Carlton did beat them, 3-1, but it wasn't easy. The victory was the first post-season win for the Phillies at home dating back to Oct. 8, 1915, when they knocked off the Boston Red Sox in the first game of the World Series by the same score.

Even though the Astros endured a six-hour coast-to-coast flight from Los Angeles the night before, this game became another comeback for the Phillies when they fell behind Houston, 1-0, in the third. Jose Cruz and Cesar Cedeno collected back-to-back, one-out singles. Art Howe flied to Bake McBride but Gary Woods put Houston on top with a run-scoring single off Manny Trillo's glove.

Ken Forsch survived four Phillies hits in the first three innings to keep them scoreless. He then appeared to settle in a groove, retiring the side 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth.

Pete Rose, who started three rallies in the Phillies' division-clinching game just days before, did it again tonight. He singled into the shortstop hole to start the sixth. Forsch went right back to work, striking out McBride and getting Mike Schmidt on a fly ball to Cedeno.

Up stepped Greg Luzinski, the Phillies' best offensive player in playoff competition. He went into the game hitting safely in all 11 previous Phillies playoff games.

"I really get charged up for the playoffs," Luzinski would comment after the game. "I wasn't worried about my season. We're in the playoffs and the season's past. I usually have a good bat in the playoffs."

The Bull worked Forsch to a full count, fouled off the next pitch and then sent a towering drive into the 300 level seats in left-center field for a two-run homer. It was his fifth in playoff competition which tied him with Cincinnati's Johnny Bench. Los Angeles' Steve Garvey holds the N.L. playoff record with six.

"I just went after Luzinski and he got the best of me," said Forsch.

Garry Maddox's legs helped the Phillies get a big insurance run in the next inning. After singling to center, Maddox was bunted to second by Larry Bowa. Bob Boone flied to left and ex-Astro Greg Gross came out to pinch hit for Carlton. While Gross was battling Forsch, Maddox stole third. Gross then looped a single to left and Maddox scored easily.

Gross would later add, "Forsch made a great pitch. I fought it off and was fortunate to have it fall in for a hit. It's a great feeling to contribute, especially since it's my first playoff game."

Philadelphia manager Dallas Green, to no one's surprise, beckoned Tug McGraw to follow Carlton.

Three up, three down in the eight. Luis Pujols worked McGraw for a leadoff walk in the ninth but Tug didn't allow any more damage by retiring the next three hitters, and a Stadium record crowd of 65,277 went wild. It was the largest crowd in league championship history and in Pennsylvania baseball history -- at least for one day.

"I think Kenny pitched a better game than Carlton," said Astros third baseman Enos Cabell. "If we had beaten Carlton, they'd have been in trouble." But as Forsch admitted, "Who beats Carlton? I don't think he was as sharp as I've seen him but he was plenty tough."

Ken Forsch made the first post-season start in team history, throwing 8 strong innings

Greg Luzinski's two-run homer in the 6th was the game's deciding blow

HOU     0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0
PHI     0  0  0    0  0  2    1  0  x  -   3  8  1

BATTING
Houston Astros               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Landestoy 2b                  5   0   0   0       0   0       1   2
Cabell 3b                     4   0   1   0       0   0       0   2
Cruz lf                       3   1   1   0       1   0       5   0
Cedeno cf                     3   0   1   0       1   0       1   0
Howe 1b                       4   0   0   0       0   1       8   1
Woods rf                      4   0   2   1       0   1       1   0
Pujols c                      3   0   0   0       1   0       5   1
  Bergman pr                  0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Reynolds ss                   2   0   0   0       1   1       2   4
  Puhl ph                     1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Forsch p                      2   0   2   0       0   0       1   0
  Leonard ph                  1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
Totals                       32   1   7   1       4   4      24  10

BATTING - 
SH: Forsch (1,off Carlton).
Team LOB: 9.

Philadelphia Phillies        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Rose 1b                       4   1   2   0       0   0      11   1
McBride rf                    4   0   1   0       0   1       2   0
Schmidt 3b                    3   0   0   0       1   1       0   4
Luzinski lf                   4   1   1   2       0   1       0   0
  Unser lf                    0   0   0   0       0   0       1   0
Trillo 2b                     4   0   0   0       0   1       5   8
Maddox cf                     3   1   1   0       0   0       3   0
Bowa ss                       2   0   1   0       0   0       1   1
Boone c                       3   0   1   0       0   0       4   1
Carlton p                     2   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Gross ph                    1   0   1   1       0   0       0   0
  McGraw p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       30   3   8   3       1   5      27  15

FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Trillo-Bowa-Rose.
E: Bowa (1).

