MATLACK FOLLOWS KOOSMAN'S 2-HITTER WITH ONE OF HIS OWN
Lefty Bounces Back from Loss to Phils
NEW YORK, July 31 (AP) - The day after Jerry Koosman stymied the Phillies on two
hits teammate Jon Matlack fired a two-hitter of his own, leading the New York
Mets to a 5-0 victory over Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium. Matlack did
Koosman one better, shutting the high-flying Phillies out; Koosman was nicked
for one run in an 8-1 win. Ed Kranepool banged out three hits and drove in
two runs for New York. Matlack aided his own cause with a pair of safeties
including a triple.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning as Phillies starter
Larry Christensen matched Matlack. But Matlack started a four-run uprising
by looping a lead-off single to center. Jim Dwyer then advanced the runner
to third by lining a base hit to left-center field. Bruce Boiscliar
followed by blooping a double just inside the left field foul line, scoring
Matlack and advancing Dwyer to third. John Milner then chopped a grounder
to first baseman Bobby Tolan, who was playing even with the bag. Dwyer
wouldn't have been able to score on the play but, in a key moment, Tolan booted
the ball, allowing it to roll roughly 10 feet behind him. Dwyer dashed
home, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead and runners on first and second. The
floodgates were opened. Kranepool grounded a single between Tolan and
second baseman Dave Cash into right field, scoring Milner from second to make it
3-0. Gene Garber replaced Christensen on the mound and seemed poised to
avoid further trouble when Ron Hodges lines into a 3-6 double play, leaving
Kranepool at first with two outs. But Mike Phillips kept the inning alive
by lining a single to left and Roy Staiger followed with a base hit of his own,
scoring Kranepool to put the Mets on top, 4-0.
New York added an insurance run in the eighth when Milner drew a lead-off walk,
stole second and scored on Kranepool's base hit.
Matlack, meanwhile, was mowing the Phillies down. The only thorn in his
side was Ollie Brown, who rapped out a pair of singles, representing all of
Philadelphia's hits. In the two games started by Koosman and Matlack,
Brown went 3-for-6 while the rest of the was club 1-for-52.
The closest the Phillies came to scoring was in the first inning. Dave
Cash reached led off the game by reaching base on second baseman Phillips' error
and stole second. Larry Bowa then walked, putting runners on first and
second. But Matlack retired Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski and Brown in order
to end the threat. The next Philadelphia batter reached when Brown singled
with two outs in the fourth. He stole second base and Matlack walked Garry
Maddux intentionally before fanning Tolan to end the inning. The only
other baserunner for the Phillies was Brown, when he singled leading off the
seventh. He was immediately erased when Maddux grounded into a double
play, beginning a string of eight straight batters retired by Matlack to close
out the game.
The efforts by Koosman and Matlack represent the 27th and 28th times this season
that a major league pitcher has thrown a complete game while allowing two hits
or fewer but the first two times the feat has been accomplished by a Mets
starter. It's also the first two times this year that the Phillies, who
stand a strong second in the National League in scoring behind the Cincinnati
Reds, have been held to fewer than three hits in a game.
7/31/1976, Phi76-NYN76, Shea Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Phillies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 1 1976 Mets 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 x 5 10 1 5 1 Phillies AB R H BI AVG Mets AB R H BI AVG Cash 2b 4 0 0 0 .325 Dwyer rf 4 1 1 0 .172 Bowa ss 3 0 0 0 .243 Boisclair cf 4 1 1 1 .262 Schmidt 3b 4 0 0 0 .266 Milner lf 3 1 1 0 .257 Luzinski lf 4 0 0 0 .301 Kranepool 1b 4 1 3 2 .295 Brown,O rf 3 0 2 0 .256 Hodges c 3 0 0 0 .283 Maddox,G cf 2 0 0 0 .337 Phillips 2b 4 0 1 0 .228 Tolan 1b 3 0 0 0 .285 Staiger 3b 4 0 1 1 .219 Oates c 2 0 0 0 .325 Harrelson ss 3 0 0 0 .238 Taylor,T ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Matlack p 3 1 2 0 .231 Reed p 0 0 0 0 .154 32 5 10 4 Christenson p 2 0 0 0 .286 Garber p 0 0 0 0 .000 Boone ph 1 0 0 0 .248 29 0 2 0 Phillies INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Christenson L 6-8 5.0 7 4 2 0 0 58 40 5.24 Garber 2.0 2 0 0 0 3 28 18 2.00 Reed 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 22 11 2.57 8.0 10 5 3 1 3 108 69 Mets INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Matlack W 11-6 9.0 2 0 0 2 7 106 65 2.68 9.0 2 0 0 2 7 106 65 Phi: Taylor,T batted for Oates in the 8th Boone batted for Garber in the 8th Boone moved to c in the 8th E-Tolan, Phillips. 2B-Boisclair(5). 3B-Matlack(1). RBI-Boisclair(25), Kranepool 2(39), Staiger(12). SB-Cash(9), Brown,O(1), Milner(1). CS-Milner. K-Bowa, Luzinski, Tolan 2, Christenson 2, Boone, Boisclair, Harrelson, Matlack. BB-Bowa, Maddox,G, Milner. SH-Hodges. GWRBI: Boisclair Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 2 MPH. Attendance: 22,837 Game Time: 1:52