We're trying out a new daily feature here at The 700 Level--a history lesson of sorts, to make sure your brains don't turn to complete mush this summer. Every day, we'll be trotting out a precious memory from the years of Philadelphia sports past, as we recall the important signings, the boneheaded trades, the landmark victories, the crushing losses, the on-field gaffes, the unforgettable plays, the wtf-worthy off-the-court moments, and everything else that makes up the rich tapestry of sports history in the city of Brotherly Love. Think of it like one of those delightful tear-away calendars, except that you don't have to waste a Christmas gift on it, and you can't cheat by looking ahead when you think no one's watching.
Today, we go back 23 years to look at the last moment of triumph for one of the great pitchers in the city's history, Steve Carlton. In 1986, Lefty was squarely into his 40s, having pitched in the majors for over two decades,14 seasons of which were spent with the Phillies. But after four Cy Young awards, a World Series ring, and nearly 4000 strikeouts, Carlton's period of dominance was clearly coming to an end, as he started the season with a 1-5 record and a 6.69 ERA. A proud pitcher, Calrton believed he still had more to give, and did enter a decent stretch of five games where he posted a 3-1 record, and lowered his ERA to 4.85.
The culmination of this stretch was on June 1st, when Lefty took the hill in a 16-5 rout of the San Diego Padres. On a blisteringly hot day in Philadelphia, Juan Samuel knocked in four RBIs, Darren Daulton and Glenn Wilson also went deep, and after giving up an early home run to Kevin McReynolds, Carlton settled down, and ended up with a respectable, if unspectacular, line of 5 ERs, 10 hits, 2 K and 2 BBs in six innings pitched. The win was his second in a row, the first time Carlton had won back-to-back games since 1984, and the Phils' sixth in a row, bringing them to a slightly-less-embarrassing 21-24. "I feel good about how we're playing," said manager John Felske. "Our pitching has really picked everything up."
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Things went south from there for Carlton, however, as the team lost in his next four outings, without Steve going longer than five innings. He was released by the Phillies 23 days later, and though he went on to have a decent second half of the year for the Giants and the White Sox, Carlton--who had won 247 games for the Fightins, including six in the post-season--would never again win a game in a Phillies uniform. The Phillies finished the 1986 season at 86-75, good enough for second place, but still 21.5 games behind the first-place finishers--the eventual World Series champion New York Mets.