BATTING - 
HR: Luzinski (1,6th inning off Forsch 1 on 2 out).
SH: Bowa (1,off Forsch).
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: McBride (1,2nd base off Forsch/Pujols); Maddox (1,3rd base off Forsch/Pujols).
CS: Rose (1,2nd base by Forsch/Pujols).

PITCHING
Houston Astros               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Forsch L(0-1)                 8     8   3   3   1   5   1  32

Philadelphia Phillies        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Carlton W(1-0)                7     7   1   1   3   3   0  30
McGraw SV(1)                  2     0   0   0   1   1   0   7
Totals                        9     7   1   1   4   4   0  37

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Doug Harvey, 
LF - Ed Vargo, RF - Jerry Crawford

PHILADELPHIA - Dick Ruthven and Nolan Ryan got the assignments to be the starting pitchers for Game 2. And, again the Astros got ahead.

A one-out walk to Craig Reynolds in the third inning was followed by a sacrifice bunt from Ryan and an RBI single from Terry Puhl.

Ryan gave up two runs in his six-plus innings. Those runs put the Phillies in the lead in the fourth. Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski hit back-to-back, right-field doubles for one run. Luzinski came home as Garry Maddox singled to left one out later.

The Astros tied it with a two-out run in the sevent. Puhl doubled Ryan home following a walk to the Houston pitcher.

The Phillies had a golden opportunity to regain the lead in their half of the seventh but Houston's bullpen rose to the occasion. Larry Bowa and Bob Boone began with singles and were advanced on a bunt by Greg Gross.

Lefty Joe Sambito relieved Ryan and walked Pete Rose intentionally to load the bases. He fanned Bake McBride and exited in favor of righthander Dave Smith. Smith kept the game even by striking out Mike Schmidt.

Houston grabbed the lead by scoring a run off Tug McGraw in the eighth. It was the first earned run off McGraw since Sept. 2nd. Joe Morgan started with a double and scored as Jose Cruz singled.

The Phillies came right back to knot the score in the same inning. Luzinski singled and was replaced by Lonnie Smith. Manny Trillo again bunted the runner to second. Smith scored the tying run when Maddox got a base hit to center.

Ron Reed replaced McGraw, who had been lifted for a pinch-hitter. The big righthander breezed through the ninth.

Frank LaCorte was called on to pitch the Astros' ninth. After getting Rose on a fly ball, McBride and Schmidt each singled to put the winning run on second. Smith stepped up and sliced a single to right. Puhl decoyed a catch and then fired home, but McBride was held up at third. LaCorte was in hot water but survived as he fanned Trillo and got Maddox on an infield fly.

Puhl began the 10th with his third hit. After a sacrifice by Enos Cabell and an intentional walk to Joe Morgan, Cruz put Houston on top again with a single to right. An error by McBride allowed the runners to move up. Cedeno's grounder scored pinch-runner Rafael Landestoy with the second run.

Lefty Dave Bergman, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement Howe in the eighth, stepped up to the plate with a chance to break the game open. Philadelphia manager Dallas Green countered with lefty Kevin Saucier. Bergman foiled that strategy with a two-run triple that gave Houston a 7-3 lead.

The Phillies managed to scratch a run out of a single and two walks in the 10th, but Joaquin Andujar ended the game by getting Schmidt on a 3-and-0 fly ball to Puhl for the final out. "Schmidt hit two home runs off me this year," Andujar said. "I wasn't going to let him hit three."

Both teams were confident as the series moved to Houston for the final three games. "Getting out of here with a split was what we were hoping for," said Ryan. "Now their work is cut out for them. We play pretty good down there."

Philly manager Green commented, "We had to win two out of three last week in Montreal to get here. We're not scared of playing in the Dome or anywhere else on the road."

Terry Puhl scores the go-ahead run in the 10th inning

Rafael Landestoy scores what would prove to be the winning run

Dave Bergman's two-run triple highlights a four-run 10th inning for the Astros

Joaquin Andujar was the winning pitcher in relief

HOU     0  0  1    0  0  0    1  1  0    4  -   7  8  1
PHI     0  0  0    2  0  0    0  1  0    1  -   4 14  2

BATTING
Houston Astros               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Puhl rf                       5   1   3   2       0   0       3   0
Cabell 3b                     4   0   0   0       0   2       0   0
Morgan 2b                     2   1   1   0       3   0       4   0
  Landestoy pr,2b             0   1   0   0       0   0       0   1
Cruz lf                       4   1   2   2       1   0       4   0
Cedeno cf                     5   1   1   1       0   0       3   0
Howe 1b                       4   0   0   0       0   1       5   1
  Bergman 1b                  1   0   1   2       0   0       1   1
Ashby c                       5   0   0   0       0   0       9   2
Reynolds ss                   3   1   0   0       2   0       1   1
Ryan p                        1   1   0   0       1   1       0   2
  Sambito p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Smith p                     0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Leonard ph                  1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  LaCorte p                   1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Andujar p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       36   7   8   7       7   5      30   8

