Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 22

TIMES-ADVOCATE Bad radio helps give Unser win Phillies' sunbathing costs them the lead day, including a two-out, fourth-inning single to break up a no-hitter by Phillie starter Bob Walk. Mumphrey also had RBI singles during a five-run sixth and a three-run eighth as the Padres entertained 7,815 fans with their highest run output at San Diego Stadium this year. It was great to see 10 runs on the board, continued Mumphrey. It was a great win for us, but every win is great at this stage. Jerry Coleman, who had undergone a trying season in his first try as a major league manager, was pleased with the fact that his club came from a 3-0 deficit to defeat a front-runner.

You always like to beat the good clubs," smiled Coleman. I think the Phillies would prefer not to remember this one. They were really in control until midway through the game when everything went in our favor. Ive never seen Maddox play like that before. I made an error once and it was a terrible experience.

While Walk (9-4) was stopping the Padres on one hit through four innings, the Phils had built a 3-0 lead off Padre starter Juan E'ichel-berger. Mike Schmidts leadoff single, a pair of walks and a wild pitch led to a pair of fourth-inning runs, and Schmidt pulled a surprise steal of third base in the fifth following a walk and a Bake McBride single. Keith Morelands RBI single brought home Schmidt with the third run. The Padres finally got to Walk in the bottom of the fifth, which Brod Perkins led off with a double to the wall in right-center. After Craig Stimacs single got past shortstop Larry Bowa, Perkins scored on a fielders choice grounder by Ozzie Smith.

It was just a matter of catching up with him, said Perkins, who is eight-for-12 his last five games and batting .524 (ll-for-21) since being called up from Hawaii last month. Thats the first time Ive faced him, and he just got a fast ball in when I got the hit. Perkins, who has been used at first base and as a pinch-hitter, started in rightfield yesterday. It was great out there, said Perkins. All I want to do is get the chance to play.

If I keep hitting, I know I can find a job, if not here than somewhere else in the major leagues. San Diegos speed ignited a sixth-inning rally that put five runs and a 6-3 lead on the board. Gene Richards led off the inning by legging out a grounder to short on a play that Bowa would have made on just about anyone else in the league. After an easy steal of second base, Richards 52nd theft of the year, Bowa went for a play at third on a grounder by Luis Salazar. Richards made it a double whammy on the Phillie shortstop by beating that throw, too, and Mumphrey followed with an RBI Please see Phillies, D-3 By RICK HOFF T-A Sports Writer SAN DIEGO Going into yesterdays baseball game at San Diego Stadium, the hopes of the Philadelphia Phillies in their battle for the Eastern Division top spot were as bright as the sun.

As Montreal and Pittsburgh each began to lose momentum, the Phillies came on to move into first place momentarily until losing the nightcap Saturday and started yesterday a half-game out of first place. But the sun got a little too bright. Outfielder Garry Maddox, a fivetime Golden Glover, allowed two routine fly balls to drop in center and the San Diego Padres took advantage of those mistakes and their own speed to rout the Phillies, 10-3. I really dont know what happened to Garry, said Maddox centerfield counterpart, Jerry Mumphrey. Didnt he have his glasses on? No, indeed Maddox did not bother to don a pair of sunglasses until after his second misplay in the seventh inning.

I usually go to the glasses at about the fourth or fifth inning, said Mumphrey. Thats when the sun gets the worst. I know excactly how he felt out there because Ive lost the ball before. Hell, hes the best in the business. It was just one of those days when it happened to the best.

Mumphrey had three hits on the I fcM OZZIE SMITH BATTLES A ONTARIO, Calif. (AP) What Bobby Unser had during yesterdays California 500 championship car race was a failure to communicate. But the 46-year-old Albuquerque Cowboy also had his uprecedented fourth California 500 victory virtually sewn up before many in the sundrenched Ontario Motor Speedway crowd of 75,000 had even finished their first beer. My radio never worked from the beginning, a grinning Unser said. I couldnt talk to the crew at all.

I could hear Roger (team owner Roger Penske) but he didnt know it and he didnt even try to say much. That meant that we had to do 1 things completely different than we have since I got the radios in about 1972. We had no signals set up for me to tell them I needed a tire or wing or (tire) stagger changed, so Roger had to handle all of the pit strategy. He didnt know that he could tell me what was going on around the track, so I didnt really know what was going on. I just had to handle the driving.

