Phils prevail over Giants

Moreland delivers winner in 13^th

By Hal Bodley, Gannett News Service

SAN FRANCISCO – The Phillies walked a first-place tight rope in cold foggy Candlestick Park last night and even though they wavered at times, they never fell.

The Phils pulled out a tense 2-1, 13-inning victory over San Francisco that kept them in first place in the National League East by less than a percentage point over second-place Montreal.

The Expos defeated San Diego 2-1 much earlier in the evening, while idle Pittsburgh fell a half-game back.

MANNY TRILLO'S double, a sacrifice bunt by Larry Bowa and a sacrifice fly by Keith Moreland produced the winning run after the Giants repeatedly had the Phils on the ropes.

Reliever Ron Reed, who has been ineffective of late, pitched out of a 12th-inning jam, then put the Giants down in the 13th to record his seventh victory compared to four defeats.

The marathon started with Vida Blue and Larry Christenson turning in superb efforts. Blue, who gave up the Phils' unearned run in the ninth, allowed just two hits over 10 innings.

Christenson, who injured his groin in the fourth inning, allowed just one hit over eight.

WARREN BRUSSTAR turned in a brilliant relief effort before giving way to Reed.

"It took some grinding tonight and we had it," said Phils Manager Dallas Green, his hands trembling. "You saw a lot of character I have been talking about out there tonight. That was a very important victory.

"Brusstar was superb and I couldn't be happier. He came in and got an important double play, then pitched out of that big jam. His sinkerball was outstanding, just outstanding. That's exactly what we needed."

"I feel as good right now as I did before the injury," said Brusstar, who did not pitch much at all last year because of a shoulder ailment. "Tonight did a lot for my confidence. Once I loaded the bases, I just tried to relax and get them to hit ground balls. There was nothing else I could do. I had to keep in mind, too, the condition of the infield. It's the worst in the National League. My ball was tailing off a lot and I felt if I get the first out with bases-loaded, I had a chance."

"BRU SET THE tempo for the whole night," said Reed. "His pitching made what I did possible. But the victory is an important one for me because I have not been pitching well. It was very important."

"You have to give Christenson a lot of credit," said Green. "He pulled that same old groin in the fourth, but he battled it after we wrapped it. He gave us a fine performance."

Trillo, who turned what appeared to be a single into a double, said once he saw the ball bounce on the wet turf, he never hesitated.

"I was going all the way,'" said Trillo. "I didn't think he had a chance to get me."

While the Phillies' only base runner through eight innings was Larry Bowa, who opened the third with a single, the Giants kept mounting mini-threats.

CHRISTENSON retired the first seven batters in a row before Joe Pettini singled to center. Blue, up to bunt, was hit in the back by Christenson's throw on the sacrifice and was ruled out for interference.

In the fourth, with one down, Terry Whitfield hit a bouncer to Rose, who was playing on the grass behind first base. He underhanded the throw to Christenson covering and it was here the pitcher appeared to pull a groin muscle.

Trainer Don Seger examined Christenson and he remained in the game.

Mike Ivie followed with a walk, but Darrell Evans grounded out to end the threat.

IN THE fifth, Milt May was safe on Trillo's error, but Christenson got the next three batters.

He one-two-threed them in the sixth, but dug a hole for himself in the seventh when he walked leadoff batter Ivie on four pitches. He was sacrificed to second by Evans and May was walked intentionally. Rennie Stennett flied out to right and Pettini grounded out to shortstop on a 3-2 pitch.

Blue had retired 13 Phils in a row when Boone led off the ninth, hitting a chopper to Evans at third. Evans bobbled the ball and Boone slid safely into first base.

GREEN IMMEDIATELY went to his new crop of rookies, sending the speedy Jay Loviglio in to run for Boone and Ramon Aviles up to bat for Christenson. Aviles put down a perfect bunt, Loviglio stopping at second.

Lonnie Smith then drilled a single to left with Loviglio easily scoring. Smith took second on the throw before Rose grounded out and Bake McBride flied to right. Tug McGraw took over for Christenson and got pinch-hitter Jim Wohlford on a fly to right before Ivie singled over Mike Schmidt's head at third.

