Allentown Morning Call - September 7, 1980
Phils drop from first
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Rick Monday slugged a two-run homer and rookie Mike Scioscia had four singles to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies last night.
Bob Welch, 12-9, and Steve Howe, who picked up his 15th save, scattered seven hits.
The Dodgers jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning against starter Larry Christenson, who suffered a pulled groin muscle.
The Phillies tied it in the third. Larry Bowa and Bob Boone led off with singles and Bowa scored on a passed ball. After pitcher Randy Lerch sacrificed, Lonnie Smith singled Boone home. Smith later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Schmidt.
Los Angeles broke the tie in the fourth when Dave Lopes singled home Bill Russell, who was aboard on a fielder's choice. Monday, who singled and scored a run in the second, slugged his eighth homer in the fifth inning, scoring Steve Garvey.
Monday also halted the Phillies' third-inning rally by leaping high above the center field fence to take a home run away from Bake McBride.
Lopes, who had three of the Dodgers' 12 hits, drove in three runs.
Lerch, 4-14, who replaced Christenson in the second inning, took the loss.
Sutton’s ‘stuff’ was great
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Don Sutton has won more games then any other Dodger pitcher, 227 of them. He has won playoff games and World Series games, and he has been a most valuable player in an All-Star Game.
The 35-year-old Los Angeles veteran long has maintained the finest game he has ever pitched was his two-hit, 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh in the 1974 National League championship series.
On Friday night, he pitched a game which he said, "was awfully close to the '74 playoff game."
The Dodger righthander struck out 10 batters and allowed only three hits over eight innings in pitching Los Angeles to a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia.
Don Stanhouse pitched the final inning to preserve the shutout, the Dodgers' 18th of the season. Meanwhile. Steve Carlton suffered only his eighth loss of the year against 21 wins.
"We had a guy pitch a game he would win nine of 10 times," said Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green. "They had a guy who pitched an even better one. Sutton used his stuff like a master. He's a veteran, he knows how to work our lineup. " r
Indeed. Sutton issued only two walks, to Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski, both of whom homered the night before.
The victory, the Dodgers' eighth in their last nine games, improved their lead over Houston in the National League West to 1½ games. The Phillies, whose winning streak was stopped at four, dropped into a tie with Montreal for first place in the NL East, one game in front of Pittsburgh. The Phils fell a half game behind the Expos yesterday when Montreal won afternoon game from the San Francisco Giants.
Sutton was well on his way to his 53rd career shutout, but came out for a pinch-hitter after working eight innings.
"In the last inning I pitched, I banged my toe a couple of times," he said, alluding to an injury that caused him to miss a turn last week. "But I'd rather have four or five more starts then be selfish and stand out there and go for a shutout.
"Anyway, we've got capable people out there in the bullpen. "