It was probably the best job Roger and the crew have ever done, and they always do a great job. Unsers toughest competition came from Johnny Rutherford, who clinched his first national championship despite finishing 8.53 seconds behind the winner, and Unsers Penske tehmmate Rick Mears, who wound up third, a full lap behind. I knew real early that I could pull away (from Rutherford) a second a Ihp any time I wanted to, explained Unser, who now owns seven Indy car Triple Crown titles, including two at Indianapolis and one at Pocono. It was real strange, the veteran explained. At one point, my engine died while I was in the short chute (straightaway) between turns three and four.

I knew Id run out of fuel, but I had no way to tell them in the pits so theyd have the starter out when I coasted in. That pit stop, coming on the 138th of 200 laps, took a seemingly endless 34.7 seconds. But Unsers metallic blue Penske PC-9 still came away with a lead of more than 20 seconds over Rutherfords canary yellow Chaparral. Unser and Rutherford have shared all the victories on the champ car circuit this season, with Rutherford winning five and Unser four. JHe outran us, but I think I could have won the race if Id have had a bigger blower (turbocharger), Rutherford said.

I dont say I would have, but I think I could have. Unser won 872,600 from the total purse of $290,000, while Rutherfords team took home $41,450. There were five yellow flags in the race, with two of them brought out by accidents. But there were no serious injuries. Chargers hope Partridge is punting answer from Hawaii who averaged 41.6 and 39.7 in his two college seasons, followed West out of camp, going in the first cut.

Olander, who is also a backup quarterback and a backup placekick- Early this morning the Chargers sent Olander to the New York Giants for an undisclosed draft choice. Olander, who was in his fourth year with the Chargers completed 12-of-25 passes for 125 yards in his term with San Diego. The Chargers must get down to the NFL roster limit of 45 by late today, but the cuts were not expected to announced until late this afternoon. er, punted in one pre-season game, but apparently wasnt the answer to the Chargers prayers. Dodds, the top punter in the NCAA last year with a 45.6 average at the University of Montana, didnt kick well in camp and was never allowed BY JOHN MAFFEI T-A Sports Editor SAN DIEGO After seven men tried and seven men failed, the great punting search is over for the San Diego Chargers.

When training camp opened more than a month ago, San Diego listed veterans Jeff West, Cliff Olander and Mike Wood, seventh-round draft pick Stuart Dodds and free agents Mike Kirkland, Tony Fernandes and Greg Cummins among the candidates for the 1980 punting job. Now, just six days before the opening of the season, none remain. Dissatified with the punting he has seen the last several weeks, Coryell instructed the Charger front office to get him a punter. Less than 24 hours after that order was given, Rick Partridge was on a plane to San Diego. Partirdge would appear to be the answer to the Coryells pleas for a man who can punt the football.

Last year, as a member of the New Orleans Saints, Partridge punted 57 nerve was only a bruise. I dont like to lose a game like this, though. They beat us pretty bad at all phases of the game. Were going to find out what kind of people we have after stumbling around like that. Maybe our guys were still thinking about the 12 wins last year, but its time to forget that stuff.

Seattle has a very excellent team, one that I have a lot of respect for. They are much improved over last year and they have to be considered one of the favorites in our division. Coryells club will travel to the Now Chargers real after LA. exhibition Staff Photo by Jim Baird TOUCH SAN DIEGO SUN times for a 40.9 average. West, the man who handled all the Chargers punting last year, had a 36.5 average on 75 kicks.

Some will argue that West was very good at pinning opponents deep in their own territory by dropping the ball every so gently inside the 20-yard line. Twenty-three times he turned that trick. But, cold hard statistics dont lie. West ranked 14th among punters in the AFC and 28th in the NFL. His net average (the average per kick, minus the average the kicks are returned) was only 31.4.

The Chargers were not impresssed with those statistics. West was told that the club would audition a number of other punters in the pre-season. He asked for and received his release so that he could hook on with another team. Five weeks later, West is still unemployed. Fernandes, a rookie from Cal Poly (Pomona), and Cummins, a rookie play for Tight end Gregg McCrary, who had his finest game of the pre-season with four receptions for 86 yards, didnt seem too worried about the Chargers being able to recover.

Well jell when the real season starts, promised McCrary. We were simply outplayed, but the Rams were a little more hyped up about this game than we were. They wanted to get back at us for what we did to them last year. Benirschke and McCrary provided two of the brighter spots on offense in what was otherwise a somewhat slop- py performance. Rolf showed that he still has a lot of boot in his leg by booming a career-best 55-yard field goal in the third quarter.

