Don Carman Is Nearly Perfect in Phillie Win

Don Carman of the Philadelphia Phillies was perfect for eight innings and 100 pitches Wednesday at San Francisco.

But as pitch No. 101 was driven to left-center field by San Francisco’s Bob Brenly for a double, Carman had an awful feeling.

“When it was first hit, I was sure it was going to be a home run. I was thinking about going from a perfect game to a loss in one pitch,” Carman said after his 1-0, 10-inning victory.

The left-hander allowed just that one baserunner in his nine innings of work. Juan Samuel homered off Mike Krukow, 12-7, with one out in the 10th to break the scoreless tie and Carman at least had a victory.

The Phillies pinch hit Carman in the 10th and Steve Bedrosian set the Giants down in order in the bottom of the inning for his 17th save.

“I had no reservations about taking Carman out,” Phillies’ Manager John Felske said. “He had thrown 111 pitches and this was the first time he’d ever gone nine innings. He’s been in the bullpen the last year and a half. I didn’t want to take any chances.”

Carman (6-4) didn’t want to take any chances with Brenly, either.

“I started him off with a curve. The second pitch was a fastball that was supposed to be down and away, but it was chest high and right over the middle. I was lucky I got away with it,” he admitted.

A bright afternoon sun at Candlestick Park may have been unlucky for Carman as center fielder Milt Thompson appeared to have a good chance of catching the ball hit by Brenly.

“The ball was tailing away from me, plus I had my shades (sunglasses) down and was fighting the sun,” Thompson said. “The ball just missed my glove. I thought I’d have a shot at it.

“(Left fielder) Gary Redus told me ‘Nice try.’ ”

But, Thompson added, “I feel bad.”

Jose Uribe attempted to move Brenly to third with a sacrifice, but third baseman Mike Schmidt threw to shortstop Steve Jeltz, who was covering, to retire Brenly.

Krukow sacrificed Uribe to second and Dan Gladden was walked intentionally. But Carman got pinch-hitter Joel Youngblood to pop up to end the inning.

The combined one-hitter was the third shutout of the Giants in a week. San Francisco, still second but fading in the National League West, has lost four straight games and six of its last seven.

“All season we’ve been a tough and confident bunch, and we’re going to stay that way,” Krukow, who allowed eight hits, seven of them singles, in going the distance, said. “We’re by no means out of it, and we’re going to come back from this setback and turn things around tomorrow.”

Carman was shooting for the 16th perfect game in modern major-league history. The left-hander, who celebrated his 27th birthday last Thursday, struck out nine and was helped by a circus catch in the second inning by Redus.

Will Clark led off the second with a blooper to left. Redus appeared to get a late start on the ball, then dashed in to make a diving catch. He somersaulted but came up holding the ball.

The only other hard hit balls came when Candy Maldonado lined to Redus to end the second and Chris Brown hit a line drive to Glenn Wilson in right in the fifth.

Carman worked out of the Phillies’ bullpen until making his first start July 11 and has been in the regular rotation since then. In his last start Friday in Pittsburgh, he lasted just four innings, allowing six runs, six hits and five walks.

Carman came up briefly in 1983 and 1984, and spent his first full season with the Phillies last year, compiling a 9-4 record and 2.08 earned-run average in 71 games, all in relief. He relieved in 36 games this season before making his first start.

Atlanta 8, Chicago 3--David Palmer drove in three runs with a double and two singles to lead a 17-hit attack and combined with Jeff Dedmon on a six-hitter, leading the Braves to their third straight victory over the Cubs at Chicago.

Palmer (9-8) singled in the third when the Braves scored two unearned runs. Ken Oberkfell also singled and both runners scored when right-fielder Keith Moreland dropped Dale Murphy’s fly ball for a two-base error.

Ken Griffey and Rafael Ramirez both singled in the fourth and scored on Palmer’s two-out double off Dennis Eckersley (6-8).

The Braves added two more runs in the sixth on run-scoring singles by Palmer and Omar Moreno. Griffey also had three hits and scored twice.

Palmer’s victory was his fourth straight. He won three in a row before not getting a decision in two games.

Palmer allowed two hits, singles by Gary Matthews in the first and Leon Durham in the fourth, before Chicago rallied for three runs in the eighth.

Bob Dernier doubled with one out and pinch-hitter Thad Bosley walked. Shawon Dunston and Ryne Sandberg followed with RBI singles to knock out Palmer. Dedmon came in and gave up another run-scoring single to Matthews before getting Moreland to ground into a double play.

The victory was the Braves’ 11th in the last 16 games.

New York 5, Seattle 2--Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly hit two-run home runs, helping the Yankees snap a three-game losing streak against the Mariners at New York.

The Mariners had won four in a row.