Andy Messersmith became the N. L.'s first 20-game winner of the season when the Dodgers defeated the Padres, 5-2, to clinch at least a tie for the West Division crown. Messersmith pitched 7 2/3 innings before giving way to Mike Marshall, who made his 105th appearance of season. Davey Lopes got the Dodgers off to a lead with a homer in the first, but the Padres pulled even in their half on a walk to Enzo Hernandez, single by Bobby Tolan and infield out by Willie McCovey. Jim Wynn doubled for the Dodgers in the sixth and raced home from second when Bill Greif uncorked a wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate and caromed toward the Dodger dugout on the third base side.

The Dodgers then put over their three winning runs in the eighth on a single by Bill Buckner, sacrifice by Wynn and singles by Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Steve Yeager. Larry Hardy replaced Greif and set a major league record for rookie pitchers with his 75th appearance of the season. Messersmith was lifted after the Padres counted their second run on doubles by Nate Colbert and Fred Kendall in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 5, San Diego Padres 2
Game Played on Saturday, September 28, 1974 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Dodgers      1  0  0    0  0  1    0  3  0  -   5 12  0
Padres       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  5  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              5   1   3   1     0   0   .268      Hernandez ss          1   1   0   0     2   0   .232
Buckner lf            5   1   2   0     0   0   .317        Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .274
Wynn cf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .273        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Garvey 1b             3   1   0   0     2   0   .312      Tolan rf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .266
Ferguson rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Grubb cf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .290
Cey 3b                4   1   2   1     0   1   .264      McCovey 1b            3   0   1   1     1   0   .254
Russell ss            4   0   2   1     0   0   .268        Scott pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .067
Yeager c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .266      Winfield lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .264
Messersmith p         4   0   0   0     0   3   .245      Thomas 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .246
  Marshall p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .212      Hilton 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .236
                                                          Cannizzaro c          2   0   0   0     0   0   .183
                                                            Colbert ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Almon ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .258
                                                          Greif p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .071
                                                            Hardy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kendall ph,c        1   0   1   1     0   0   .232

Totals               37   5  12   4     2   5             Totals               28   2   5   2     4   2

Time of Game: 2:31   Attendance: 41,055
Left on Base: Dodgers 8, Padres 4
DP: Dodgers 1, Padres 0
Doubles: Buckner (30), Wynn (17), Colbert (16), Kendall (15), McCovey (19)
Triples: Russell (6)
Home Runs: Lopes (10)
Stolen Bases: Wynn (18), Lopes (57), Yeager (2)
Caught Stealing: Buckner (13), Hilton (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Wynn (2), Grubb (4)
GIDP: Winfield (14)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith W(20-6)     7.2   4   2   2   3   2   0  27   2.60
Marshall                1.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.40
Totals                  9     5   2   2   4   2   0  33

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Greif L(9-19)           7.2  10   5   5   2   4   1  34   4.68
Hardy                   0.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.59
Tomlin                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.20
Totals                  9    12   5   5   2   5   1  40

Wild Pitches: Greif (10)
Balks: Tomlin (2)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Ed Sudol, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Bob Engel


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes homered; Buckner doubled to right; Buckner
was caught stealing third (catcher to third); Wynn singled to
center; Wynn stole second; Garvey walked; Ferguson struck out;
Cey struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Hernandez walked; Tolan singled to left [Hernandez
to second]; Grubb out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Hernandez to third, Tolan to second]; McCovey grounded out
(first unassisted) [Hernandez scored, Tolan to third]; Winfield
reached on a fielder's choice [Tolan out at home (third to
catcher to third)]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Russell tripled to right; Yeager grounded out
(third to first); Messersmith struck out; Lopes flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 2ND: Thomas flied out to center; Hilton singled to
center; Hilton was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Cannizzaro popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Padres 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Wynn
grounded out (shortstop to first); Garvey grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 3RD: Greif struck out; Hernandez walked; Hernandez was
picked off first (pitcher to first); Padres Manager John
McNamara ejected by 1B umpire Ed Sudol; Tolan flied to left
in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Ferguson flied out to left; Cey grounded out
(shortstop to first); Russell grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 4TH: Grubb popped to shortstop; McCovey walked; Winfield
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[McCovey out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 1,
Padres 1.

DODGERS 5TH: Yeager flied out to left; Messersmith struck out;
Lopes singled to left; Lopes stole second; Buckner grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 5TH: Thomas struck out; Hilton flied out to left;
Cannizzaro popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 1, Padres 1.

DODGERS 6TH: Wynn doubled to left; Garvey flied out to left;
Ferguson grounded out (third to first); Greif threw a wild pitch
[Wynn scored]; Cey singled to center; Russell forced Cey (third
to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Padres 1.

PADRES 6TH: Greif popped to first in foul territory; Hernandez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Tolan grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Padres 1.

DODGERS 7TH: Yeager grounded out (second to first); Messersmith
grounded out (shortstop to first); Lopes popped to first in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Padres 1.

PADRES 7TH: Grubb flied out to right; McCovey grounded out
(first unassisted); Winfield grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 2, Padres 1.

DODGERS 8TH: Buckner singled to center; Wynn out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Buckner to second]; Garvey was walked
intentionally; Ferguson flied out to center; Cey singled to left
[Buckner scored, Garvey to second]; Russell singled to right
[Garvey scored, Cey to third]; HARDY REPLACED GREIF (PITCHING);
Yeager singled to center [Cey scored, Russell to third]; Yeager
stole second; Messersmith struck out; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 5, Padres 1.

PADRES 8TH: Thomas flied out to center; Hilton flied out to
left; COLBERT BATTED FOR CANNIZZARO; Colbert doubled to right;
KENDALL BATTED FOR HARDY; Kendall doubled to center [Colbert
scored]; MARSHALL REPLACED MESSERSMITH (PITCHING); LOCKLEAR
BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Locklear grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Padres 2.

DODGERS 9TH: TOMLIN REPLACED LOCKLEAR (PITCHING); ALMON REPLACED
COLBERT (PLAYING SS); KENDALL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Lopes
singled to second; Tomlin balked [Lopes to second]; Buckner
flied out to left; Wynn grounded out (pitcher to first); Garvey
popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 5, Padres 2.

PADRES 9TH: Tolan walked; Grubb flied out to left; McCovey
doubled to right [Tolan to third]; SCOTT RAN FOR MCCOVEY;
Winfield flied out to center; Thomas flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 5, Padres 2.