Chicago Daily Herald - October 4, 1980
Phillies 1 Win From East Title
by The Associated Press
MONTREAL (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies weren't ready to open any champagne bottles Friday night after beating the Montreal Expos 2-1 to take a one-game lead in their showdown series for the National League East title.
"There's a lot of good baseball still to be played," a somber Mike Schmidt said after knocking in both Philadelphia runs with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a homer in the sixth.
"There's still all that pressure. I have to admit I was nervous. The Expos say they are relaxed, but not me. But I like to be nervous. When the butterflies stop jumping in my stomach and the adrenalin stops pumping, I'd better get out of this game."
Schmidt refused to wear the hero's mantle. He pointed to relievers Sparky Lyle and especially Tug McGraw, who pitched the last two innings.
"THESE GUYS made the difference. Sparky (Lyle) got out of a jam and I never saw a guy (McGraw) catch so many hitters looking at fastballs."
McGraw said he used his screwball a lot in the eighth inning but that in the ninth he just "showed" it to them.
"I set them up with the fastball because I felt they were sitting on the screwball. I tried to out-guess them and things went my way."
Montreal Manager Dick Williams said, "they did a job on us "Give the pitchers credit. (Dick) Ruthven pitched tough and Lyle and McGraw shut us down. We had a couple of opportunities but weren't able to do it"
Schmidt's 16th game-winning RBI of the season gave Philadelphia the jump in this three-game weekend series between the Phillies and the Expos, who started the series tied for first. The teams have single games today (WMAQ-TV, channel 5, 1 p.m.) and Sunday .
Right-hander Dick Ruthven, 17-10, pitched 5-2/3 innings and gave up the Expos' only run before veteran lefthanders Lyle and Tug McGraw relieved. Lyle worked 1-1/3 innings, while McGraw worked the final two to earn his 20th save of the season.
THE PHILLIES took a 1-0 lead in the first when Pete Rose led off with a single and Bake McBride followed with a double against Scott Sanderson, a Northbrook native. Schmidt then drove a fly ball to right for the sacrifice fly, scoring Rose, against Sanderson, 16-11.
With one out in the sixth, Schmidt lined one over the left field fence for his 47th homer and 119th RBI of the season The blow tied the major league record for home runs by a third baseman set by Eddie Mathews of the Milwaukee Braves in 1957.
The Expos scored in the sixth. Jerry White opened with a double, Rodney Scott walked and Rowland Office sacrificed the runners along. Andre Dawson then lofted a sacrifice fly to center. Warren Cromartie was intentionally walked and Lyle replaced Ruthven and got Larry Parrish to hit into a force play to end the threat.
Lyle, who was acquired by the Phillies from the Texas Rangers Sept. 13, needed relief help himself in the eighth from McGraw. McGraw struck out five of six batters he faced.