Atlantic City Press - May 4, 1980
Inspired Phillies Slide Past Dodgers
Philadelphia 7, Los Angeles 3
By Pete Wickham, Press Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA - The sores, and the doldrums of April lingered a bit, and a fresh wound to Garry Maddox sobered things a little. But it was May, it was warm and the Los Angeles Dodgers provided the inspiration needed for the Philadelphia Phillies to score a 7-3 win Saturday at Veterans Stadium.
Back-to-back home runs by Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski ignited a six-run second inning that chased Dodger starter Burt Hooton. Larry Christenson, pitching for the first time in 10 days thanks to a groin pull, pitched 6⅑i strong innings for his second straight win.
And for the first time this season, the Phils won three straight games — pulling to .500 (9-9) in the process.
However, there was some concern in the ninth inning when Dodger rookie catcher Mike Scoscia tripled into the gap in right field and Maddox pulled up lame on the warning track.
“He twisted his (right ankle) when he hit the track,” said Phils’ Manager Dallas Green after Maddox went for x-rays. “Don (Seger, the trainer) said there wasn’t too much early swelling, and that’s hopeful. But we’ll take x-rays as a precaution, and probably rest him tomorrow (Randy Lerch vs Dave Goltz in the 1:35 senes finale).”
The Phils, who had lost nine of 15 in April, shelled Hooton, whose fast ball had little inclination for running, then laid back.
The homers by Schmidt, a 1-1 fast ball to the second deck wall in left, and Luzinski, a 3-0 pitch to right center, gave them six each, and a share of the early league lead with Chicago’s Dave Kingman.
Bob Boone came right back with a triple to the gap in right center, and RBI singles by Larry Bowa, Luis Aguayo and Bake McBride chased Hooton, 2-2. Maddox then greeted reliever Bob Castillo with his first run-scoring fly ball of the afternoon.
It was the fourth six-run inning this year for the Phils and while it was tonic for the 35,011 fans at the Vet, it wasn’t exactly music to Schmidt.
“That (homer) was the one good swing I had all day,” said Schmidt, who later walked and grounded out twice. “Lately I've gotten just one good swing a game. Today we put together our hits in one good inning, and L.C. put together a good job and that told the tale. But it’s not consistent.
“The law of averages finally caught up, I guess,” said Schmidt about his club's back-to-back wins over L.A. “We had, what, 19 hits in 100 at-bats during the last week? It had to change. And when you play the Dodgers (who came in here with a 10-game win string), you know you’re playing a great team. There’s no question you have to play them up, and without mistakes.”
Christenson certainly didn't have too many mistakes. Through four innings, he pitched no-hit ball and his fast ball had its best velocity of the season.
“I felt a little twinge in the muscle when I was loosening up, so I stayed pretty careful," Christenson said. “But it warmed up pretty good and I felt loose.”
In the fourth inning, the tender area got a severe jolt when Christenson lined a sure double up the left field line He trotted to first (and was booed for his trouble), but Rose followed with a double to right-center, and Christenson had to leg it a bit to third. He then scored on a sacrifice fly to Maddox, and got tapped for an infield hit by Cey in the fifth.
“We told Larry to take it easy, but you know pitchers, put a bat in their hands and they think they’re the greatest hitters going,” ex-pitcher Green said laughing. “But we were satisfied with just about everything Larry threw. He just got tired.”
In the seventh, the Dodgers loaded the bases on one-out singles to Cey and Bill Russell and a walk to Scioscia. Pinch hitter Gary Thomasson drove in one run on a fielder's choice, and a walk to Davey Lopes brought out Green with the hook.
But the Dodgers scored just one more run in the seventh on an infield nubber by Rudv Law. And after a single by Lopes scored Scoscia from third in the ninth, LaGrow’s sinker got Law to hit into a double play to end the game.