Atlantic City Press - May 27, 1980
After Two Battles, Philadelphia Finally Wins War
Phila. 7, Pittsburgh 6
By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Today Philadelphia Phillies own first place in the National League East. You can check it out by medium long division.
They climbed over the Pittsburgh Pirates the hard way. Not only did the Phils have to battle back from an early 6-1 deficit to gain a 7-6 victory Monday, they also had to survive a couple bench-clearing brawls in the sixth inning.
Since it ain’t hockey let’s start with the two-run ninth inning that elbowed the Phils into the lead.
Righthander Kent Tekulve was on the mound as the third and losing Pittsburgh pitcher. Mike Schmidt started the uprising with a double. Then Illinois Slim, Greg Luzinski, outlegged a high hopper to short that sent Schmidt to third. Pinch runner Lonnie Smith replaced the Bull on first.
Bob Boone made it 6-6 when he bounced a double over third that scored Schmidt and sent Smith to third. Garry Maddox drew an intentional walk to bring up Larry Bowa with the bases loaded.
Tekulve went the 3-1 to Bowa. Then Bowa hit a sharp single to rightfield, scoring Smith with the game winner.
“Once he got into a 3-1 hole he had to come to me and I was ready,” Bowa said.
“I took one to the chops by a mystery person. I really don’t like brawls like that. You can lose one of you top players for a long time if he breaks a finger or something.”
An early exchange of unpleasantries between Pirate starter Burt Blyleven and Schmidt sent the brawl into motion.
Schmidt did not like Blyleven playing chinny, chinny chin with him for the second time in the game and pointed his bat at the pitcher.
That time there were no blow struck. However, the two teams, including the coaches and managers held nothing in reserve in the sixth. By then the Phillies’ resident assassin, southpaw Kevin Saucier, was on the mound as the third Philadelphia pitcher. Blyleven came to bat after Sauce had retired the first two Pirates.
Saucier’s first pitch hit Blyleven in the ribs. He reached down, picked up the ball and started toward the mound.
Before that happened, both benches erupted like a human Mt. St. Helen.
“I think it was the coaches more than the players who got it started again,” Bowa said.
The Phils bounced back from the brawl with their bats making up for punches missed. In the seventh they made it 6-4 on a single by Pete Rose, one of his three hits, and a double by the Bull. In the eighth a single by Maddox, he also hit his third homer in the third, a stolen base and a single by Manny Trillo made it 6-5.
Ron Reed, the fifth Philly pitcher, wound up with his third win against no defeats. He retired the three Pirates he faced.
Rookie Bob Walk, making his first start since being called up from Oklahoma City, was plagued by wildness and a two-run homer by Willie Stargell in the first. Walk gave up four runs only one hit in the third before manager Dallas Green brought on Lerrin LaGrow.
The Phils got one run off Blyleven in the second off back-to-back doubles by Maddox and Bowa. Then in the third, Schmidt walked and Maddox homered to make it 6-3.
It will be the home team's ace, Steve Carlton (7-2), against Jim Bibby (5-1) tonight at 7:35.