Reading Eagle - May 1, 1980
Bomback 2-Hits Phils
NEW YORK (AP) – It was a great night for Mark Bomback and a rare on for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bomback pitched a two-hitter for the first New York complete game of the season and normally smooth-fielding Mike Schmidt and Larry Bowa made back-to-back errors as the Mets beat the Phillies 2-0 Wednesday.
“To come back and beat the Phillies again is great,” said Bomback, 2-0, who recorded his first major-league victory against the Phils in Philadelphia.
“I did it with a fastball and a slider,” said Bomback. “I moved the fastball in and out.”
New York took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when John Stearns doubled to left and came home on a two-out single by Dan Norman. The Mets had missed a first-inning opportunity against Randy Lerch, 0-3, when Jerry Morales grounded out with two out and the bases loaded.
Although Lerch and Dickie Noles held the Mets to four hits, the Phillies’ defense contributed an unearned run in the eighth.
Morales was safe on a two-out fielding error by Schmidt, the National League’s Gold Glove third baseman. Then Bowa allowed Norman’s hard grounder to go through his legs for another error and Morales scored.
Phillies Manager Dallas Green agreed with Bomback about the pitching pattern. “He beat us with a fastball this time, it was a breaking ball at the Vet (Veterans Stadium).”
“I thought I was doing the same thing that Bomback did,” said Lerch. “Our guys kept coming back saying ‘He doesn’t have much,’ but they seemed to think the ball speeded up at the last minute.”
Schmidt singled to open the second and Garry Maddox led off the seventh with another single for the only Philadelphia hits.
The Phils did have scoring opportunities. Luis Aguayo and Lerch walked opening the sixth, but Bomback got Rose to hit into a double play and stop Bake McBride on an infield fly.
In the seventh, Maddox singled and stole second, but stayed there as Bomback retired the next three men. In the eighth, Bomback issued a pair of two-out walks, but McBride rolled out to end the inning.
“They helped us a lot by not bunting the runners over, especially when they got the leadoff man on,” said Stearns.
The complete game shutout was the first for New York since last July 25, when Craig Swan blanked San Francisco 3-0.