Bull’s Blast Bests Reds

Kitty Kaat coughs up lead in 9th

Jim Kaat entered the ninth inning of tonight’s ball game at Veterans Stadium looking for all the world like a man assured of his sixth victory of the 1977 campaign. Kaat had cruised through the first eight of his Monday night assignment, limiting the sputtering Big Red Machine to six hits, while his teammates staked him a 3-0 lead.

Before he could claim his victory, however, Kaat had to make his way past George Foster and Johnny Bench. They were the first two batters due up in the top of the ninth. Between them, the pair has clubbed 28 home runs. No matter; tonight the pair was 1-for-5 with a walk in 6 plate appearances. But that was through the first eight innings.

In their next two plate appearances, the pair would club a pair of doubles. Add a pair of errors by the Phillies defense and it summed to a four-run ninth inning for the Reds. The party atmosphere at Veterans Stadium turned funereal. Thirty-eight thousand fans made their way to the exits. The Phillies didn’t notice.

Sparky gave the ball to his most dependable reliever, Mario Soto. Soto’s 2.67 ERA is the lowest on the Reds’ staff. The Phillies didn’t notice. Leadoff man Larry Bowa stepped to the plate, just when you needed him most. He worked the count full before smacking a ball the other way down the left field line. Foster, having just moved to left from center, barely had time to locate home plate before he was chasing the ball into the corner where it ricocheted like a pinball between the rubber of the track, the padding of the fence, and the concrete beneath the Astroturf. Bowa cruised into third with a lead-off stand-up triple. Everybody noticed.

The lines of fans headed up to the concourse stopped and turned as one as Sparky Anderson brought in his infield and Ted Sizemore brought his .380 batting average to the plate. A bunt would almost certainly guarantee a tie. So would a base hit, with the added benefit of not burning an out. Sizemore swung away, ripping a ground ball right at Pete Rose, freezing Bowa. One out.

It is the moment fans dream of. It is the moment kids dream of. Don’t believe any big leaguer who tells you he doesn’t dream of coming to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with his team needing exactly as many runs to win as would score if he hit a home run at that moment. Especially when your team just gave up the lead and first place is at stake.

Into this moment Mike Schmidt stepped. He pawed the dirt. Adjusted his helmet. Inspected his bat. Took a deep breath. And put his bat on his shoulder where it stayed while Soto issued four wide ones, giving Schmidt his fourth free pass of the night, including a hit-by-pitch in the first.

Sparky Anderson strolled to the mound. Walking Schmidt was easy, more like following the order of operations than making a decision. But now, with the tying run on first and the man they call the Bull stepping into the box, it was time to discuss the pros and cons of pitching to Luzinski or issuing a second consecutive free pass and loading the bases: A walk sets up a force at every base, but it also moves the winning run into scoring position. In that case, a single could end the ball game. On the other hand, if you pitch to Luzinski, you only lose if he hits a home run.

Which is what he did. It was a no-doubter. It was one of those you knew the instant he hit it. He hit it high. He hit it hard. He hit it far.

Sparky didn’t even make it back to his seat in the dugout. As the ball disappeared into the Philadelphia night, Sparky disappeared down the clubhouse tunnel.