Allentown Morning Call - September 20, 1980

Cubs rally to beat Phils in ninth, 4-3

 

CHICAGO (AP) – It's a good thing the dugouts at Wrigley Field aren't equipped with kitchen sinks because Chicago Cubs Manager Joey Amalf itano might have considered throwing that in, too. 

 

"I had one non-pitcher left,” Amalfitano said yesterday after he used 20 players to Philadelphia Manager Dallas Green's 18 as the Cubs scored a 4-3 victory over the Phillies on pinch hitter Jerry Martin's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. 

 

"It's every manager's dream to have 30 ballplayers because it gives you more maneuverability," added Amalfitano. "But it came down to one, and Lee Smith got Lonnie Smith." 

 

Lee Smith, 2-0, worked just two-thirds of an inning to earn the win after coming on in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. He struck out Lonnie Smith and got Bake McBride on a grounder to set the stage for Chicago's final surge.

 

"I couldn't give him anything to hit, but I couldn't afford to walk him," said Lee Smith. 

 

Martin, the 20th Cub inserted by Amalfitano, grounded a single into right with the bases loaded off Tug McGraw, who relieved Warren Brusstar, 2-1. 

 

Chicago entered the ninth trailing 3-2 but pinch-hitter Larry Biittner led off with a double into right-center field. Pinch-runner Mick Kelleher was caught at third on a sacrifice attempt by Steve Dillard, but pinch-hitter Johnson then drew a walk off Brusstar. Ivan DeJesus singled Dillard home to tie the game.

 

McGraw came on for the Phillies and Martin lined a single to right to score Johnson and make a winner of reliever Lee Smith, the fourth Chicago pitcher. 

 

Philadelphia clipped Cubs' starter Rick Re-uschel, 11-12, for a run in the first on a single by McBride and Mike Schmidt's triple. But the Cubs got the run back in the second on Dillard's fourth home run of the season. 

 

Ramon Aviles led off the Phillies' fifth with his second homer of the season. 

 

Philadelphia made it 3-1 in the seventh, when Aviles beat out a bunt, took second on a sacrifice and scored when Pete Rose blooped a single to short left.

 

The Cubs cut the lead to one run in the seventh when pinch-hitter Lenny Randle beat out an infield single, stole second and came home on DeJesus' single. Sparky Lyle then came on and threw a wild pitch, but retired Mike Vail on a routine fly and Bill Buckner on a grounder to escape the jam.