FIELDING - 
E: Reynolds (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Puhl (1,off Ruthven); Morgan (1,off McGraw).
3B: Bergman (1,off Saucier).
SH: Ryan (1,off Ruthven); Cabell (1,off Reed).
IBB: Morgan (1,by Reed); Reynolds (1,by Saucier).
Team LOB: 8.

Philadelphia Phillies        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Rose 1b                       4   0   2   0       2   0      14   2
McBride rf                    5   0   1   0       1   1       2   0
Schmidt 3b                    6   1   2   0       0   1       0   3
Luzinski lf                   4   1   2   1       0   2       3   0
  Smith pr,lf                 1   1   1   0       0   0       0   0
Trillo 2b                     3   0   1   0       0   1       2   7
Maddox cf                     5   0   2   2       0   1       2   0
Bowa ss                       4   1   2   0       1   1       0   4
Boone c                       4   0   1   0       1   1       5   0
Ruthven p                     2   0   0   0       0   2       2   0
  Gross ph                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  McGraw p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Unser ph                    1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Reed p                      0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Saucier p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Vukovich ph                 1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       40   4  14   3       5  10      30  16

FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Bowa-Trillo-Rose.
E: McBride (1), Schmidt (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Schmidt (1,off Ryan); Luzinski (1,off Ryan).
SH: Trillo 2 (2,off Ryan,off Smith); Gross (1,off Ryan).
IBB: Rose (1,by Sambito); Bowa (1,by Smith).
Team LOB: 14.

BASERUNNING - 
CS: Maddox (1,2nd base by Ryan/Ashby).

PITCHING
Houston Astros               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Ryan                          6.1   8   2   2   1   6   0  27
Sambito                       0.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   2
Smith                         1.1   2   1   1   1   2   0   7
LaCorte W(1-0)                1     4   1   0   1   1   0   8
Andujar SV(1)                 1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4
Totals                       10    14   4   3   5  10   0  48

LaCorte faced 2 batters in the 10th inning
IBB: Sambito (1,Rose); Smith (1,Bowa).

Philadelphia Phillies        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Ruthven                       7     3   2   2   5   4   0  29
McGraw                        1     2   1   1   0   0   0   4
Reed L(0-1)                   1.1   2   4   4   1   1   0   8
Saucier                       0.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   4
Totals                       10     8   7   7   7   5   0  45

IBB: Reed (1,Morgan); Saucier (1,Reynolds).

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Ed Vargo, 
LF - Jerry Crawford, RF - Bob Engel

HOUSTON - The Astrodome is a pitcher's ball park. It's difficult to hit home runs in the spacious stadium. The Astros are perfectly moulded to play in the Dome -- strong pitching, solid defense and an offense geared to stealing bases, doubles, triples; not much power at all.

"It ain't no party coming in here and facing J.R. Richard, Joe Niekro, Nolan Ryan and Ken Forsch," said Phillies' third baseman Mike Schmidt. "But that's the only reason they had the record they did this year." It wasn't the only reason, but it was hard to argue with the basis for his logic after Joe Niekro, 20-12 in the regular season, pitched 10 shutout innings.

Larry Christenson and Niekro were the opponents in the first playoff game ever to be played indoors. The game was typical of the Dome as the pitchers dominated. The Astros scored a run in the 11th to win, 1-0.

The Phillies stranded 10 baserunners in the last four innings of Game Two. In this game, they left men on base in eight of the 11 innings. Their best threats came in the third and ninth.

With two on and two out in the third, Greg Luzinski crushed the ball to deep left, but Jose Cruz drifted back to catch the towering shot on the warning track.

Garry Maddox was hit by a pitch with two out in the ninth. After he stole second, Larry Bowa was walked. Bob Boone followed with a scorching line drive into the gap in left center. Cruz raced to his left and speared the ball to end that threat.

Christenson gave up just three hits in his six innings of work. Three times Houston had two men on base in an inning and twice he got out of the jams by throwing a double-play ball. Dickie Noles issued a harmless walk in the seventh and left in the next inning after Terry Puhl singled and was bunted to second by Enos Cabell.

