Schmidt, Maddox ‘Blow Away’ Cubs

Philadelphia 7, Chicago 3

By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer

CHJICAGO — “Oh, no,” said relief pitcher Dickie Noles without turning his eyes to watch a long drive in the eighth inning with a man on by Cubs' Cliff Johnson.

"I didn't think so when it left the bat because Noles got the ball far enough inside. But you can never know in park when the wind is blowing out," Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green said after the Phils had battled to a 7-3 victory to stay one and a half games behind Montreal in the National League East race.

Noles and Green were discussing a drive by pinch hitter Johnson with Tim Blackwell on first base and one man out in the eighth and Phils clinging to a 5-3 lead.

The wind blowing out toward left had already given extra impetus to home runs by Mike Schmidt and Garry Maddox of the Phils along with the Cubs' Dave Kingman.

When Johnson's ball went off the bat, it seemed certain the Phils were in a tie game. However, Johnson got under the ball too much and center fielder Maddox was able to track it down with his back against the ivy.

Keeping that ball in this park, which can be filled with horrors for pitchers when the wind is blowing out, and two earlier double plays turned by shortstop Ramon Aviles and second baseman Manny Trillo were major reasons the Phils were able to escape a second straight defeat.

Leadoff hitter Pete Rose began the game by grounding a double over third base off starter Lynn McGlothen. Bake McBride walked to bring Schmidt to the batter's box.

Schmidt, leading the Majors with 40 homers, likes to bat at Wrigley Field.

"People keep telling me how many home runs I would hit if I would play half of my games here," Schmidt said. "I'm with a contender and I'm happy with my situation. I'm not planning any changes, at least not on my own."

Schmidt has hit seven of his 40 homers at Wrigley Field in eight games. He has 29 career homers here.

Back-to-back doubles by Trillo and Aviles made it 4-0 in the second inning. Trillo stroked his way out of a long slump with a double and two singles.

"I was ready to try anything, even grow a moustache," Trillo said. "I felt my stroke coming back gradually. Today, I was loose up there and the ball found open spaces. Now if I can string a lot of hits together, I can help us when it really counts."

Rookie right- Marty Bystrom, now 3-0, after pitching tough until the sixth inning, made his first mistake in the fourth inning. After Bill Buckner, still in a battle for the National League batting crown, slapped a single, Kingman followed with his 18th homer.

Singles by Jim Tracy, Blackwell and Steve Dillard made it a 4-3 game in the top of the sixth inning and left the Cubs with runners at the corners with only one out. That's when Green lifted Bystrom in favor of Kevin Saucier to pitch to left-handed swinging pinch hitter Larry Biittner.

That's also when Aviles and Trillo bailed out the Phils for the first time with 1 a snappy doubleplay.

"You have to be thinking doubleplay with the tying run on third. No way we could just play it safe for one out," said Aviles, who has played very strong shortstop the last two days in place of the injured Larry Bowa.

Maddox made it a 5-3 game with his 10th homer with no one on in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Phils were back in trouble in the seventh, which Ivan DeJesus began with a single. Saucier hit Jesus Figueroa. That brought Buckner and his .322 average to the plate. Green stuck with Saucier and it paid off: Buckner hit a medium sharp ball to Trillo, who started the second decisive twin-killing.

"Ramon and Manny were the big story today. if they don't pull off those two tough plays, I would be a lot more worried now then I am," Green said.

The Phils got the final two runs in the top of the ninth. Trillo singled and was sacrificed to second by Aviles. George Vukovich, batting for Noles, walked and was replaced by pinch runner Jay Loviglio. Rose singled to center, scoring one run. When center fielder Figueroa dropped the ball after he picked it up, Loviglio also raced home.

Tug McGraw retired he Cubs in order in the bottom of the ninth.

It will be Dick Ruthven, 15-10, against Chicago's Jim Lamp, 10-11, as the conclude their Wrigley Field business today at 1:20 (2:20 EDT). They are now even here 4-4.