Chicago Tribune - September 30, 1980

Phils overcome Cubs on Trillo’s hit in 15th

 

By Dave Nightingale, Chicago Tribune Press Service

 

PHILADELPHIA – Call it The Redemption of Garry Maddox.

 

Call it The Revenge of Manny Trillo.

 

Call it anything you want. But don't call the Philadelphia Phillies out of the 1980 National League East pennant race – no matter how bad things appear for them.

 

Aware of the first-place Montreal Expos' victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and trailing the Cubs 5-3 in the bottom of the 15th, the Phillies struck for three runs two after two were out for a 6-5 victory to remain hot on the Expos' heels.

 

Maddox, benched by Manager Dallas Green because of last Sunday's fielding peccadillos, delivered the key hit, a two-out single off Dennis Lamp, the 24th Cub participant, to tie the score. And Trillo, the ex-Cub, applied the coup de grace with a bases-loaded single up the middle to score Maddox with the winning run.

 

"IT WAS A clutch game for us," said Green, understating the obvious. "Maybe this will be the catalyst for us the rest of the way. Something has to jar us out of the zeroes we've been putting up for ourself."

 

The Cubs were valiant in defeat. Manager Joey Amalfitano pulled out all the stops with his limited collection of playing talent, and ex-Phillie Jerry Martin played like a man possessed, driving in one run with his 23d homer and setting up another with a roll block that prevented an inning-ending double play.

 

The NL East cellar-dwellers hung tough, even though:

 

•  They handed the Phillies two gift runs in the third.

 

•  They failed four times out of five to advance runners with bunts.

 

•  They lost first starting pitcher Rick Reuschel, then first baseman Bill Buckner to injury. Reuschel was hit by a Lonnie Smith liner; Buckner, the No. 3 hitter in the league with a .322 mark, pulled a groin muscle running out an infield hit.

 

And they certainly were in a position to win, after scoring two runs in a wild, wacky, and weird 15th Inning.

 

THE CUBS OPENED the inning with Lynn McGlothen – as a pinch-hitter. [The Cubs were down to Lenny Randle bad finger and reserve catcher Bill Hayes at the time and Amalfitano eventually used 24 of his 23 players in the 4-hour, 27-minute struggle.]

 

McGlothen drew a four-pitch walk from Dickie Noles, the sixth of seven Phillie pitchers, and Randle ran for McGlothen. Randle sprinted to third when Noles threw wildly on Mick Kelleher's potential double-play ground ball. Randle scored on Scot Thompson's sacrifice fly and Kellcher scored on Carlos Lezcano's double.

 

"You hate to lose a game when you walk a pitcher and blow a double-play ball with an error," said the Phillies' Pete Rose.

 

When Smith and Rose drew leadoff walks in the last of the 15th from Doug Capilla. the sixth of seven Cub pitchers, the loss was on its way to being erased. Both advanced on a wild pitch and Smith scored on Bake McBride's groundout.

 

LAMP, the scheduled Cub starter Wednesday night. relieved Capilla and retired Mike Schmidt on a popup for the second out. But Maddox, who was benched as a reprimand for failing to use his sunglasses and missing a line drive that went for a triple in Sunday's loss to Montreal, parked a line single to center to score Rose with the tying run.

 

"We couldn't have needed that hit any more at any time this season." said Green, who did not promise Maddox would return to Tuesday's starting lineup.

 

A hit by Keith Moreland and a walk to Larry Bowa loaded the bases to set the stage for Trillo – and Manny delivered. "I was relaxed all night, especially in that time at bat," said Trillo. "I know he [Lamp] throws nothing but fast balls when he's behind, and I just waited for one to hit."

 

Rose, who had three runs batted in Monday night, fired a mini-salvo at Green. Pete dodged a benching of his own because you don't put an $800,000 a year man on the pines, even if he is in a 3-for-29 slump.

 

In addition to Maddox, however, Green did bench Greg Luzinski [2-for-2] and Bob Boone [0-for-21] for Monday's game.

 

"IT'S EASY TO start pointing fingers at this time of year," Rose snapped. "You just take a guy who is 2-for-21 and make him the villain. I thought we were supposed to be judged by what we did over 162 games."