Aug. 6, 1984
Game 1984-112: Olympic Stadium - Expos 12, Phillies 3 / 49-63
Steve Carlton opens by allowing five first-inning runs. Don Carman doesn’t do much better. Ben Hayes - well, he’s on his way out. Kenneth Walker gets his first taste of the majors, however, and while he has trouble with Hayes’ mess, he does strike out three, including Tim Raines, in 1.2 innings.
Aug. 7, 1984
Game 1984-113: Olympic Stadium - Expos 3, Phillies 1 / 49-64
I swear we’re cursed. While every Expos hit finds a hole, we keep hitting into double plays, including the one by Mike Schmidt that ends the game.
Anyway, today the boys were listening to the radio reports about the U.S. baseball team’s tournament final against Japan. The kids lost, 6-3, in a shocker, but we’re all pretty excited about the prospect of baseball as an Olympic sport (this year it was merely a demonstration sport). Also, great performances by Will Clark and B.J. Surhoff.
Aug. 8, 1984
Game 1984-114: Olympic Stadium - Expos 11, Phillies 6 / 49-65
After a great series in St. Louis, a real turd against the Expos. Steve Mura (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER) has outlived his welcome. Darren Daulton goes 3-for-4 with two doubles.
- RP Arturo Gonzalez promoted to MLB Philadelphia
- RP Ben Hayes placed on waivers
Gonzalez, 28, had a cup of coffee with us earlier this season, but will get more a shot to show off here. In 17.2 IP in AAA, he’s put up a 1.53 ERA with 6 K and 6 BB. Not great or anything, but he’s stayed consistent.
Aug. 9, 1984
Game 1984-115: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 4, Cardinals 3 / 50-65
We pick up our 50th win of the season (we’re on pace to finish 70-92) after scoring four runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Mike Schmidt, who doesn’t start, comes off the bench to strike a big RBI double, while Juan Samuel hits his 12th triple of the season. (He also commits two errors.)
Aug. 10, 1984
Game 1984-116: Veterans Stadium - Cardinals 8, Phillies 5 / 50-66
Okay.
Maybe the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen, and for certain the nadir of this lost season. We’re up 5-0 with two outs in the ninth, and Kevin Gross, going for a complete game, gives up a triple to Andy Van Slyke? No big deal, right?
Steve Mura comes in with two outs. He proceeds to throw a wild pitch, then give up a double, a walk, and a single. Then comes Bill Campbell: double, single, single, home run. 5-0 becomes 8-5, all with one out left in the game.
Mura is done. Can’t do it anymore. And Campbell has to move to some lower-leverage spots.
- RP Dave Wehrmeister promoted to MLB Philadelphia
- RP Steve Mura demoted to AAA Portland
Also, I’m not sure why it’s Mura there and not, say, Kenneth Walker or Larry Andersen. Just an embarrassment.
Aug. 11, 1984
Game 1984-117: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 6, Cardinals 3 / 51-66
Boy, what stinks is we could’ve just taken three straight in this series. Anyway, Steve Carlton does it himself by going all nine, improving to 6-8. Len Matuszek socks a home run in the sixth to put it away, while Lefty registers a two-run double. Mike Schmidt adds a triple.
Aug. 12, 1984
Game 1984-118: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 2, Cardinals 1 / 52-66
Man, if only we won that ridiculous 8-5 game. Charles Hudson pitches a sterling 7.1 innings of four-hit ball, while Larry Andersen cleans it up. Our runs come from Mike Schmidt’s 20th home run. One freaking out from a four-game sweep of the first-place Cardinals.
The power rankings are in. And we’re 17th. The top five:
1. Toronto Blue Jays - 80-37
2. Detroit Tigers - 78-41
3. New York Mets - 67-49
4. Los Angeles Dodgers - 70-49
5. Kansas City Royals - 68-49
Thanks to our three of four against St. Louis, and a stumble from Pittsburgh, the Mets jump the line and take the one-game lead in the NL East. The Expos are back in it, too, just four behind New York. Otherwise, Toronto is up three on Detroit in the AL East, and Kansas City is holding five on Seattle and six on Minnesota in the AL West. The Dodgers are cruising, up 10 in the NL West.