Tug McGraw entered the game and got Joe Morgan to fly to Maddox. He then intentionally walked Jose Cruz but kept the Astros scoreless when Cesar Cedeno flied out to Bake McBride.

Each team had a runner on base in the 10th but the score remained 0-0. Dave Smith relieved Niekro in the 11th, and ended that inning by striking out Del Unser with two Phillies on base.

Morgan then put the real heat on McGraw as he tripled over McBride's head in right center to lead off the 11th. After Morgan was replaced with pinch-runner Rafael Landestoy, Philadelphia manager Dallas Green then ordered a pair of intentional walks to fill the bases.

Morgan had hoped to score on the play. "After it bounced away from McBride, I thought I had a chance to go all the way around but the third base coach held me," he said afterwards.

It didn't matter. Denny Walling gave Houston a 2-1 lead in the series by hitting a fly ball on an 0-2 pitch to left, scoring Landestoy.

It proved to be a costly victory, though. Cesar Cedeno was lost for the rest of the playoffs when he dislocated his right ankle trying to beat out a double-play throw in the sixth inning. He underwent immediate surgery to repair ligaments. In addition, Morgan was privately furious at manager Bill Virdon for being substituted with Landestoy, creating a personal rift that would result in him leaving the team after the season.

"The loss of Cesar will hurt us a lot," said Morgan, "but this team has overcome so much adversity already. I think we're strong enough to go the rest of the way without him."

It looked that way. The Astros went up 2-1 in the series and needed just one more win in Game 4 vs. Carlton. "Carlton's a good pitcher," Joaquin Andujar duly noted, "but tomorrow be his bad day."

Pete Rose echoed those sentiments, "They have to beat the best pitcher in the world tomorrow to win the pennant."

Green added, "It'd be fun to come back and win this thing. That just might be possible. Lefty yank 'em tomorrow and you don't know where the pressure is."

Joe Niekro starts on three days rest after pitching the playoff clincher

Joe Morgan's 10th-inning triple sets up the winning run

Rafael Landestoy scores the game-winner and gives the Astros a 2-1 series edge

PHI     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   0  7  1
HOU     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   1  6  1

BATTING
Philadelphia Phillies        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Rose 1b                       5   0   1   0       0   1      13   0
McBride rf                    5   0   1   0       0   0       2   0
Schmidt 3b                    5   0   1   0       0   0       0   2
Luzinski lf                   5   0   0   0       0   1       2   0
Trillo 2b                     5   0   2   0       0   0       3   5
Maddox cf                     4   0   2   0       0   0       6   0
Bowa ss                       3   0   0   0       2   0       2   4
Boone c                       4   0   0   0       0   0       3   1
  Unser ph                    1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Moreland c                  0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Christenson p                 2   0   0   0       0   1       0   1
  Vukovich ph                 1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Noles p                     0   0   0   0       0   0       0   1
  McGraw p                    1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       41   0   7   0       2   4      31  14

FIELDING - 
DP: 2. Bowa-Trillo-Rose, Bowa-Trillo-Rose.
E: Christenson (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Trillo (1,off Niekro); Maddox (1,off Smith).
HBP: Maddox (1,by Niekro).
IBB: Bowa 2 (3,by Niekro,by Smith).
Team LOB: 11.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: Schmidt (1,2nd base off Niekro/Pujols); Maddox (2,2nd base off Niekro/Pujols).

Houston Astros               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Puhl rf,cf                    4   0   2   0       1   1       5   0
Cabell 3b                     4   0   2   0       0   0       1   4
Morgan 2b                     4   0   1   0       1   0       0   2
  Landestoy pr                0   1   0   0       0   0       0   0
Cruz lf                       2   0   1   0       3   0       7   0
Cedeno cf                     3   0   0   0       0   0       1   0
  Bergman 1b                  1   0   0   0       0   0       5   0
  Howe ph                     0   0   0   0       1   0       0   0
Walling 1b,rf                 3   0   0   1       1   0       5   0
Pujols c                      3   0   0   0       1   0       5   0
Reynolds ss                   3   0   0   0       0   0       3   5
Niekro p                      3   0   0   0       0   1       1   0
  Woods ph                    1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Smith p                     0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       31   1   6   1       8   3      33  11

FIELDING - 
E: Bergman (1).
PB: Pujols (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Puhl (2,off Christenson).
3B: Cruz (1,off Christenson); Morgan (1,off McGraw).
SH: Reynolds (1,off Noles); Cabell (2,off Noles).
SF: Walling (1,off McGraw).
IBB: Walling (1,by Christenson); Cruz 3 (3,by Christenson,by McGraw 2); Howe
(1,by McGraw).
Team LOB: 10.

