The Phillies and Mets broke even in two games, the Phillies winning the first contest, 3-1, and the Mets winning the second, 5-4, despite a 15-strikeout performance by Steve Carlton. Dick Ruthven set the Mets down in the opener and drove home the tie-breaking run in the fourth inning with a single following a double by Larry Bowa. Mike Schmidt blasted a solo homer in the fifth.

The Mets trailed, 4-3, going into the bottom of the eighth in the nightcap, when Dave Kingman walked and John Stearns belted a two-run homer, his first round-tripper since 1979. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 3, New York Mets 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, September 16, 1981 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Phillies     0  0  1    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  0


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 1b               4   1   1   0     0   1   .333      Wilson cf             3   1   1   0     1   1   .283
McBride rf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .277      Stearns c             2   0   0   0     1   1   .271
  Gross rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .244      Mazzilli lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .232
Matthews lf           2   0   0   1     1   0   .276      Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Schmidt 3b            4   1   1   1     0   2   .314      Valentine rf          4   0   2   0     0   1   .205
Boone c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .207      Brooks 3b             4   0   1   0     0   3   .295
Maddox cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Taveras ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .228
Bowa ss               4   1   2   0     0   1   .285        Staub ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .286
Trillo 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .284        Gardenhire pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
Ruthven p             3   0   1   1     0   0   .152      Flynn 2b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Jorgensen ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .223
                                                          Zachry p              0   0   0   0     1   0   .182
                                                            Hodges ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Leach p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cubbage ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .246
                                                            Boitano p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   7   3     1   5             Totals               30   1   5   0     4   6

Time of Game: 2:14
Left on Base: Phillies 5, Mets 7
DP: Phillies 1, Mets 0
Doubles: McBride (14), Bowa (11), Valentine (9)
Home Runs: Schmidt (26)
Stolen Bases: Wilson (20)
Sacrifice Hits: Stearns (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Matthews (5)
GIDP: Flynn (12)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven W(11-5)         9     5   1   1   4   6   0  35   4.88
Totals                  9     5   1   1   4   6   0  35

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry L(7-12)          5     7   3   3   1   2   1  23   3.79
Leach                   3     0   0   0   0   2   0   9   1.61
Boitano                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   5.27
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   5   1  35

Wild Pitches: Ruthven (5)

Umpires: HP - Joe West, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Bruce Froemming


PHILLIES 1ST: Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); McBride
grounded out (second to first); Matthews walked; Schmidt flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Wilson singled to shortstop; Wilson stole second;
Stearns out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Wilson to
third]; Ruthven threw a wild pitch [Wilson scored]; Mazzilli
popped to second; Kingman grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 2ND: Boone grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bowa singled to right; Trillo
singled to left [Bowa to second]; Ruthven forced Trillo
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 0, Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Valentine struck out; Brooks struck out; Taveras
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies
0, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 3RD: Rose singled to left; McBride doubled to right
[Rose to third]; Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to right [Rose
scored]; Schmidt struck out; Boone struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Phillies 1, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Zachry
walked; Wilson popped to second; Stearns walked [Zachry to
second]; Mazzilli grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 1, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Maddox flied to right; Bowa doubled to left;
Trillo popped to second; Ruthven singled to left [Bowa scored];
Rose grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 2, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Valentine
doubled to right; Brooks struck out; Taveras grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 2, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: McBride grounded out (third to first); Matthews
grounded out (shortstop to first); Schmidt homered; Boone lined
to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Flynn singled to left; HODGES BATTED FOR ZACHRY;
Hodges flied to left; Wilson struck out; Stearns forced Flynn
(second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: LEACH REPLACED HODGES (PITCHING); Maddox grounded
out (shortstop to first); Bowa grounded out (pitcher to first);
Trillo flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3,
Mets 1.

METS 6TH: Mazzilli grounded out (pitcher to first); Kingman
grounded out (second to first); Valentine grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 7TH: Ruthven grounded out (third to first); Rose struck
out; McBride grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

METS 7TH: GROSS REPLACED MCBRIDE (PLAYING RF); Brooks singled to
second; Taveras flied to center; Flynn grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Brooks out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

PHILLIES 8TH: Matthews grounded out (third to first); Schmidt
struck out; Boone grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: CUBBAGE BATTED FOR LEACH; Cubbage grounded out
(shortstop to first); Wilson walked; Stearns struck out;
Mazzilli flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 3,
Mets 1.

PHILLIES 9TH: BOITANO REPLACED CUBBAGE (PITCHING); Maddox popped
to shortstop; Bowa struck out; Trillo grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.

METS 9TH: Kingman lined to third; Valentine singled to third;
Brooks struck out; STAUB BATTED FOR TAVERAS; Staub walked
[Valentine to second]; GARDENHIRE RAN FOR STAUB; JORGENSEN
BATTED FOR FLYNN; Jorgensen flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Phillies 3, Mets 1.