Four pitchers help Phillies trip Cubs

By Rusty Pray of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – It took four pitchers – none of them Steve Carlton – and two rain delays totaling 78 minutes, but the Phillies managed to slide past the Chicago Cubs last night, 6-5, before 30,187 fans in Veterans Stadium.

Relievers Kevin Saucier, Ron Reed and Tug McGraw combined to hurl 3⅓ innings of one-hit ball at the Cubs to protect the one-run lead and pull Bob Walk's first major-league victory from the clutches of defeat.

While the win, in many respects, belonged to the bullpen, its offensive centerpiece was Lonnie Smith, who went three-for-five with two RBIs and two runs scored. It may have been that the Phils were showcasing Smith and rookie catcher Keith Moreland to visiting scouts in hopes of convincing some National League team that one, the other, or both are worth in return a quality starting pitcher, something the club needs desperately.

Manager Dallas Green, however, said he was doing nothing more than giving the two youngsters an opportunity to play.

"I don't know too many teams willing to give up a starting pitcher," Green said. "You're talking about the future of the Phillies. They're both capable of playing."

Smith seemed capable enough last night, stroking a single, double and triple as the leadoff hitter. His triple, coming in the fifth, provided the Phillies with what proved to be the deciding runs.

The Phils made it 4-2 in the fourth when Smith used his blazing speed to turn a fairly routine single to left into a double, went to third on a fly ball to right by Bake McBride and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Schmidt. And they seemingly put the game away in the fifth when Smith stroked a two-out, two-run triple to right.

Rookie Walk, however, was – if you'll pardon the expression – walking a fine line between being overpowering and being overwhelmed. The righthander fanned three of the first six batters he faced, but gave up a couple of two-out runs in the third on a single by Dave Kingman.

Walk retired the next seven batters he faced, but was welcomed to the sixth by Larry Biittner's second double of the game. Walk induced Kingman to pop up, but Mike Vail and Jerry Martin followed with consecutive singles. An out later, Tim Blackwell tripled in two runs and suddenly it was, 6-5, with the tying run on third.

That was the end of Bob's walk through the game. Lefthander Saucier was called upon to pitch to pinch-hitter Ken Henderson, who dutifully grounded out to Schmidt.

The Cubs again got the tying run to third off reliever Reed in the seventh, Ivan DeJesus leading off with a single and advancing on a sacrifice and a ground ball to the right side. That brought to the plate Kingman, and with him the real present danger of a home run. But Reed subdued Kong, getting him on a pedestrian fly to right.

The game was only two rain showers old when Smith, playing center field in place of Garry Maddox, singled and scored on a double to left-center by Pete Rose. McBride, batting third in the lineup restructured by Smith's presence, followed with a walk and, after Schmidt struck out, Greg Luzinski delivered the second in a series of extra-base hits.

The Bull's drive hit the wall in right-center on the fly and should have been a two-run double. It was not, however, because McBride, for reasons that remain unclear, had some trouble running the bases and was thrown out at the plate. Still, the Phils managed to make it, 3-0, off Cub starter Mike Krukow when Keith Moreland, replacing catcher Bob Boone for the evening, walked and Larry Bowa followed with a run-producing double down the first base line.

Apparently, Krukow was most unhappy with Rose's double, finding a new way of preventing him from swinging the bat. Krukow hit Rose the next two times he came to the plate. Rose took the first calmly enough, but when he was hit by Krukow with none out in the fourth and Smith already on second with a double, Rose slammed his batting helmet to the ground in disgust, shattering the piece of equipment.

PHILUPS – Phils went into the game having won 11 of their previous 15 in Veterans Stadium... Rose left the game in the seventh with a bruised right foot caused by being hit the second time by Krukow... Phils went into game hitting.292 against Cub pitching... Phils continue to lead the league in doubles, runs and home runs... Dick Ruthven pitches against Rick Reuschel tonight.