Northern Expos-ure

This opening day (1976) is a bit more special than most, because it takes place at Big Shea in Flushing.  Shea Stadium is important to Expo fans.  It is the site of their first ever game just 7 years earlier in 1969.  In their inaugural game Le Expos were able to beat Tom Seaver (today's opponent) and the Mets in a wild and wacky 11-10 mini-drama.  Today's game would have all the same pomp and pageantry during the pre-game that the 1969 game would have, but not the same high scoring result.  In fact today belonged solely to one George Thomas Seaver...aka "The Franchise" or better known to the Flushing faithful as "Tom Terrific".  Whatever you call him, the reigning 1975 NL Cy Young Award winner was flat out dominating.  On a 52ø blustery day in that wind tunnel called Shea Seaver dominated from start to finish by fanning 17 Expos and allowing just 2 hits in a complete game effort.  His only mistake on the day was a second inning homer by third baseman Larry Parrish, who along with Jim Lyttle were the only 2 Expo regulars who didn't strike out on the day.  Seaver's opponent, Dan Warthen had himself a decent outing, but he gave up 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings worth of work and that just isn't going to get it done vs "The Franchise".  Warthen would be victimized by the long ball coming off the bats of Wayne Garrett and Del Unser.  Montreal's skipper commented, "I like that Garrett guy...I wonder if we could get him to play second base for us someday ?"  Warthen in his post game interview was quoted as saying, "I love New York's pitching.  It would be a dream job coaching them..."

The beautiful thing about baseball is the fact that you don't have to wait a week to get right back out there and avenge a tough loss.  On the hill today for Le Expos was veteran lefty Woodie Fryman.  The "Wood man" has been a mainstay on the Expos staff since arriving from Detroit last season.  Fryman is a veteran who gets it done, and boy did he ever get it done today giving us 8 innings of shutout ball before handing the ball off to Dale Murray, who pitched a scoreless 9th to notch the save.  Fryman's a tough / smart / seasoned vet who knew he was running out of gas after scattering 7 hits over 8 innings and not allowing New York to score.  I'm sure deep down inside he wanted a chance in the 9th to get the shutout, but he also know how important it was for the team to get that all important first win..  Fryman had the unenviable task of making a solo run hold up.  Thank Ellis Valentine for posting that run by taking Met starter Jon Matlack deep in the 6th to break a scoreless tie.  Beating a top notch starter like Matlack is tough.  Beating him in his home park where he holds the record for having the all time best ERA at Shea is just off the charts.  The bottom line for this Expos team is that we need to score more runs, because we can't bank on guys like Fryman tossing goose eggs every time out.

While the results of the rubber match were not to our liking, it did show that this team his a lot of grit and resolve.  Defacto ace, Steve Rogers spotted New York two runs the home half of the second.  We can't lay all the blame on the bearded one.  Sure he dug himself into a hole by plunking Dave "Kong" Kingman to start the inning, and then giving up a double to Jerry Grote and an RBI single to "Steady" Eddie Kranepool...but that only amounted to 1 run in the books.  The second run came on an badly timed error by Pete Mackanin on a slow roller hit by pitcher Mickey Lolich.  "Macks" error was inexcusable, because he should have know that Lolich's ability to go from home to first is measured not with a stopwatch, but with a sun dial.  Simply put, Mickey is not Mickey (Mantle) when it comes to running the bases.  "Mack" had a lot more time than he thought he had, which means we gave away a cheap run.  Four two out singles in a row in the 4th would cut the deficit in half.  Mackanin started the rally, which only proves how baseball truly allows one to attone for their sins in the field with prowess at the plate.  Kudos to Kingman for displaying a fine arm in right field, as he cut down Tim Foli trying to score for the final out of the inning.  Most of us laugh at how awkward Kong looks out in the field, and on most days he is a liability with the leather, but he does have a rifle arm thanks to the years he was a top notch starter at USC.  Foli now knows about that arm.  A single, a walk a wild pitch and a sac fly helped the 'Spos tie it up in the 8th, but another RBI single by Kranepool in the bottom of the frame would put the Amazin's back up for good.  Rogers looked to be laboring, but it was his game to lose.  Quite frankly we didn't have anyone better in the pen, so he had to find a way to win it.  After Skip Lockwood blew the save in the 8th, veteran Ken Sanders came on for New York to close it out with a perfect 9th.

The Expos would go on to drop 2 of 3 to the Amazin's, but they had a chance to win the series if they got the right breaks.  The team will get 3 days off as we head home for our final home opener in Jarry Parc vs the ascending Phillies.

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