Phillies Lose In Slugfest

4 Hrs Wasted, Reds Win, 7-6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dave Collins insists that he tries not to let his hitting streak become a priority.

However, Collins, who broke into the Cincinnati Reds lineup last season after the All-Star break, made his one hit of Tuesday night expedient if not priority, since it drove in two key runs in the Reds' 7-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Reds 5-4 in the sixth with two out and the bases loaded when Collins appeared for his third official at-bat. He went to a no-ball, two-strike count, then stroked a single that put Cincinnati ahead 6-5.

Collins was happy that his only hit of the game extended his hitting streak to 15 games. But he said the real satisfaction was that it helped the number one objective – ending a Reds' four -game losing streak.

Cincinnati outfielder said of the pitch he hit off Phillies starter Dick Ruthven: "It just happened to get out over the plate. I got the bat in the right spot at the right time.”

As for the hitting streak, Collins said. "You know its there. But you try not to make it your priority. The idea is to be consistent every day, streak or no streak."

Another thorn in the Phillies' side was Junior Kennedy, who had four hits for the second time in the last four games.

As for the Phillies, third baseman Mike Schmidt made an error in the Cincinnati sixth that opened the way for the Reds tying and go-ahead run.s Ruthven retired the first batters, but Schmidt's error started the two-run rally.

"I couldn't get it out of my glove," said Schmidt. "and you might add that were sticky from the wet ball. (It rained from the third inning on.) I rushed the throw and threw it away as good as I could," said Schmidt disgustedly.

Dan Driessen's sacrifice fly keyed a two-run first inning for Cincinnati. The Phillies tied it in the bottom of the inning on consecutive homers by Schmidt and Greg Luzinski, the first of two for him. Both are now tied for the National League lead with 10 homers.

Philadelphia took a 4-2 lead with a two-run second keyed by Manny Trillo's RBI triple. The Reds tied it in the third as Junior Kennedy doubled and scored on Ken Griffey's single Griffey eventually scored on a groundout.

The Phillies, however, moved in front again when Bake McBride, hitting in the 14th of his last 15 games, led off the third with a line drive home run.

Cincinnati added what turned out to be the winning run in the seventh on Foster's RBI single, which knocked out Ruthven. Luzinski's eighth-inning homer, off Mario Soto, made it a one-run ballgame.

Countdown Continues Toward Strike

NEW YORK (AP) - On the eve of a final effort to avert a player strike. the two sides in the baseball contract dispute huddled separately Tuesday, assembling final strategies.

Federal Mediator Kenneth Moffett has ordered management and the players back to the bargaining table today, hoping that two days apart will produce some changes in their philosophies.

That's what we need at this point," Moffett said when he recessed the talks Sunday.

Since then, Marvin Miller, executive director of the players association, has been busy plotting strike logistics with team player representatives. Miller has been on the phone almost constantly, preparing the players with final instructions.

Meanwhile, Ray Grebey, chief negotiator for management, talked with owners. updating them on developments and getting their feelings about the final round of talks. Grebey said management remains united in its position.

The central issue separating the two sides is the owners' demand for compensation for free agents signing with new teams. The players fear that would place severe restrictions on their freedom of movement.

Management has insisted throughout that the players should continue negotiating instead of striking but Miller's people have steadfastly refused to stop the clock, holding to the May 22 deadline which they agreed upon seven weeks ago at an executive board meeting in Dallas.

Grebey also met Monday and Tuesday with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who has stayed out of the spotlight in the negotiations until now.

Several clubs will be on the road at the midnight Thursday deadline and one team, the San Diego Padres, has threatened not to allow players club charter back west unless they buy tickets in advance.

Most players seem convinced that a strike cannot be avoided. Mark Belanger of the Baltimore Orioles, alternate American League player rep, said he would meet with his teammates today. “Everybody should know the whys." he said. "It's not a question of unity, it's understanding the whys.”

Larry Bowa, player rep of the Philadelphia Phillies, said. "It looks inevitable. don't see any light at the end of the tunnel, unless it's a locomotive coming our way.”

George Brett, all-star third baseman of the Kansas City Royals, said he felt the players would stick together on the strike issue.

"I can't imagine anybody coming back and saying to the owners he didn't want to strike anymore," he said. "Anybody who does that is going to spend the rest of his career in the dirt, ducking pitches thrown at his head."

The Atlanta Braves, who left for a road trip Monday, distributed meal money to the players lasting only through Thursday. Teams routinely pay per diem road expenses all at once, but the Braves were taking no chances.

Player representative Phil Niekro tried to inject some cheerfulness in the otherwise bleak picture.

"I think something will be resolved,” he said. "I also think the Atlanta Braves will win the pennant.”

Change Needed In Philosophies

NEW YORK (AP) – With the strike countdown reduced to hours instead of weeks or days, federal mediator Kenneth Moffett hoped negotiators in the continuing baseball contract dispute would return to the bargaining table today prepared to hammer out an agreement.

