Reading Eagle - September 2, 1980

Phillies in First

Aggressive Pep Talk Helps; Steve Carton Notches 21^st

By the Associated Press

Pete Rose might have been the man with the least to gain from a pep talk, but the words of Philadelphia Phillies general manager Paul Owens were not lost on “Charlie Hustle.”

“That pennant is there for all of us. It’s going to go to the team that goes out and gets it,” Rose said.

For the first time since July 12, the Phillies grabbed hold of first place in the National League East by rallying to beat San Francisco 6-4 Monday. The Phillies (.5348) led Montreal (.5343) by one-half percentage point, with Pittsburgh (.5338) one point back. Pittsburgh split a pair with Houston, losing the opener 10-4 and winning the nightcap 7-5. The Expos defeated San Diego 5-3.

Owens met with the club in the locker room before the game at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. “Paul told us he hates to see us play non-aggressively,” Rose said.

The Phils won the game in the eighth inning, snapping a 4-4 tie. Larry Bowa, who had four hits in the game, singles and went to second on a wild pitch by Greg Minton, 3-5. Boone brought him home with a single. An unearned run scored later in the inning on a fielding error by Giants second baseman Rennie Stennent.

Phils lefty Steve Carlton tossed a seven-hitter for his 21^st victory against only seven losses. He struck out nine to increase his season total to 241, second highest in his 15-year major league career. He struck out 310 in 1972.

“It was good for the team to hear Paul’s thoughts,” Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green said. “They’ve heard them from me all season.

“He told them he believes we’ve got a good club and are on our way to winning if we put away our individual problems and get down to playing,” Green said.

Green also said he planned to go the rest of the season with a four-man rotation – Carlton, Larry Christenson, Dick Ruthven and Bob Walk – and that he had scrapped plans to start Marty Bystrom, a rookie just called up from the minors.