The Phillies gained a bit of breathing room in the East Division race by defeating the Cubs, 4-1, to pull four games ahead of the Pirates. The victory was only the Phillies' sixth in their last 22 contests. Steve Carlton, who struck out 11, scattered nine hits and gave up the Cubs' run in the seventh inning when loser Rick Reuschel doubled and Mick Kelleher singled.

The Phillies began their scoring in the first with a double by Garry Maddox and single by Mike Schmidt. Jay Johnstone, who had a 4-for-4 day, tripled in the fourth and came home on a sacrifice fly by Tim McCarver. The Phillies clinched the decision with a final pair in the ninth on a double by Johnstone, infield hit by Bobby Tolan, single by Larry Bowa scoring pinch-runner Ollie Brown, and a balk by Reuschel. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 4, Chicago Cubs 1
Game Played on Saturday, September 18, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Phillies     1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  2  -   4 10  1
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  9  0


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Maddox cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .331      Sperring 3b           4   0   1   0     1   2   .264
Cash 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .273      Kelleher ss           4   0   1   1     0   1   .231
Schmidt 3b            4   0   1   1     0   1   .261      Trillo 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .236
Luzinski lf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .300      Morales rf            3   0   0   0     1   2   .268
  Martin lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .241      Mitterwald c          3   0   1   0     1   1   .212
Johnstone rf          4   1   4   0     0   0   .328        Rosello pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .243
  Brown pr,rf         0   1   0   0     0   0   .262        Biittner 1b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .240
McCarver c            3   0   1   1     0   0   .259      Tyrone lf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .245
Tolan 1b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .248      Putman 1b,c           4   0   1   0     0   0   .400
Bowa ss               4   0   1   1     0   0   .245      Wallis cf             4   0   1   0     0   2   .252
Carlton p             4   0   0   0     0   1   .207      R. Reuschel p         4   1   2   0     0   1   .224

Totals               36   4  10   3     0   5             Totals               34   1   9   1     3  11

Time of Game: 2:02   Attendance: 15,938
Left on Base: Phillies 6, Cubs 9
DP: Phillies 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Maddox
Doubles: Maddox (37), Johnstone (35), R. Reuschel (3)
Triples: Johnstone (4)
Sacrifice Flies: McCarver (2)
GIDP: Putman (1)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Carlton W(18-6)         9     9   1   1   3  11   0  37   3.16
Totals                  9     9   1   1   3  11   0  37

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel L(13-11)    9    10   4   4   0   5   0  37   3.46
Totals                  9    10   4   4   0   5   0  37

Balks: R. Reuschel (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


PHILLIES 1ST: Maddox doubled to left; Cash grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Maddox to third]; Schmidt singled to third
[Maddox scored]; Luzinski forced Schmidt (second to shortstop);
Johnstone singled to right [Luzinski to second]; McCarver
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies
1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Sperring singled to center; Kelleher grounded out
(third to first) [Sperring to second]; Trillo grounded out
(second to first) [Sperring to third]; Morales walked;
Mitterwald struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 1, Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Tolan grounded out (second to first); Bowa
grounded out (pitcher to first); Carlton grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 1, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Tyrone popped to first; Putman flied out to center;
Wallis singled to left; R. Reuschel singled to left [Wallis to
second]; Sperring walked [Wallis to third, R. Reuschel to
second]; Kelleher struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Phillies 1,
Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Maddox flied out to center; Cash singled to
pitcher; Schmidt grounded out (second to first) [Cash to
second]; Luzinski struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1,
Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Trillo popped to right; Morales flied out to left;
Mitterwald singled to center; Tyrone was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 4TH: Johnstone tripled to left; McCarver hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Johnstone scored]; Tolan struck out;
Bowa lined to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Putman grounded out (shortstop to first); Wallis
struck out; R. Reuschel grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 5TH: Carlton was called out on strikes; Maddox popped
to second; Cash flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Sperring was called out on strikes; Kelleher grounded
out (third to first); Trillo singled to left; Morales was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 6TH: Schmidt struck out; Luzinski struck out; Johnstone
singled to right; McCarver singled to right [Johnstone to
second]; Tolan grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 6TH: Mitterwald popped to first in foul territory; Tyrone
struck out; Putman singled to left; Wallis popped to second; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

PHILLIES 7TH: Bowa grounded out (pitcher to first); Carlton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 7TH: R. Reuschel doubled to left; Sperring grounded out
(shortstop to first); Kelleher singled to left [R. Reuschel
scored, Kelleher out at second (left to third to second)];
Trillo popped to first in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 2, Cubs 1.

PHILLIES 8TH: Cash grounded out (second to first); Schmidt
grounded out (shortstop to first); Luzinski grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Cubs 1.

CUBS 8TH: MARTIN REPLACED LUZINSKI (PLAYING LF); Morales was
called out on strikes; Mitterwald walked; ROSELLO RAN FOR
MITTERWALD; Tyrone singled to center [Rosello to third (error by
Maddox)]; Putman grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Tyrone out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies
2, Cubs 1.

PHILLIES 9TH: PUTMAN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); BIITTNER
REPLACED ROSELLO (PLAYING 1B); Johnstone doubled to left; BROWN
RAN FOR JOHNSTONE; McCarver flied out to center [Brown to
third]; Tolan singled to pitcher [Brown stayed at third]; Bowa
singled to right [Brown scored, Tolan to third]; Carlton
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Bowa to second, Tolan stayed at
third]; R. Reuschel balked [Bowa to third, Tolan scored]; Maddox
popped to first; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 9TH: BROWN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Wallis struck out;
R. Reuschel struck out; Sperring was called out on strikes; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 4, Cubs 1.