Atlantic City Press - May 28, 1980
Phils Fall to Pirates 3-2 in 13th Without Rematch
By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA — All was quiet on the Vet Stadium front Tuesday night. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies were content to play baseball without any ‘brawl-ball’. They gave 35,489 fans 13 innings worth before an unfortunate happening helped the Bucs to a run in the top of the 13th and a 3-2 victory that pushed them back into the lead of National League East.
Bill Madlock began the 13th by rapping a hard ground ball off relief pitcher Dickie Noles' glove. The young right-hander lost sight of the ball at first. When he located it behind him and went to pick it up it slipped out of his hand. The official scorer ruled it a hit.
Lee Lacy dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt and sent Madlock to second. Noles fanned Phil Garner for the second out. When Ed Ott pinch-hit for Steve Nocosia, Phils’ Manager Dallas Green decided to give him an intentional walk. That brought Mike Easier up to hit for relief pitcher Enrique Romo.
“I figure in a situation like that, I’d rather pitch to a young player than to a veteran like Ott, who nas killed our club in the past,” Green said.
This time Easier killed the Phils in the present by grounding a hard single past first baseman Pete Rose into right field. George Vukovich, who had replaced starter Bake McBride in the 11th inning, charged the ball as hard as he could and tried to nail Madlock at the plate. But his throw arrived late to catcher Bob Boone and the decisive run was across.
The third Pirate pitcher, Kent Tekulve, who had been mauled by the Phils for two runs in the ninth inning Monday night as the home team pulled out a 7-6 victory, this time retired three straight batters in the bottom of the 13th. The slim right-handerr picked up nis sixth save and secured Romo's third victory in as many decisions.
The game started out as a duel between southpaw Steve Carlton for Philadelphia and right-hander Jim Bibby. The Pirates, now a game in front of the Phils again, picked up a pair of tainted runs off Carlton.
In the first inning, shortstop Larry Bowa made a throwing error and allowed Tim Foli to reach first base with one man out. After Bill Robinson walked with two Pirates out, Madlock singled to left, allowing Foli to score an unearned run.
A controversial play helped the Bucs to their second run in the fourth inning. Lacy, who had been thumbed out of Monday’s game during the sixth-inning brawl, lined a one-out triple of the left field fence. Phil Gamer was given an intentional walk to try and set up a double play.
The strategy appeared to be working when Nicosia hit a sharp ground ball to Mike Schmidt at third base. His throw to second wiped out Garner. But Phil slid into the base with his hands in the air and second baseman Manny Trillo’s relay hit his hand and bounced wildly to first base as Lacy scored.
“To us, it was an obvious obstruction play,” Green said. “But the umpire (red Brocklander) said the hands were not up high enough to obstruct the throw. But that is not what beat us. They caught a lucky break at the end when Dickie could not find the ball and Madlock made first base.”
Just as they had the night before, the Phillies provided ninth-inning drama. Bake McBride drew a one-out walk.
“I had him struck out and the umpire (Andy Olsen) took it away from me,” the still-steaming Bibby said after the game.
Then after Bibby disputed a ball one call on Schmidt, Mike stroked the next pitch over the left field barrier for his 13th homer and tied the game.