Northern Expos-ure

1977 Phillies (Gary B) vs 1979 Expos (Marc W)

GAME 1 (The Vet): MON 9, PHI 1 - 49 minute rain delay in 5th

Normally when one team's #1 starter (Steve Carlton - PHI) faces a team's #5 guy (Scott Sanderson - MON) the fans expect some sort of giveaway...not the kind that you receive at the turnstile, but the kind on the scorecard. In this case the fans got exactly what they expected, but the giveaway came from the kind heart of a HOF ace and not a journeyman right hander. Carlton had nothing and after 2 innings he yielded 6 runs. Thanks to a rain delay both starters were gone before the 7th. Sanderson pitched the required 5 innings to get the win. The Expo bullpen (Bahnsen and Fryman) kept the Phils scoreless to close it out. Gary Carter went 3 for 5 and had 3 RBI's. Ellis Valentine hit a two run shot.

GAME 2 (The Vet): PHI 3, MON 1

Montreal got a 3 run complete game performance from Steve Rogers, but it would not be enough because Philly trotted out 4 pitchers, who combined to 4 hit the Expos who's lone run came via a Gary Carter Solo shot in the 6th, which at the time made the score 2-1. Larry Christenson started the game for the Phils, but tired after 6 innings of work and 113 pitches. Philly got on the board first with 2 runs in the home half of the 2nd. Gary Maddox doubled with 1 out and moved over to third when Ted Sizemore single. With 1 out Bob Boone grounded out, but advanced Sizemore to 2nd. Christenson helped his cause by lining a sharp single to right to plate both runners and stake himself to a 2 run lead with a clutch 2 out hit. Sizemore scored again in the 6th when Bowa hit into a force play. Philly's pen held Montreal in check the rest of the way for the win.

GAME 3 (Olympic Stadium) MON 4, PHI 0

For his second straight outing Bill "the spaceman" Lee was locked in. For 7 1/3 innings he tossed shutout ball, before yielding to close Elias Sosa who was tasked with recording the final 5 outs. Lee and Philly starter Jim Lonborg were tossing goose eggs until the Expos broke through with solo runs in the 5th and 6th innings to make it 2-0. After yielding a 1 out double to Warren Cromartie, Lonborg was victimized by a throwing error by his normally sure handed backstop, Bob Boone, who mishandled Chris Speier's dribbler in front of the plate, which forced him to hurry this throw. The errant throw wound up in right field and Cromartie wound up scoring. The run was unearned and it forced Lonborg to bare down and strike out 2 of the next 3 batters to get out of the inning with no further damage. Gary Carter led off the 6th by striking out, but Boone again had trouble holding on to the ball, was forced to throw to Davey Johnson at 1st to record the out. Lonborg had a little bit of frustration on his face, because the lay at first was very close and he must have had flashbacks to the run causing error by Boone in the previous frame. Up stepped "the Hawk", Andre Dawson, who blasted Lonborg's first offering deep over the right center field fence to make it 2-0. Cromartie then doubled with 2 out and Speier was intentionally passed to get to the pitcher Lee, who hit a bullet to Sizemore at second to end the inning and Lonborg's day without any further damage. The top of the 8th was Philly's best chance to get on the board. With Lee beginning to tire Montreal's 2 run lead seemed tenuous at best. Bowa led off by lining out to Rodney Scott at second. Sizemore smoked a single to left and that was it for Lee. Sosa came on board and served up a clean single to Schmitty and just like that Luzinski was at the plate representing the go-ahead run. Elias Sosa proceeded to fan the Bull and get Maddox to ground out to end the inning. The bottom of the 8th saw the Expos add on 2 insurance runs, which were essential as Sosa had a troublesome 9th as he barely dodged the bullet to close out the save. A bases loaded DP ball from Bowa was needed to save the day.

GAME 4 (Olympic Stadium) MON 6, PHI 5

After giving up 6 runs (5 earned) in a little over 3 innings worth of work Randy Lerch was yanked by Phillie Manager Gary Bringhurst, who had seen just about enough from his troublesome lefthander. Bringhurst's move was genius as it allowed his squad a chance to stay in the game. Once Lerch left the Expos bats went silent, while Philly's lumber began to spark. Dan Schatzeder ran out of gas after posting one of those so called "quality starts" (6 IP, 3 ER). David Palmer came on to relieve him and he was shaky at best yielding 2 runs in 2 IP. When Philly scored 2 in the 8th the game was now within one run. Montreal was in big trouble since their normal close, Elias Sosa, pitched 2 innings the day before and was not available. the 9th inning now belonged to two veterans, Bahnsen (the righty) and Fryman (the lefty). Bahnsen struck out Luzinski and got Maddox to fly out and Fryman came on to fan McBride for the final out. Philly came up just short thanks to the terrible outing Lerch posted. In a losing cause Schmidt hit his first homer of the KOD7 season, while the light hitting Bowa hit his 3rd. Montreal catcher Gary Carter had the day off since he caught 7 straight. His backup Duffy Dyer went 2 for 4 and had a RBI. "Doggie" Tony Perez hit his 2nd homer for the year and went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's. Montreal moved to 6-2 on the season, while Philly dropped to .500.