BASERUNNING - 
CS: Cabell (1,2nd base by McGraw/Boone).

PITCHING
Philadelphia Phillies        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Christenson                   6     3   0   0   4   2   0  23
Noles                         1.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   6
McGraw L(0-1)                 3     2   1   1   3   1   0  13
Totals                       10.1   6   1   1   8   3   0  42

IBB: Christenson 2 (2,Walling,Cruz); McGraw 3 (3,Cruz 2,Howe).

Houston Astros               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Niekro                       10     6   0   0   1   2   0  39
Smith W(1-0)                  1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5
Totals                       11     7   0   0   2   4   0  44

HBP: Niekro (1,Maddox).
IBB: Niekro (1,Bowa); Smith (2,Bowa).

Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Ed Vargo, 3B - Jerry Crawford, 
LF - Bob Engel, RF - Terry Tata

HOUSTON - The Astrodome is often referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." If that is true, then the ninth wonder was played in the dome on this date.

Up by two runs in the eighth, the Astros watched the Phillies come back to score three runs to take the lead, only to tie the game in the ninth and then lose, 5-3, in the 10th. The game was filled with bizarre plays, missed opportunities and a colossal controversy.

There were five double plays in the 10-inning thriller, four started by outfielders.

In the 4th inning with two Phillies on base, Garry Maddox hit a soft come-backer to the pitcher Vern Ruhle. He grabbed the ball and lobbed a throw to first baseman Art Howe. Home plate umpire Doug Harvey called it a trapped ball but the umpires at first and third base said "no, Ruhle caught the ball on the fly." Following the putout at first, which was a double play, Howe ran to second to complete a triple play. The Phillies screamed in disbelief. The six umpires huddled and then Harvey conferred with League President Chub Feeney. The twenty-minute argument resulted with no triple play, just a double play. Since time had been called before Howe tagged Bake McBride, Harvey disallowed that out at second base. Both teams protested the game.

In the bottom of the fourth, Enos Cabell lofted a fly to left. Lonnie Smith misjudged it and Cabell wound up on second. He went to third on a grounder to Pete Rose by Joe Morgan. Gary Woods drew a walk and Howe followed with a fly ball to left. Smith caught it for the out but the ball slipped out of his hand while making a throw home. Smith retrieved the ball and then nailed Woods trying to advance from first to third.

In the sixth inning, the Astros led 2-0 and had loaded the bases against Carlton with one out. Luis Pujols hit a fly ball to right. Woods tagged at third and romped home, but the Phillies dugout erupted...screaming Woods left the bag too soon. When the Phillies appealed at third base, umpire Bob Engel dramatically raised his right arm and bellowed: "OUT!"

"Woods left at least two and a half steps before the ball was caught," said Philadephia manager Dallas Green.

In the seventh, the Astros were still leading 2-0 and had loaded the bases with three walks. Reliever Ron Reed worked out of the jam by getting Denny Walling on a grounder to third.

In the eighth, the Astros saw their 2-0 lead disappear as the Phillies scored three times. Greg Gross and Smith singled to start the rally. Rose failed to move the runners over with a bunt, but then singled to right to score Gross. Jeff Leonard tried to throw Smith out at third, and the alert Rose to second on the play. Mike Schmidt then grounded a ball up the middle. Joe Morgan grabbed it behind the bag, looked at Rose going to third and then threw late to first. McBride fanned for the first out and Manny Trillo then hit a liner to Leonard in right. Schmidt decided that Leonard had trapped the ball and took off for second, but right field umpire Bruce Froemming signaled that Leonard had indeed caught the ball. The ever-alert Rose remained at third, then tagged and scampered home with the lead run before the Astros doubled Schmidt at first.

In the ninth, the Astros were trailing 3-2 but sent the game into extra innings when Puhl singled to right, scoring Rafael Landestoy. Cabell followed with a liner to McBride that resulted in Puhl being doubled off of first.

With the game tied at 3-3 in the 10th, Rose, as he had been doing for 18 years, began another rally with a one-out single. Schmidt then flied to left for the second out. Greg Luzinski came in to pinch-hit for McBride, and lashed a double off the base of the wall in left. Rose headed towards home with no intention of stopping. Cruz relayed the ball to Landestoy, who threw toward Bruce Bochy at home. In typical fashion, Rose bowled over Bochy to score the winning run. A big insurance run was then driven on a double by Trillo.