“What is needed is a change in philosophies, by one side or the other,” Moffett said Sunday when he ordered a two-day recess in the talks.  He said the climate of the negotiations had become highly charged and it was his feeling that the two sides needed some time away from each other.

Marvin Miller, executive director of the players association, and Ray Grebey, chief negotiator for management, spent Monday and Tuesday in almost constant communication with their constituencies.  Miller discusses strike logistics with the players while Grebey conferred with owners, updating them on the situation.

Still on the table were proposals covering a broad range of topics in the basic agreement such as pensions, minimum salaries, salary arbitration, scheduling, expenses, etc.  Agreement seemed attainable on most of those subjects last week, but the talks broke down with two sides remaining far apart on the major issue of compensation for free agents.

The compensation question involves the demand of owners that replacement players be made available from the rosters of teams signing “premium” free agents.  The players feel that such a system would restrict their movement and eventually eliminate the free agent system entirely.

While the collective bargaining agreement does not include player salaries, which are negotiated by the players individually, Miller and his union feel that the compensation clause sought by management is basically a money issue.

“The compensation question has been blown up in the wrong direction,” Miller said.  “What the owners are trying to do is drive down salaries.  It’s like three-card monte, you eye follows the wrong card.

Collins Keys Reds Past Phils, 7-6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – It seems Dave Collins, who figured prominently in the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-6 victory Tuesday night over the Philadelphia Phillies, just needed an opportunity.

The Reds obtained him from the Seattle Mariners in December, 1977.  In his first full season at Cincinnati, Collins hit .216, nothing to make the Reds’ front office think they had pulled off a trading coup.

A year later, however, Collins made the Reds’ brass look very smart.  They apparently had acquired a fine outfielder for a relief pitcher, Shane Rawley.

First, George Foster got hurt, and Collins filled in for him.  When Foster got back, Ken Griffey went on the disabled list.  Collins moved to right field.  All he did was hit .318, and play fine defense as the Reds won the National League West.

Apparently it was no fluke, because Collins, now Cincinnati’s regular center fielder, is hitting .324.  He extended his hitting streak through 15 games Tuesday night with a sixth inning single that drove in two runs and gave the Reds a 6-5 lead they never lost.

Collins now has 23 hits in his last 65 at bats for a .353 average over the 15 game period.

Collins said he tried hard not to think of the streak.

“You know it’s there, but you try to be consistent, everyday, streak or no streak,” Collins said.  “You try not to make it a priority.  The No. 1 objective is to win.”

Collins said his key sixth-inning hit came on a no ball, two strike pitch that just happened to get out over the plate.

“I got my bat into the right spot at the right time,” he said describing the line drive to center that sent home two unearned runs.

Collins said he attributes a lot of his success to former teammate Pete Rose, now the Phillies’ first baseman.

“Rose has been a real inspiration,” said the 27-year-old Collins from La Palma, Calif.  “I saw how hard he worked and I guess it rubbed off on me.  He plays as hard as he can and so do I, so I think some of my success is due to Pete.”

Collins said he never had any doubt that once he became an everyday player he could produce.

“I hit both ways, my speed in the outfield is an asset, and I can play first base,” Collins said.

This was a typical Reds-Phillies game, and it was a shame that an error by Golden Glove third baseman Mike Schmidt turned it around.  Schmidt usually eats up the type of ground ball on which he made his error with two outs that opened the way for those two runs.

“I just couldn’t get it out of my glove, and my hand was sticky,” said Schmidt, who threw the ball widely past Rose.

The game was played in a fine rain from the third inning on, which apparently made the ball slick and Schmidt’s throwing hand wet.

“I rushed the throw and really threw it away as good as I could,” said Schmidt dejectedly.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the first off loser Dick Ruthven (4-3).  Collins walking and scoring on a fielder’s choice, and Dan Driessen driving in the other on a sacrifice fly.

Consecutive home runs by Schmidt and Luzinski, a league leading 10^th for both, tied it in the bottom of the inning.  The Phillies went ahead 4-2 in the second, on a Garry Maddox double, sacrifice bunt, Manny Trillo’s triple and a squeeze bunt by Ruthven.

The Reds tied it in the third as Ken Griffey singled home Junior Kennedy, who had four hits for the second time in four games, and Griffey eventually scored on two infield outs.

Bake McBride led off the Phillies’ third with his second homer of the season and it was 5-4.  That lasted until Collins’ two-run single in the sixth.  The Reds added what turned out to be the winning run in the seventh on an RBI single by Foster.

Luzinski hit a home run in the Phillies’ eighth, but it was too little as reliever Paul Moscau earned his first victory with a save by Doug Blair.

The two home runs by Luzinski were the 17^th time in his career he has hit a pair in a game.  The four homers by the Phillies are a season high for one game.  Trillo’s triple tied him with nine others, including teammate Del Unser for the National League lead in that department.

Shortstop Larry Bowa left the game in the seventh with a strained left side.  It will be Tom Seaver vs. Larry Christenson in tonight’s finale of the three-game series.