John Candelaria threw a complete-game, four-hitter as the Pirates beat Los Angeles, 4-1. The win enabled the Pirates to keep their three-game lead over the Expos, who beat Houston.
The Candy Man was seldom in trouble. In fact, he faced just one batter over the minimum through the first five innings, helped by two double plays. The Dodgers finally got on the board on a two-out home run in the sixth by Davey Lopes.
By then, the Pirates were up, 4-0. An error on Lopes set up two unearned runs off Charlie Hough in the second. Phil Garner drove in Bill Madlock, who’d stolen third, with a force out. Garner moved up on a single by Candelaria and scored on another by Omar Moreno.
The rest of the Pirates’ offense came in the fifth, when Willie Stargell drove in Dave Parker with his 24th home run of the season.
After the sixth, there was only one more baserunner in the game, on a walk to Madlock. Candelaria set down the last ten batters he faced. His record moves to 12-8.