"What I saw when I came around third was the catcher fighting with the throw," said Rose. "The throw wasn't a good one. It would have been hard for anybody to handle it. So I went in any way I could."

Tug McGraw finished off the Astros in the 10th with a normal inning. After a called third strike to Morgan, McGraw retired the next two Astros on fly balls. "There has never been a game to compare with that one," McGraw said afterwards. "There has never been a game I've ever witnessed that has been more exciting, more controversial, more interesting than the game I just saw. It was like a motorcycle ride through an art museum... you see the pictures but afterward you don't remember what you saw."

Astros manager Bill Virdon chimed, "This was a strange game where strange things happened. Not a lot of things were new today; I just never saw so many of them in one game."

The infamous "triple play that wasn't" started like this...

... and became a double play after 20 minutes of this

Vern Ruhle pitched well, but couldn't hold the 2-0 lead in the 8th

Pete Rose barrels towards home early in the game

When an irresistable force meets an immovable object...

...something has to give. Rose scores a big run in the 10th inning

PHI     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0    2  -   5 13  0
HOU     0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  1    0  -   3  5  1

BATTING
Philadelphia Phillies        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Smith lf                      4   1   2   0       0   0       2   1
  Unser rf,lf                 1   0   0   0       0   1       1   1
Rose 1b                       4   2   2   1       1   1       7   1
Schmidt 3b                    5   0   2   1       0   1       3   5
McBride rf,lf                 4   0   2   0       0   1       2   1
  Luzinski ph                 1   1   1   1       0   0       0   0
  McGraw p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Trillo 2b                     4   0   2   2       0   0       3   0
Maddox cf                     4   0   0   0       1   1       6   0
Bowa ss                       5   0   1   0       0   1       0   0
Boone c                       4   0   0   0       0   1       4   0
Carlton p                     2   0   0   0       0   0       0   1
  Noles p                     0   0   0   0       0   0       1   1
  Saucier p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Reed p                      0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Gross ph                    1   1   1   0       0   0       0   0
  Brusstar p                  1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Vukovich rf                 0   0   0   0       0   0       1   0
Totals                       40   5  13   5       2   8      30  11

FIELDING - 
DP: 3. Smith-Schmidt, McBride-Noles-Schmidt, Unser-Rose.

BATTING - 
2B: Luzinski (2,off Sambito); Trillo (2,off Sambito).
SF: Trillo (1,off Sambito).
IBB: Maddox (1,by Sambito).
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: McBride (2,2nd base off Ruhle/Pujols); Smith (1,2nd base off Ruhle/Pujols);
Bowa (1,2nd base off Sambito/Bochy).

Houston Astros               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Puhl cf                       3   0   1   1       2   1       2   0
Cabell 3b                     4   1   1   0       1   0       0   2
Morgan 2b                     3   0   0   0       2   1       0   4
Woods rf                      2   0   0   0       1   0       0   0
  Walling ph                  1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Leonard rf                  1   0   0   0       0   0       2   1
Howe 1b                       3   0   1   1       1   0      13   1
Cruz lf                       3   0   0   0       1   1       2   0
Pujols c                      3   1   1   0       0   0       3   0
  Bochy c                     1   0   0   0       0   0       5   1
Landestoy ss                  3   1   1   1       1   0       2   4
Ruhle p                       3   0   0   0       0   1       1   1
  Smith p                     0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Sambito p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       30   3   5   3       9   4      30  14

FIELDING - 
DP: 2. Ruhle-Howe, Leonard-Bochy-Howe.
E: Landestoy (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Howe (1,off Carlton); Cabell (1,off Carlton).
3B: Pujols (1,off Carlton).
SH: Sambito (1,off Brusstar).
SF: Howe (1,off Carlton).
IBB: Howe (2,by Carlton).
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: Landestoy (1,2nd base off Carlton/Boone); Woods (1,2nd base off Carlton/Boone);
Puhl (1,2nd base off Noles/Boone).

PITCHING
Philadelphia Phillies        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Carlton                       5.1   4   2   2   5   3   0  24
Noles                         1.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   5
Saucier                       0     0   0   0   1   0   0   1
Reed                          0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1
Brusstar W(1-0)               2     1   1   1   1   0   0   7
McGraw SV(2)                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3
Totals                       10     5   3   3   9   4   0  41

IBB: Carlton (1,Howe).

