The Phillies Room: 1985 Game 22 - 1985 Donruss #503 Luis Aguayo

Phillies 7, Astros 5 (13 Innings)
Game 22 - Saturday Night, May 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 10-12, Tied for 4th Place, 4 1/2 games behind the Cubs and Expos

One Sentence Summary: Luis Aguayo, an unlikely hero, had a four-hit game and hit a two-run home run in the 13th to give the Phillies a 7-5 walk-off win.

What It Means: This was the high-water mark for the 1985 Phillies. They would get to within two games of .500 just one more time in the season, at the beginning of September, but by then they were 18 games out of first place. On this night, featuring a dramatic win, the Phillies still had hope.

What Happened: John Denny pitched into the ninth inning for the Phillies, allowing five runs (four earned) on 12 hits while striking out six. Manager John Felske probably should have lifted Denny after eight innings - see below. Dave Rucker made his Phillies debut pitching a perfect 12th and 13th innings, and earning the win.

Ozzie Virgil continued to swing a hot bat, hitting a three-run home run in the fourth that put the Phillies ahead 4-2. Aguayo's first home run of the game in the sixth made it 5-2. That was the score when Denny allowed a ninth inning, three-run home run to pinch-hitter Harry Spilman to tie the game up. A costly Juan Samuel error at the start of the inning prolonged the game and led to Spilman's big hit.

Aguayo's walk-off blast came off Astros reliever Bill Dawley with one out and Virgil on first base.

Featured Card: Aguayo was starting at third base to give the struggling Mike Schmidt a night off, and his big night led to a second start at third the following night. Through the first 21 games of the season, Schmidt was hitting only .211. He did get into this game in the ninth, delivering a pinch-hit single but then promptly getting lifted for pinch-runner Kiko Garcia.

This was to be the only four-hit game of Aguayo's career.

Transaction: Prior to the game, Jerry Koosman landed on the disabled list with an inflamed left knee and Rucker was recalled from Portland. Rucker had been acquired on April 6th, right before the start of the season, from the Cardinals for reliever Bill Campbell and shortstop Ivan DeJesus. DeJesus had lost his starting shortstop job to Steve Jeltz and was expendable.