Johnnie LeMaster was sent in to run for Ivie, with Evans the batter. The count went 3-2 on the third baseman and after he fouled off a pitch, McGraw walked him. Up came the dangerous May, lefthander vs. lefthander. The first pitch was a ball. May sent the next delivery to right, LeMaster scoring and Evans racing to third.

McGRAW WAS replaced by sinkerball specialist Brusstar and the Giants sent Mike Sadek into run for May.

Stennett, whose two errors on Monday helped the Phil turn back the Giants was the batter. Stennett grounded to Trillo and he quickly turned it into an inning-ending double play.

Brusstar turned in a scary, but fantastic 11^th inning.

After loading the bases with nobody out, Brusstar wiggled out of the game and looked every bit as good as he did when he was a middle-innings gunfighter in 1977 and ‘78.

THE GIANTS threw a scare into the Phils in the 11^th when Wohlford opened with a sharp single to right. Brusstar then walked LeMaster, putting runners on first and second for Evans. Evans, a lefthander against righthander Brusstar, dropped a bunt down the third base line. Brusstar fielded it, hesitated a moment thinking of going to third, then was too late to get the runner going to first.

With the base loaded, Sadek hit a chopper that Bowa rifled to the plate for the first out. Stennett then hit a bouncer back to the mound that Brusstar easily threw to the plate for another force.

Up came pinch-hitter, Joe Strain, batting for Pettini. Strain took a ball then fouled off a pitch, Brusstar's next pitch was low and outside. Strain looked at a third ball, and the crowd began to scream. The 3-1 pitch was down the middle of the plate.

Now, it came down to Bru's 3-2 delivery. Three pitches were fouled off before Strain grounded out to end the threat.

EXTRA POINTS – Catcher Ozzie Virgil, outfielder Bob Dernier and pitcher Mark Davis, all from the Reading Phillies, reported after last night's game... Also reporting were pitcher Dan Larson, who cleared waivers... Reading was eliminated by Waterbury in the Eastern League playoffs... The Phils wind up their season series here tonight, with Dick Ruthven facing Allen Ripley... The Phils leave immediately after the game for Los Angeles and a four-game set with the Dodgers.

Trillo Double Sets Up Phils Win Over Giants

Philadelphia 2, San Fran. 1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Manny Trillo led off the 13th inning with a double and later scored on Keith Moreland's sacrifice fly to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night.

The Phils stayed even with the Montreal Expos, who had temporarily taken over sole possession of first place in the National League East race as Andre Dawson scored one run and drove in another and rookie right-hander Charlie Lea hurled seven innings of four-hit ball, leading the Expos to a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Lea, the Montreal starter, remained undefeated (3-0) against the Padres, getting strong help in eighth relief from Woodie Fryman. But the Phils won in 13 innings and remained tied with the Expos for first place. The Pirates, not playing last night, were left in second place by themselves a half game behind the two leaders.

Starters Larry Christenson of the Phillies and Vida Blue of the Giants both pitched brilliantly but were deprived of victory. Blue allowed two hits in 10 innings, Christenson one hit in eight innings.

The winner was Ron Reed, 7-4, while Al Holland, 5-3, took the loss.

After Trillo doubled to right-center field in the 13th, Larry Bowa sacrificed him to third and Moreland followed with his sacrifice fly to center.

Blue retired 18 straight batters before Bob Boone, leading off the ninth, reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Darrell Evans. A sacrifice by Ramon Aviles, pinch-hitting for Christenson, sent pinch-runner Jay Loviglio to second, and Lonnie Smith drove in the game's first run with a one-out single.

Christenson allowed only one a third-inning single by Joe Pettini. But a possible victory eluded him as reliever Tug McGraw gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Mike Ivie opened the game-tying rally with a on single and Johnnie LeMaster ran for him. Evans drew a walk and Milt May delivered a run-scoring single.

The Phillies' only hit in the first eight innings was Larry ground single up the middle leading off the third.

The Giants got a runner, Milt May, to third in the fifth on an error, a sacrifice and a groundout, but Christenson struck out Blue to end the threat.

In the Montreal game, Dawson's groundout in the fifth drove in Ron LeFlore, who had walked, stolen his 87th base and taken third on an infield hit, to snap a 1-1 tie and pin the loss on Eric Rasmussen, 3-10.

The victory was the second straight for the Expos after a five-game losing streak and was the 10 in 11 games with San Diego this year.