Houston Astros               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Ruhle                         7     8   3   3   1   3   0  29
Smith                         0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1
Sambito L(0-1)                3     4   2   2   1   5   0  13
Totals                       10    13   5   5   2   8   0  43
Ruhle faced 3 batters in the 8th inning
Smith faced 1 batter in the 8th inning

IBB: Sambito (2,Maddox).

Umpires: HP - Doug Harvey, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Jerry Crawford, 3B - Bob Engel, LF - Terry Tata, 
RF - Bruce Froemming

HOUSTON - Philadelphia manager Dallas Green made some decisions which took guts. He made them and stood behind them. He broke camp with five rookies and used rookies in key spots all season. Now, as the Astros and Phillies both stood on the brink of the World Series, Green again looked to a rookie, Marty Bystrom, to take mound against veteran Nolan Ryan.

Bystrom, who was added to the post-season roster because of an injury to Nino Espinosa, gave up a run in the first inning but then held the Astros at bay until the sixth. Terry Puhl started the game with a single and scored two outs later when Jose Cruz doubled to right.

For the fifth straight game, the Astros had scored first. Their lead didn't last long, however. In the second inning, Bob Boone came through with a clutch, two-out single to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Starting the sixth, Greg Luzinski couldn't hold onto Denny Walling's liner to left center and it cost the Phillies. Alan Ashby followed up with a single to drive home Walling with the tying run.

Houston jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the seventh starting with an RBI single by Walling. After a run scored on a wild pitch, Art Howe tripled in another runner to give Houston a commanding three-run lead.

Ryan had kept the Phillies completely under control in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th innings, fanning six through those frames. But Larry Bowa started a comeback with a leadoff single in the 8th. Bob Boone followed with a grounder than Ryan couldn't handle, resulting in another base hit. Greg Gross then reached safely on a textbook bunt to load the bases.

It was now a classic battle between two superstars, Ryan vs. Rose. The count went to 2-2, then ball three, a foul and finally ball four. The walk forced in Bowa to make it 5-3 and send Ryan to the showers.

Joe Sambito was brought in to face Bake McBride. Since McBride had trouble with the left earlier in the series, Keith Moreland was brought in to pinch-hit. The rookie then dribbled a grounder to second. Morgan had just one play, a force a second. Boone scored to make it 5-4 and the Phillies had runners on first and third and still only one out.

Playing the percentages all the way, Bill Virdon lifted Sambito and brought Ken Forsch in to pitch to Mike Schmidt. Forsch fanned Schmidt for the second out.

Del Unser, pinch hitting for Christenson, then tied the game with a single to right. Second baseman Manny Trillo stepped up and stunned the Astros by tripling in two runs with a liner into the left-field corner. The Phillies were now suddenly on top, 7-5.

Bowa would say afterwards, "When we were down 5-2 in the 8th, I was leading off, Rose says get on and we'll win this thing."

The Astros weren't finished, though. Tug McGraw pitched in relief but was roughed up for four singles and two runs to even the score at 7-7. The runs scored on two-out hits by Rafael Landestoy and Jose Cruz. Terry Puhl crossed the plate with the tying run.

The Phillies threatened in the ninth before Frank LaCorte retired George Vukovich on a grounder to short with two men on base. In the bottom of the inning, Dick Ruthven entered the game as the Phillies' sixth pitcher and retired the Astros in order. For the fourth straight game, the NL Championship Series was going into extra innings.

LaCorte ran into trouble again in the 10th, but he was unable to escape this time. Unser came through again by doubling with one out. After Trillo flied out to center, Garry Maddox picked up the hit of his career, doubling to center and sending Unser home with the lead run.

Ruthven took the mound again in the 10th. Danny Heep came in to pinch-hit for LaCorte and popped up to shortstop Larry Bowa. Puhl, who had four hits in the game, nearly retied the game, but Maddox snared his drive on the warning track in center field. Enos Cabell followed suit, ending the Astros' playoff drive by lofting an easy fly ball to Maddox.

With their World Series appearance guaranteed, the Phillies exploded out of the dugout. Ruthven leaped off the mound and Maddox was raised on the shoulders of his jubilant teammates. Trillo, who hit .381 and fielded brilliantly, was named the Most Valuable Player for the championship series, which has gone down in history as one of the most exciting.

A humbled Maddox stated, "I'm overwhelmed with my own feelings and the feelings I have for all the people who were rooting for us to win this thing,"

You can't convince me which is the better team," Sambito said. "That's about as even a series as you'll ever find. Some guys may take it harder than others, but I'm proud to be an Astro." Bowa agreed. "There was no loser," he said. Virdon expressed similar sentiments, "I'll always remember this series as one in which there were no losers."

