Wilmington Evening Journal - June 9, 1980
McGlothen continues his Phillie-killing ways
By Ray Finocchiaro, Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA – The Chicago Cubs-Lynn McGlothen maintained his charter membership in the Phillie-Killers Society yesterday. Other members in good standing include the Cardinals' Pete Vuckovich and Atlanta's Phil Niekro, guys who seemingly just have to step on the field to win.
McGlothen was 3-1 against the Phillies last year, allowing Just three runs in the three victories. Proving he was no one-year wonder, he beat them again 2-0 at Veterans Stadium yesterday before a T-shirt day crowd of 40,206 that was more teed off than anything else about the Phils' lackluster attack.
McGlothen, a reformed fastballer who now prides himself in "throwing all the junk I can," has a simple secret to beating the Phillies.
"I pitch against them like I have an extra base open," said the right-hander, now 3-2 after only his fourth start in 14 appearances.
What he meant was that he wasn't afraid to walk a batter or two if his breaking ball wasn't going for strikes.
"I don't care if I walk the bases loaded," McGlothen said. "I'm a fastball pitcher, but if I get behind guys like Greg Luzinski or Mike Schmidt, or anybody else, I'm going to throw them breaking balls."
A slow starter, McGlothen pitched out of a first-inning jam after Bake McBride doubled and Luzinski walked with two out. But McGlothen got Bob Boone on a pop to third and the inning was over. Garry Maddox doubled with two out in the fourth, but Larry Bowa popped to second to end that threat.
Not until the ninth, when Luzinski lashed a fastball to left to knock McGlothen out of the game, would the Phillies threaten again. But Manager Preston Gomez of the Cubs summoned Bruce Sutter, another Phils' nemesis, who got two quick outs before an error and walk loaded the bases. But pinch-hitter George Vukovich lined to short to end the game.
After the game, Manager Dallas Green of the Phils cited McGlothen's effort but added that the Phils' attack didn't hurt him much, either.
"The guy pitched pretty good," Green said. "I'm prejudiced. I think we should beat anybody, so I'm surprised we weren't able to grind out at least two runs against him.
"The attack wasn't real good today. We've scored runs before but we didn't do it today."
Asked what he advised Vukovich before his pinch-hit appearance against Sutter, Green shrugged.
"I told him to have patience," Green laid. "Sutter likes to throw the split-finger pitch down. If the batter has patience, most times it's a ball. That's the only way to beat Sutter.
"They know it. It's no big secret. You've got to make him bring it up. It requires a lot of patience on the part of the batter."
More, evidently, than either Bob Boone or Maddox could muster, Boone hit Sutter's first pitch to shortstop for the first out and Maddox swung at the next three to strike out.
Del Unser, batting for Bowa, reached base when umpire Andv Olsen ruled that Mike Tyson's throw pulled Larry Biittner off the bag on a grounder the second baseman first bobbled, then rushed his throw.
Manny Trillo, apparently the patient type, walked on four pitches, which brought up Vukovich and, shortly thereafter, the end of the game when shortstop Ivan DeJesus speared the line drive hit right at him.
Sutter has 12 saves in the Cubs' 22 victories.
The Cubs' two runs both featured prominent assists from McGlothen. The pitcher, batting a lusty .455, doubled in the third and scored on Tyson's double over third, then sacrificed Tim Blackwell up a base in the seventh. Blackwell scored when Maddox's throw home on a single by DeJesus short-hopped catcher Boone and bounced away.
"Boone has no chance unless he makes a great play," said Green.
The manager said he felt loser Dick Ruth-ven pitched well, allowing seven hits over seven innings.
"It still comes up a loss, so it's not much fun for him," Green said. "But I liked Dick's fastball today. The way we can score, he pitched well enough to win some games."
But how many games Ruthven – and left-hander Randy Lerch – actually do win will determine the Phillies' fate. With the June 15 trading deadline a week away. Green was asked if he feels the team has enough pitching to win.
"Maybe we don't," he said. "But I still have faith in the guys I have on the pitching staff or else I'd make changes.
“Larry Christenson hurt us when he went down (with elbow surgery that will probably sideline him for the season) because we weren't get ting consistency from Lerch and Ruthven. If Lerch and Ruthven were throwing consistently, we might walk away with it.
"Ruthven's a proven winner with us and Lerch has proven he can win 1 1 games with us. It may be that we don't have enough pitching but, I guarantee with the pitching that we do have, it'll go right to the wire."
Green isn't optimistic about landing a starting pitcher, though rumors continue to swirl, including a report of a three-club deal could land Houston's Joacquin Andujar before next Sunday's Headline.
"I'm Just not very encouraged," Green said. "There's not that much around or a willingness to move what is around: I hear everybody demanding to be traded, but nobody's doing anything."
It could be early. Or too late, if nothing's done. There is still another week for trades and 3½ months to play baseball, far too early for panic buttons or derailed bandwagons.
Still, the Phillies would not look a gift pitcher in the mouth. A sound arm will do nicely.
EXTRA INNINGS - Mike Schmidt went 0-for-4 and is still looking for his 1,000th hit... Phils have been shut out four times this season, twice at the Vet... They are 2-7 on Sunday, but 8-1 on Saturday... Trillo's hit in six straight games and Steve Carlton goes for his sixth straight victory tonight at 7:35 against San Francisco's John Montefusco at the Vet.