METS HIT 4 HRS IN INNING, STILL LOSE
Luzinski 2 HRs, 5 RBIs for Phils
PHILADELPHIA, May 25 (AP) - The New York Mets hit four home runs--including
three in a row--in a five-run second inning, but still fell, 12-5, to the
Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. John Milner, Dave Kingman and
Del Unser went back-to-back-to-back off Phillies starter Jim Lonborg and, later
in the same frame, Wayne Garrett added a two-run home run for New York. As
a result, Lonborg became the first pitcher in the major leagues this year to
allow four home runs in a game--to say nothing of allowing four home runs in a
single inning. Still, the Philadelphia right-hander had the last
laugh. After the second inning, Lonborg shut out the Mets on just two
hits, earning the complete game victory.
The Phillies managed three home runs of their own in the game, including two off
the bat of Greg Luzinski, and defeated New York ace Tom Seaver.
Luzinski's two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning gave Philadelphia an
early lead, but the Mets exploded in the top of the second. Milner led off
with a home run just inside the right field foul pole and Kingman followed that
with a towering blast into the seats in left-center field. Unser made it
three straight long balls by depositing a Lonborg offering into the bullpen in
right field. It was the first time this major league season that a team
had hit three home runs in as many plate appearances. Lonborg then walked
Jerry Grote before retiring the next two batters. Garrett followed by
driving the first pitch he saw from Lonborg over the right field wall, giving
the Mets a 5-2 lead.
But it was all Phillies from there. They sent nine batters to the plate in
the bottom of the second, scoring four runs in the process. Tommy Hutton
and Bobby Tolan opened with singles and another base hit, off the bat of Bob
Boone, scored Hutton. A throwing error charged to Unser on the play put
runners on second and third. Lonborg then walked to load the bases and
Dave Cash's sacrifice fly scored Tolan, making it 5-4. Catcher Grote then
booted a swinging bunt off the bat of Larry Bowa, refilling the bases, and a
walk to Mike Schmidt forced in Boone with the tying run. Luzinski's ground
out scored Lonborg with the fourth and final tally of the inning, giving the
Phillies a lead they would never yield.
The score remained 6-5 until the eighth when Philadelphia blew the game open
against reliever Bob Apodaca. The Mets bullpen was exhausted, a function
of a the 17-inning game the two teams had played the previous day. Apodaca
retired the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth, before the rains
came, forcing a 23-minute delay. When the game resumed, it was clear
Apodaca had nothing left, but Mets manager Joe Frazier had no option other than
to stick with the right-hander. Schmidt drew a walk and Luzinski cracked
his second home run of the contest, giving the Phillies an 8-5 lead. Jay
Johnstone doubled, Tommy Hutton walked and Bobby Tolan laced a two-run double
into the right field corner. Boone then singled Tolan home to cap the
scoring.
5/25/1976, NYN76-Phi76, Veterans Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Mets 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 2 3 0 1976 Phillies 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 x 12 13 0 9 0 Mets AB R H BI AVG Phillies AB R H BI AVG Garrett,W 3b 4 1 1 2 .198 Cash 2b 4 1 2 1 .324 Millan 2b 4 0 0 0 .235 Bowa ss 5 0 0 0 .271 Kranepool rf 4 0 0 0 .292 Schmidt 3b 3 2 1 2 .295 Milner lf 4 1 1 1 .296 Luzinski lf 5 2 2 5 .264 Kingman 1b 4 1 1 1 .206 Maddox,G cf 0 0 0 0 .322 Unser cf 4 1 3 1 .329 Johnstone rf 5 1 2 0 .344 Grote c 2 1 0 0 .194 Hutton 1b 4 2 1 0 .222 Phillips ph 1 0 0 0 .267 Tolan cf 4 2 2 2 .256 Harrelson ss 2 0 0 0 .242 Martin lf 0 0 0 0 .278 Torre ph 1 0 0 0 .310 Boone c 3 1 3 2 .205 Seaver p 2 0 0 0 .150 Lonborg p 4 1 0 0 .095 Boisclair ph 1 0 0 0 .276 37 12 13 12 Apodaca p 0 0 0 0 .000 33 5 6 5 Mets INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Seaver L 5-4 6.0 8 7 5 4 2 128 76 2.85 Apodaca 2.0 5 5 5 2 0 35 20 4.08 8.0 13 12 10 6 2 163 96 Phillies INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Lonborg W 4-3 9.0 6 5 5 2 2 113 75 3.26 9.0 6 5 5 2 2 113 75 NYN: Boisclair batted for Seaver in the 7th Phillips batted for Grote in the 9th Torre batted for Harrelson in the 9th Phi: Maddox,G inserted at cf in the 9th Martin inserted at lf in the 9th E-Unser, Grote. 2B-Unser(12), Johnstone 2(9), Tolan(4), Boone(6). HR-Garrett,W(3), Milner(2), Kingman(13), Unser(4), Schmidt(9), Luzinski 2(7). RBI-Garrett,W 2(9), Milner(13), Kingman(27), Unser(24), Cash(14), Schmidt 2(30), Luzinski 5(23), Tolan 2(7), Boone 2(14). SB-Bowa(5). K-Kingman, Unser, Johnstone 2. BB-Grote, Harrelson, Schmidt 2, Hutton, Tolan, Boone, Lonborg. SF-Cash. HBP-Boone. HB-Apodaca. GWRBI: Luzinski Temperature: 84, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: out to left at 14 MPH, Rain Delays: 23 minutes. Attendance: 22,103 Game Time: 2:26