Ruthven beats Mets, wins 15th

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

NEW YORK – Phillies' righthander Dick Ruthven is a pitching chameleon, an ever-changing, always-adapting athlete with the capacity to win with whatever his arm happens to have on that particular day.

"That's my game. And, almost all my wins have been the result of my adjusting on the mound," said Ruthven last night after picking up his 15th victory of the season with a 5-1 decision over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

Don't let the final score fool you. It was a 2-1 game, with Ruthven protecting his slim lead all the way to the ninth inning.

THAT'S WHEN Manager Dallas Green, on a move-making hot streak of his own, pinchhit for his starting pitcher and watched as his club rallied for three runs that would insure the Phils of keeping pace with the division-leading Montreal Expos.

"I had great stuff warming up," said Ruthven, who is still gaining strength in his arm, which was operated on at the end of last season.

"But, when I got out there, my breaking ball wasn't doing anything."

Ruthven scrambled and scuffled out of one jam after another. He got some breathing room when Mike Schmidt blasted his 38th home run of the season off Ray Burris in the fourth inning.

STILL, HE knew he was in trouble.

"We had to ash-can the breaking ball and go with the fastball," explained Ruthven, who chalked up five of his eight strikeouts while putting down rallies in the third and fourth innings.

"The Mets were waiting on my fastball," he said. "They knew it was coming, but I had a good one. It was high, but it was moving."

A walk to Wally Backman, singles by Bill Almon and Mookie Wilson and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joel Youngblood knotted the score at 1-1 in the fifth inning.

AGAIN RUTHVEN adjusted. This time, he began "cutting" his fastball, turning his wrist at the instant of release in order to make it sail.

"I used that as my breaking ball and mixed it with my regular fastball," he explained.

The suffering New Yorkers, who have been beaten eight straight times by the Phils at Shea Stadium, got only two hits the rest of the way in losing for the 12th straight game.

"I really didn't get my act together until the eighth inning. That was the best inning I pitched all night," Ruthven said.

BY THEN, he had a 2-1 lead as a result of a sixth-inning rally that was instigated by Ruthven's double to right field. He moved to third on Pete Rose’s single and scored as Bake McBride provided yet another winning run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

It was truly a night when the Mets could have gotten themselves a victory despite the fact that they began the evening with a clubhouse scuffle between shortstop Frank Taveras and coach Joe Pignatano. The lineup card, when Pignatano posted it (and didn't include Taveras), was torn into pieces by the infielder, starting the altercation.

Duly fired up, the Mets broke a chain of 24 scoreless innings with their fifth-inning run before running smack into Ruthven's quick change act.

"We kept thinking we were going to get to him," said Met Manager Joe Torre. "But, then we looked up and it was the ninth inning."

THAT'S WHEN Green came up with a little sleight of hand on his own.

"Ruthven could have finished up," said Dallas, "but, when Garry Maddox doubled and Bob Boone walked (with two away), I decided to get the runs."

Now, that's confidence.

Pinchhitter Del Unser smacked a run-producing double that bounced over the fence in right-center field. Then Del and Boone scored on Rose's single.

"JUST LIKE that," said Green, snapping his fingers and laughing.

"That's when I put Unser up there. I knew he was going to get a hit." Ruthven, who had some problems with the mound throughout the evening, thought Green's decision was just right.

"He has got to make that move, with the way Tug McGraw has been pitching out of the bullpen and the chance we had to add some insurance runs."

McGRAW BLANKED the Mets in the ninth, thanks in part to a dandy shoetop catch by right fielder McBride.

"I'll tell you one thing," said Ruthven. "It's sure nice to be here (pitching) in September. It beats the hell out of what I was doing last year at this time."

Ruthven's season and possibly his career was in trouble at this time last year. Yet, he has managed to become a major factor in the 1980 season despite having "nothing at all" in the first few months of the year.

"I'm not satisfied yet," he said. "But, I'm proud of my consistency."

What he has been is constantly changing. Ruthven knows not only how to survive. He knows how to win.

Tonight, Nino Espinosa will be the Phils' pitcher instead of Randy Lerch, because Nino has had better success against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bob Walk will hurl the other half of the Veterans Stadium doubleheader, which starts at 5:35 p.m.

Phillies Beat Up on Mets To Keep Pace in NL East

Philadelphia 5, New York 1

By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer

NEW YORK ­—­ It’s perfect material for a TV commercial. "What's good for a team struggling to win a division title?" The New York Mets, that's what.

The Philadelphia Phillies completed a two-game sweep of the Mets 5-1 Thursday night and beat them for the eighth straight time here at Shea Stadium. If you consider the fact the Mets have now lost 12 straight games to anyone and everyone, it's not a great accomplishment.

But you take what you can get with the games in September dwindling down to a precious few. Last night the Phils got another sturdy job from starting pitcher Dick Ruthven, who improved his record to 15-9. It's only the second time in his career the rig has won as many as 15 games. He wound up 15-11 with the Phils in 1978.

Ruthven pitched eight strong innings while spacing eight hits. It was a very eightsy night for him, since he also struck out eight while walking only two. Although Ruthven was still going strong after eight innings, he did not get pitch the ninth since manager Dallas Green chose to go to pinch-hitter Del Unser in the top of the ninth when the Phils had a pair of runners in scoring position.

