and a sacrifice fly by Ramon Aviles. They increased it to 3-0 in the fifth when Pete Rose and Greg Gross doubled and Maddox tripled. 

The Mets came back with a pair of runs in the sixth on a single by Taveras, Youngblood’s triple and an infield out. The Phillies made it 4-2 in the seventh when Lonnie Smith singled and Maddox doubled. 

The Mets tied it in the eighth, loading the bases on a single by Youngblood and walks to Henderson and Ron Hodges before Alex Trevino singled for the tying runs.