Sunday, June 14, 2020

1985 Game 58 - 1985 Fleer Update #U-117 Kent Tekulve

Pirates 3Phillies 2
Game 58 - Friday Night, June 14th in Pittsburgh
Record - 22-36, 5th Place, 13 1/2 games behind the Cubs

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies bullpen allowed this game to get away as the Pirates eked out a win, 3-2.

What It Means:  I never questioned the box score headlines 35 years ago, but "Pirates Deck Phils" doesn't seem to describe the outcome of this game at all.  I would have gone with "Pirates Edge Phils" if the Atlantic City Press sports page editor had asked 11-year-old me back then.

What Happened:  The seventh was the key inning in this game.  With the Pirates holding a 1-0 lead, pinch-hitter Tim Corcoran hit a two-run triple off Pirates reliever and future Phillie Jose DeLeon to score Greg Gross and Steve Jeltz.  Don Carman entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and promptly allowed a solo home run to former Phillie Sixto Lezcano to tie the game at two.  Carman loaded the bases after that, yielded to Larry Andersen and Andersen allowed an RBI-single to Bill Madlock to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Kevin Gross started for the Phillies and allowed a run, a Johnny Ray solo homer in the fifth, over his six innings of work.

Featured Card:  There were only 10,211 people in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium, but I'm hoping Kent Tekulve got a nice ovation when he entered the game for the Phillies in the eighth.  The long-time Pirates closer pitched a perfect inning in his return to Pittsburgh, retiring Tony Pena, Lezcano and Doug Frobel on three consecutive groundouts.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

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