Green has not made many bad moves in September. This one helped stoke a three-run inning when Unser drove one man home with a ground-rule double.

"Dick was going fine and still felt strong, but I decided we'd be a little more comfortable with another run or two on the scoreboard. (Juan) Berenguer is the kind of fast-ball pitcher Del likes to hit against," Green explained.

Although he hit the first batter, Hubie Brooks, and then allowed a one-out single to Bill Almond, Tug McGraw locked up the Phils' fourth straight victory. He got pinch-hitter Elliott Maddox on a fly ball and Mookie Wilson on a fielder's choice. It wasn't a save for Tug, but it was important enough to send the Phils home still only a ½ game behind Montreal and three games in front of Pittsburgh in National League East.

Mike Schmidt put the visitors on top with his 38th homer off starter Ray Burris with two Phils out and no one on base in the fourth inning. It was the 101st run-batted-in for Schmidt and improved his lead in the National League home run derby.

The Mets, scoring their first run in 24 innings, tied it at 1-1 in the fifth on singles by Almond and Wilson, backed up by Joel Youngblood's sacrifice fly.

Ruthven offered his own comfort and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. He dropped a one -out double over first base. Pete Rose singled him to third and Bake McBride got the pitcher home with a sacrifice fly. It 1 was 76th RBI for McBride, who continues to be one of the club's most consistent players in every phase of the game.

Burris, who suffered his 11th set-back against seven victories, allowed only three hits and two runs in the seven innings he worked. However, the Phils took over the game for certain with their three runs off right-hander Berenguer in the ninth.

Garry Maddox ignited the big move with a one-out double to deepest right-center. He stayed at second as Larry Bowa bounced back to the box for the second out. When Bob Boone was given an intentional walk, Green decided to lift Ruthven in favor of Unser.

Del rewarded his manager's confidence with a solid shot that bounced over the centerfield barrier, scoring Maddox and sending Boone to third. Rose then came through with his second single of the night, this one driving home two runs. The victory pushed the Phils over .500 on the road at 36-35. They come home to play a twi-nighter tonight against St. Louis starting at 5:30.

Green Whipped, Threatened and Rode Phils ‘Pat Hand’ into Race

Tales of Hoffman by Harry Hoffman

NEW YORK — A year ago, the Phillies were 13 games out of first place. Danny Ozark, despite his plea for one more shot, had been sent home to Florida where he could help his son build a house.

Owner Ruly Carpenter and General Manager Paul Owens, meanwhile, turned over the rebuilding chores in their own house over their big, vociferous farm system director, Dallas Green.

Green, a one-time Phils pitcher, was a good farm director who had a tremendous rapport with young players. Now it was time to find out how well his abrasive personality would fit into the country club atmosphere the quiet Ozark had allowed to build in the Phils' locker room.

Carpenter and Owens wanted Green to slice away the nonchalant attitude, and light a fire under the Phillies' butts.

"That last month I just tried to evaluate the talent on the club and find out if we had over estimated their ability," Green said a year later, before Thursday night's game with the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

"We all came out of 1979 feeling this club was still good enough to win the National League crown as long as we brought in a few young players to help push some of the veterans. Ruly, Paul and I agreed we did not need a major face-lifting, even though we had finished far back last year.”

Right now, the Phils are in a three-way battle for the National East crown with only 22 games to play. Perhaps a major reason they have bounced back is that Green worked hard to avoid that face-lift.

Owens, who will probably step down as GM at the end of this season, was deal some of the Phillies' young talent to secure the pitcher or pitchers felt + the team needed to win. The Pope obviously wanted to go out on top.

However, each time Owens brought up the names of outfielder Lonnie Smith or catcher Keith Moreland in trade negotiations, Green bellowed a firm, 'NO!'

"I figured those two players were the backbone of our future, but also were ready to be an important part of our present,' 18 Green said. "I knew what they could do. The players we might get for them would be question marks."

Even in a part-time role, Smith and Moreland have been among the most consistent swingers on the entire squad. In addition, Smith's speed has been a major prong of the attack. The rookie has scored 64 runs, third on the team, despite playing only half of the club's games.

There is a difference of opinion about 1 how much Green's noisy approach to managing has altered the veterans' attitudes toward the game and the team. However, most observers agree, he has kept them alive by staying on top of them in the clubhouse and on the field. Green also has used Smith, Moreland, pitcher Bob Walk and even infielder Ramon Aviles to threaten the regulars' job security.

The manager definitely has not worried about being loved or even liked by his players. But he has tried darn hard to win ball games and keep his club in the race. This late into the season, he has succeeded on both major counts.

"Each game is a big one from now on. You have to play as though it's the World Series. This is no time to rest or hold anything back," Green said. "It's my job to drive us to the finish on top. You can bet I'll be trying and I think that the players will be too, which all-important."

As his first semester as manger draws near its end, Green already has assured himself a B-plus. That could be scratched out real fast and an penciled in if his Phillies are looking down (from first place) at Pittsburgh and Montreal early in October.