Inspired Maddux Defeats Phillies : Right-Hander Says Zimmer’s Lecture Helped Him Get 18th Win

Greg Maddux was much more impressed with the lecture Chicago Manager Don Zimmer’s had delivered after the loss of the night before than Zimmer was.

After pitching a six-hitter in Chicago Thursday afternoon to give the Cubs a 9-1 victory over the Phillies to chalk up his 18th victory of the season, and to protect the Cubs’ lead in the National League East, Maddux credited Zimmer’s speech.

“He made us more aware of what we should be doing to get the batters out, that really was what the meeting was about,” Maddux said. “It worked, what he said. We won!”

But Zimmer shrugged it off, saying: “I’ve been saying the same thing all year.”

The Cubs were helped, too, by Andre Dawson, who broke out of an 11-for-58 slump with a three-game homer.

Chicago’s magic number for clinching the East was seven. Second-place St. Louis scheduled to play at home against New York Thursday night.

Maddux is 18-12 and has equaled his victory total of last season. The right-hander, pounded for seven runs and 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies on Sept. 6, struck out six and walked two in his seventh complete game.

Philadelphia, which won 9-8 Wednesday, has allowed 35 hits in two games.

Chicago went ahead in the second inning on Rick Wrona’s RBI single off Terry Mulholland. The Cubs made it 6-0 in the fourth on RBI singles by Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace followed by Dawson’s 19th homer.

Doug Dascenzo, Sandberg and Grace hit consecutive RBI singles in the fifth off Randy O’Neal. Ricky Jordan hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning for the Phillies.

“We have to continue to root for spoilers to beat the Cards and we have to continue to win,” said Grace, who had two hits and drove in two runs.

Phillies Manager Nick Leyva, commenting on the pitchers he used against the Cubs, Terry Mulholland, Randy O’Neal and Reggie McElroy: “They stunk.”

Leyva thought the game was decided in the fourth inning, when third baseman Charlie Hayes hesitated on his throw to first after Dascenzo’s two-out grounder. Dascenzo beat the throw, setting up the five-run inning.

“It was a mental error,” Leyva said. “It knocked the wind out of the ballclub. If he makes the play, it’s a one-run ball game. His concentation is not there.”