Phils win, sweep Giants

By Hal Bodley, Gannett News Service

SAN FRANCISCO – So much for Allen Ripley and the San Francisco Giants.

The Phillies made their final trip to this cold, foggy city a successful one last night, edging the Giants, 4-3, to complete a three-game sweep in Candlestick Park.

By winning their third straight and fifth of seven in their last 11-game road trip, the Phils increased their lead in National League East to game over second-place Pittsburgh, while Montreal dropped to third, a full game back. The Pirates crushed Houston, 10-4, last night, while San Diego stunned the Expos, 4-3.

THE PHILS have now been in the top spot for three full days, the first time they have commanded the division for that long since May of 1979.

Dick Ruthven, who worked out of several jams, improved his record to 14-8, winning his fourth straight game and sixth of his last seven decisions.

Ripley entered the game with a 3-0 record over the Phillies, lasted only five innings, allowing the first three runs. The fourth, scored on a Larry Bowa suicide squeeze, was off reliever Tom Griffin.

The Giants did not make this one easy for the Phils.

RUTHVEN WAS three outs away from his third straight complete game when Joe Pettini opened the ninth with a single to left and rookie Chris Bourjos collected his first major league hit, a two-run homer over the fence in left field.

After Ruthven got Bill North to fly to center, Manager Dallas Green replaced Rufus with Tug McGraw, who got pinchhitter Larry Herndon to fly to center before Terry Whitfield lined a double to the gap in right-center.

"We didn't make it easy, but the bottom line is we won," said Green after the Phils swept the Giants in this graveyard for the first time since 1977. "A guy hit a home run we didn't expect to hit a home run. That's one of the problems you run into in September when the youngsters are brought up. He didn't hit a very good pitch, though. It was a hanging breaking ball.''

THE DANGEROUS Mike Ivie, who fouled two of McGraw's 3-2 pitches, fanned and it was over and McGraw had his 16th save.

McGraw was outstanding against Ivie.

"He got me with a scroogie," said the Giants' third baseman. "It was a helluva pitch."

"I threw it three straight times, the two he fouled off and the one he missed," said McGraw, who leaped into the air when he got the third out. "I didn't think he would be looking for it three pitches in a row. It was a good choice."

"WHEN WE got the three runs off Ripley in the second, I thought we were going to have a big night," added Green, "but they shut us down. As it turned out, the suicide squeeze won it for us. Bowa has been excellent on that play, so after he looked at a ball, I flashed the sign. I thought it was a good play in that situation.

"Ruthven had good stuff tonight, but was inconsistent. His fastball was outstanding and he had a good breaking ball, but he got himself in some trouble."

"I wasn't that good," said Ruthven. "My fastball was popping, but I had trouble with my control."

"The Phils smell a championship and are playing good aggressive baseball," said Ripley, whose record is 7-8. "They are all psyched up. I just gave up too many hits tonight, espcially on 0-2 pitches." Ripley had been a puzzle for the Phils in four previous appearances that included three starts and a 3-0 record against them. He had allowed just one earned run in 21 innings, only 15 hits and had struck out 12.

THE PHILS reversed that trend in the second inning when Manny Trillo singled and went to second on Greg Gross' infield out. Bowa beat out a chopper to Darrell Evans, but when the third baseman threw wildly to first, Trillo scored and Bowa went to second. Bob Boone's infield out allowed Bowa to take second and he raced home with the second run when Ruthven jumped on Ripley's 0-2 pitch, lining it to left for a double.

After Pete Rose was hit by a pitch. Bake McBride was safe on an infield single and Mike Schmidt, who had fanned six of his previous 10 at-bats, singled to left. Ruthven easily scored from third, but Rose was out trying to make it from second.

The Giants had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth, but Ruthven got Max Venable and Terry Whitfield to fly out.

The Phils made it 4-0 in the sixth when Trillo singled, stole second, went to third on Gross' single and scored on Bowa's suicide squeeze.

In the bottom of the inning, after getting two quick outs, Ruthven walked Milt May. Guy Sularz collected his first major league hit with a single to right and the run scored when Joe Pettini roped a single to left. Pinchhitter Jim Wohlford ended the threat with a fly to right.

PHIL UPS – The Phils have not hit a home run since Schmidt and Greg Luzinski blasted back-to-back shots off Bob Knepper on Aug. 24 at Veterans Stadium... That is a span of 10 games, two less than the club record of 12...Trillo has a six-game hitting streak and Rose has batted safely in 10 of the last 11... The Phils have a 20-14 record on grass fields... The Phils ended the season series with a 6-6 record against the Giants... They were 4-2 here and 2-4 at the Vet... The Phils flew to Los Angeles after the game where they will try to improve on their 2-0 Dodger Stadium record... Bob Walk (9-4) goes against Jerry Reuss (16-4) in tonight's opener... Steve Carlton seeks his 22nd victory tomorrow night against Don Sutton (9-4).

Phillies Cling To East Lead

Philadelphia 4, San Francisco 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Dick Ruthven won his fourth straight game and got Philadelphia's only extra base hit, leading the Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night.

With the victory, the Phillies swept the three-game series and took a half-game lead over Pittsburgh in the National League East.

Ruthven, 14-8, improved his lifetime record against the Giants to 12-4, going 8⅓ innings before he got help from Tug McGraw, who got his 16th save.

Philadelphia scored the game’s first three runs in the second inning off Giants starter Allen Ripley, 7-8. Ruthven drove in one run with a double to left field.

Manny Trillo led off the second with an infield hit and advanced to second on a ground out by Greg Gross. Larry Bowa got a bunt single down the third base line and Trillo scored when Darrell Evans threw past first for an error.