Schilling Gets Record, Then Ejection

L.A. Times Archives

Sept. 27, 1997 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

Curt Schilling’s strikeout season ended when he struck back.

Schilling set the National League record for strikeouts by a right-hander in a season before being ejected in the eighth inning of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 5-3 victory over the Florida Marlins Friday night at Philadelphia.

The Phillie right-hander entered the game expecting to break the mark he shared with Houston’s J.R. Richard, who struck out 313 in 1979. And he wasted no time, striking out Devon White, the first batter he faced, on his way to a six-strikeout performance.

But he certainly didn’t expect to be ejected from his final start of year after hitting John Wehner with a pitch to start the eighth.

Although no one on either side would say it, Schilling (17-11) was following one of baseball’s oldest unwritten rules, a variation on the old biblical tenet of “an eye for an eye.”

After Kevin Jordan’s solo home run in the seventh tied the score, 2-2, Marlin pitcher Antonio Alfonseca (1-3) fired his next pitch into the backside of Phillie rookie Scott Rolen.

Rolen would go on to score the go-ahead run in a four-run inning, but just about everybody knew what was coming when the Marlins came up in the eighth.

The surprise was that it took Schilling three pitches to plunk Wehner. The first one went inside and the second one went behind Wehner. The third hit its intended target.

Home plate umpire Wally Bell, who had warned both benches after Alfonseca hit Rolen, immediately ejected Schilling as well as Phillie Manager Terry Francona.

The wild finish overshadowed a sensational season for Schilling, whose six strikeouts gave him 319, the 10th highest total in history.

Former Marlin Billy McMillon, obtained by the Phillies in the July trade that sent Darren Daulton to Florida, drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run triple.

Chicago 5, St Louis 2--Mark McGwire now has two games left to catch Roger Maris.

McGwire went homerless for the sixth time in the last seven games as the Cardinals lost at St. Louis.

McGwire remains tied with Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. for the major league lead in homers with 55, but Maris’ 61 is all but out of reach.

McGwire just missed a home run in the first off Cubs starter Kevin Tapani (9-3), flying out to deep right. He struck out swinging in the third, hit a grounder in the sixth to Tapani, and walked in the ninth.

Tapani won his seventh consecutive start despite a rough beginning. He gave up a leadoff double to Delino DeShields and an RBI single to Phil Plantier. After McGwire’s long out and a walk to Ray Lankford, Tapani retired 17 in a row before Lankford doubled to open the seventh.

Cincinnati 7, Montreal 1--Mike Morgan pitched a three-hitter and Jon Nunnally hit his first grand slam as the Reds beat the Expos at Montreal.

The Reds won their fourth game in a row.

Morgan (9-12) allowed just a double to Chris Widger in the third inning, a bloop single to Brad Fullmer in the seventh and a single to Mark Grudzielanek in the ninth.

Morgan struck out a season-high seven and walked one in his first complete game of the season.

Nunnally hit his slam off Mike Johnson (2-5) with two outs in the fourth, giving the Reds a 6-1 lead.

Damian Jackson led off the ninth with his first major league home run for a 7-1 lead.

Willie Greene hit a run-scoring grounder in the first and an RBI single in the the Reds a 2-0 lead.

Lenny Harris singled lead off the Reds fourth and Aaron Boone singled with one out. After Morgan sacrificed, Jackson walked to load the bases and Nunnally homered over the wall in right.

Atlanta 7, New York 6--Rafael Belliard hit his first home run in more than 10 years and Danny Bautista drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 11th inning as the Braves won at New York.

John LeRoy (1-0) pitched two innings to win in his first major league appearance, and Kerry Ligtenberg pitched the 11th for his first major league save.

Tony Graffanino went three for five with a two-run homer for Atlanta.

After pitching a scoreless 10th, Mel Rojas (0-6) allowed a leadoff single to Tim Spehr in the 11th. Spehr stole second on Graffanino’s strikeout and Ed Giovanola was walked intentionally before Bautista singled to score Spehr.

Houston 2, Pittsburgh 0--While the regulars joked around on the bench, pitcher Ramon Garcia and a reserve-laden lineup led the Astros over the Pirates at Houston.

Garcia (9-8) won his fourth consecutive decision, yielding six hits in seven innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Billy Wagner struck out the side in the ninth for his 23rd save.

Sean Berry’s second-inning double was the only hit off Esteban Loaiza (11-11) until Russ Johnson singled to open the fifth.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Jon Nunnally

Team: Cincinnati

Performance: 1 for 4, grand slam

Team’s Result: Win

Player: Tony Graffanino

Team: Atlanta