Reading Eagle - September 25, 1980
Rose Shakes Slump With Key Hit in 10th
By Associated Press
The end of an 0-for-15 slump by Pete Rose had the Philadelphia Phillies smelling like a rose Wednesday night.
Rose, in what he said was his worst slump since he was 0-for-22 four years ago in Cincinnati, bounced a single up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets. The victory kept Philadelphia only one-half game behind the first-place Montreal Expos in the National League East.
“Before the game, I came in an got a heavier bat,” said Rose. “It makes you wait longer. A light bat makes you swing too quick, especially if the pitcher is throwing changeups.”
Although New York has the second-worst record in the league, Rose said he would rather be playing the Expos or Pirates than a team like the Mets.
“I don’t like to play non-contenders this time of year,” he said. “They’re loose, they’re experimenting. I’d rather play teams battling for the championship.
Rose’s game-winning hit came after pinch hitter Del Unser singled to open the 10th and pinch runner Jay Loviglio went to second on pinch-hitter Tim McCarver’s sacrifice.
Some believed it was just a gimmick for Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green to take the 38-year-old McCarver out of the broadcast booth this month so that he could become one of the few players in baseball history to play in four different decades.
“That’s exactly what Tim McCarver can do for a team,” said Green of the substitute catcher’s bunt. “You need a bunt and he gives it to you. It’s not as easy to bunt as it looks.”
Another oldtimer, Tug McGraw, 36, won his third game in seven decisions with two innings of shutout relief.
Despite his modest won-loss record, McGraw has 18 saves and all three of his victories since coming off the disabled list July 17. He has allowed only three runs in his last 41 innings.
Ed Lynch, making only his third major league start, held the Phillies to two hits for seven innings before Neil Allen, 7-9, worked the eighth and ninth and suffered the loss in the 10th. Larry Christenson, who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 6 because of a groin muscle pull, allowed four hits through eight innings before McGraw came in.