"Let them say we don't have any heart anymore," said Luzinski, "We proved to the world that we don't have a quitter on this team." Bystrom added, "Cripes, what a thrill, to come up in September and play a part in a pennant."

"If you shine, it's because somebody puts a light on you," Unser waxed afterwards. "We shined in this series because the Astros put a light on us. They pushed us harder than anyone has ever pushed us."

"I've never been through such excitement in all my life," said Jose Cruz afterwards. Terry Puhl added, "Everybody thought we were a team of destiny. They were wrong. The Phillies were a team of destiny in this series."

Out at the plate, a run that could have won the game

Del Unser is congratulated after scoring on Manny Trillo's triple

Dick Ruthven leaps for joy after the final out

The NL Champion Phillies celebrate their win

PHI     0  2  0    0  0  0    0  5  0    1  -   8 13  2
HOU     1  0  0    0  0  1    3  2  0    0  -   7 14  0

BATTING
Philadelphia Phillies        AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Rose 1b                       3   0   1   1       2   1       9   2
McBride rf                    3   0   0   0       0   2       3   1
  Moreland ph                 1   0   0   1       0   0       0   0
  Aviles pr                   0   1   0   0       0   0       0   0
  McGraw p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Vukovich ph                 1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Ruthven p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Schmidt 3b                    5   0   0   0       0   3       0   3
Luzinski lf                   3   0   1   0       0   2       0   0
  Smith pr                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Christenson p               0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Reed p                      0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Unser ph,rf                 2   2   2   1       0   0       0   0
Trillo 2b                     5   1   3   2       0   0       4   5
Maddox cf                     4   1   1   1       1   0       6   0
Bowa ss                       5   1   2   0       0   1       1   2
Boone c                       3   1   2   2       0   0       6   0
Bystrom p                     2   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Brusstar p                  0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Gross lf                    2   1   1   0       0   0       1   0
Totals                       39   8  13   8       3  10      30  13

FIELDING - 
E: Luzinski (1), Trillo (1).

BATTING - 
2B: Unser (1,off LaCorte); Maddox (2,off LaCorte).
3B: Trillo (1,off Forsch).
SH: Boone (1,off LaCorte).
IBB: Rose (2,by LaCorte).
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING - 
CS: Rose (2,2nd base by Ryan/Pujols).

Houston Astros               AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Puhl cf                       6   3   4   0       0   0       3   0
Cabell 3b                     5   0   1   0       0   1       0   1
Morgan 2b                     4   0   0   0       0   0       4   3
  Landestoy 2b                1   0   1   1       0   0       2   0
Cruz lf                       3   1   2   2       2   0       1   0
Walling rf                    5   2   1   1       0   0       1   0
  LaCorte p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Howe 1b                       4   0   2   1       0   0       4   0
  Bergman pr,1b               1   0   0   0       0   0       2   1
Pujols c                      1   0   0   0       1   0       8   1
  Ashby ph,c                  3   0   1   1       0   0       2   0
Reynolds ss                   5   1   2   0       0   0       2   2
Ryan p                        3   0   0   0       0   1       1   1
  Sambito p                   0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Forsch p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Woods ph,rf                 1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
  Heep ph                     1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       43   7  14   6       3   3      30   9

FIELDING - 
DP: 2. Reynolds-Morgan-Howe, Cabell-Morgan-Howe.

BATTING - 
2B: Cruz (1,off Bystrom); Reynolds (1,off Bystrom).
3B: Howe (1,off Reed).
SH: Cabell (3,off Christenson).
Team LOB: 10.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: Puhl (2,2nd base off Bystrom/Boone).

PITCHING
Philadelphia Phillies        IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Bystrom                       5.1   7   2   1   2   1   0  25
Brusstar                      0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2
Christenson                   0.2   2   3   3   1   0   0   5
Reed                          0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2
McGraw                        1     4   2   2   0   2   0   7
Ruthven W(1-0)                2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6
Totals                       10    14   7   6   3   3   0  47

WP: Christenson (1).

Houston Astros               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Ryan                          7     8   6   6   2   8   0  28
Sambito                       0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1
Forsch                        0.2   2   1   1   0   1   0   4
LaCorte L(1-1)                2     3   1   1   1   1   0  10
Totals                       10    13   8   8   3  10   0  43
Ryan faced 4 batters in the 8th inning

IBB: LaCorte (1,Rose).

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Terry Tata, LF - Bruce Froemming, 
RF - Doug Harvey