Wohlford’s Home Run Gives Expos a 5-3 Win, Ends Cubs’ Win Streak

Jim Wohlford has reached the stage of his major league baseball career where he knows exactly what is expected of him.

“When I was younger, playing with Kansas City and Milwaukee, I wanted to play every day,” said the Montreal Expos’ pinch-hitter who came off the bench and hit a three-run sixth-inning homer that powered the Expos to a 5-3 victory over Chicago Cubs in their National League home opener Friday.

“Now, I know I’m more of a role player. I like hitting against left-handed pitching, and I know my limitations. It’s not easy coming off the bench, but I’ve been doing it for 12 years. It’s just something you have to gear yourself mentally for.”

The Montreal victory, in front of 30,930 at Olympic Stadium, ended Chicago’s five-game winning streak and snapped a string of 16 straight victories by Cubs right-hander Rick Sutcliffe, dating back to June 29, 1984.

“That was last year--forget it,” said Sutcliffe. “As far as I’m concerned, I was 2-0, that’s it. It seemed as though I was ball one on everyone. It’s my own fault. I was too fine, not too wild.”

The Cubs held a 3-1 lead in the sixth after Ron Cey belted his second homer of the season, a two-run shot off Bryn Smith, 2-0, in the top half of the inning.

But Vance Law singled against Sutcliffe, 2-1, to open the Expos sixth. Mike Fitzgerald followed with an infield single and Law took third as shortstop Shawon Dunston made a throwing error on the play.

One out later, Sutcliffe was chased by Tim Raines’ run- scoring double. Ray Fontenot relieved and Wohlford, drove an 0-1 pitch into the left-field seats.

The Expos had only one pinch-hit homer in the 1984 season.

Chicago struck for a first inning run on Thad Bosley’s RBI triple but the Expos tied it in the fifth as Dan Driessen stroked a run-scoring single.

Dan Schatzeder worked three scoreless innings in relief of Smith, and Jeff Reardon worked the ninth for his second save.

Carlton Fisk claims “Some clubs you swing good against and some clubs you don’t.” What Fisk does against the Boston Red Sox, his former teammates, is almost criminal.

Fisk and Luis Salazar hit two-run homers and Rudy Law and Harold Baines hit solo homers to lead the White Sox to an 8-1 victory over the Red Sox before a crowd of 40,087 at Chicago.

Britt Burns ran his record to 2-0 with his first complete game since last May. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Back in 1981, his first season with the White Sox, Fisk hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning of the season opener to defeat Boston. He has since hit 15 homers against the Red Sox, including his two-run shot in the first inning to stake Burns to a 3-0 lead following Law’s homer.

Fisk also had a homer and five RBI last weekend in a series at Boston.