By Wilbur Miller
The Pirates got four RBIs from Dave Parker in game one and a complete game from Jim Bibby in game two as they swept a doubleheader from the Phillies. The Expos beat the Mets, so the Pirates now trail Montreal by a game and a half in the NL East.
The two game one starters, Dick Ruthven for the Phillies and Bruce Kison for the Pirates, had nearly identical starts. Each gave up three runs over six innings, with most of the scoring coming early.
The Phillies got single runs in the first and second. The first came on a home run by Mike Schmidt, the second on a two-out single by Larry Bowa. In between, the Pirates got two on a bomb by Willie Stargell that brought in Omar Moreno, who’d singled and picked up his 47th steal. The ‘tater was Pops’ 22nd of the year.
The Pirates got their second lead in the bottom of the third, when Moreno tripled and scored on a single by Parker. The Phillies came right back in the top of the fourth, though, when Garry Maddox singled, stole second and scored on a single by Manny Trillo. That made it 3-3.
Both starters settled in after that, holding down the offense through the sixth. The Pirates had a shot in the fifth, when singles by Kison and Tim Foli, and an infield hit by Parker, loaded the bases with two out. Stargell, however, flied out.
Both starters left for pinch hitters after six. The relievers, Tug McGraw for Philadelphia and Enrique Romo for the Bucs, had much more divergent outings than the starters.
Romo blew through the Phillies over the final three innings, retiring nine straight. That included five ground outs and one strikeout.
McGraw ran into trouble right off the bat. The first two hitters he faced, Moreno and Foli, singled. That brought up the Cobra, who launched his 18th home run of the year deep to right. That made it 6-3 and it stayed that way.
Romo got the win to go 7-3. Parker had three hits and four RBIs, Moreno three hits and three runs.
Game two was all Bibby. He gave up just five hits and a walk. The only run he allowed was unearned and came in the top of the eighth. Three of the Phillies’ hits came in that inning, the last an infield hit. The run scored when Rennie Stennett threw the ball away. Other than the eighth, the Phillies never got a runner past first.
The Pirates got all their offense off starter Larry Christenson. Bill Madlock drove in one with a triple in the bottom of the second, scoring Bill Robinson, who’d singled. In the third, singles by Moreno and Foli put runners at the corners, and Moreno scored on a ground out by Parker.
The Bucs got three more in the fifth. With two on and nobody out, John Milner laid down a bunt and the Phillies failed to get anybody. Milner got a single and the bases were loaded. Robinson drove in two with a double, and Madlock got a third home with a sacrifice fly.
That made it 5-0 and the run off Bibby was the only other one that scored. Bibby’s record improved to 8-2. Robinson and Milner each had two hits.