I was glad that the coach let me try that one," said Benirschke. It was so nice to feel good again. I dont think he would have let me try it in a regular-season game, but we both wanted to see what I could do. At first, we were going to pooch-punt with Mike (holder Mike Kirkland), but the coach changed his mind at the last minute. I hit one from 58 yards while we were wanning up, but the key is getting the snap and placement down right.

Mike has just started to do the holding, and thats a different situation to be put in if youre not used it. to perform in a game before he was released. Woods was kept around strictly as insurance. Kirkland, who is also a backup quarterback, appeared to have the job locked up until he averaged 33 yards on four punts on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Rams. He had three kicks of 39 yards, one of which was returned eight yards and another 18, and a fourth of just 16 yards.

Partridge, on the other hand, has the statistics to justify his acquistion for an undisclosed draft pick. He was No. 3 in the NFC and No. 8 in the NFL last year in punting. His net average was 35.5 fourth best in the NFL.

He pinned opponents inside the 20 on 15 different occasions. Partridge, a second-year man out of Utah where he once had a 91-yard punt, held for placements and was a backup placekicker, caught the Chargers eye last year when San Diego played in the Superdome. He 7 I GREGG McCRARY WAS ONE OF punted twice that day for a 41.5 average. One of the boots traveled 52 yards. Neither was returned.

Despite a 46.2 average on six punts in the pre-season, the man who was originally drafted on the eighth round in 79 by the Green Packers, became expendable when the Saints decided to hand both the punting and placek-icking jobs to former first round draft pick Russell Erxleben. In four pre-season games, Erxleben punted 16 times for a 41.3 average. He also booted one field goal in three attempts. His performance prompted the Saints to release veteran Garo Yepremian, who hit 12-of-16 field goals and 39-of-40 field goals for them last year when Erxleben sufferd a back injury and was lost for the season. Yepremian, who was waived last week, has yet to hook with a team.

Fortunately for Partridge and the Chargers, last years Saints punter has found a new home. SaH foto by Jim SATURDAY'S FEW BRIGHT SPOTS 'Maybe our guys were still thinking about the 12 wins last year. Coryell Don Macek made a good snap and Kirkland placed it perfectly." Benirschkes kick brought a big smile to Coryells face, as did the play of McCrary. Gregg played very, very well, said Coryell. He took some real shots out there, but he seems to always come back after those hits.

I thought John Cappelletti and Clarence Williams played well, too, and I was pleased with Don Woods. Then there were the negatives, of which there were quite a few. The Chargers fumbled five times, losing two. Both set up Ram touchdowns. That was 14 points right there, said Coryell.

You cant give up two easy touchdowns like that. San Diegos pass defense allowed Haden to complete 17 of 29 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. There was no need for Vince Ferraga-mo, who sat out the game with a hamstring injury. Elvis Peacock and Cullen Bryant combined for 113 yards on 24 carries to make the Ram running game look good. While the Rams offensive line gave Haden substantially more protection than last October, defensive end Reggie Doss blew past the Charger offensive line to make four quarterback sacks and assist on another.

In all, San Diego quarterbacks were sacked seven times for 74 yards in losses. We certainly have something to prove going into Seattle, said Coryell. But I know these people pretty well and I think theyll bounce back. Time will tell. By RICK HOFF T-A Sports Writer ANAHEIM Don Coryell kept a grim face as he answered questions from reporters in the clubhouse at Anaheim Stadium.

The head coach of the San Diego Chargers was trying to come up with answers and explanations for his teams 34-17 loss to Los Angeles on Saturday night, and the pain was obvious in Coryells face. Then someone asked the coach if he could think of anything positive about the defeat to the Rams. For the first time, a smile broke on Coryells face as he looked up and responded, No, not off hand." Although the game was of the exhibition type, theres the traditional San Diego-Los Angeles rivalry, and Coryell did not enjoy getting whipped by the club up the freeway. He might have felt a bit of what Ram coach Ray Malavasi was feeling last year when the Chargers blasted Los Angeles out of the Coliseum by a 40-16 count. But San Diego ran into a new Ram team in a new stadium Saturday.

It appeared that Los Angeles was intent on avenging last years embarass-ment, when the Chargers defensive line pounded quarterback Pat Haden about the turf like a rag doll. Haden and the Rams got their revenge, but after the defeat settled in, Coryell was indeed able to find some positives. I was glad that we could get through the pre-season without any of our players suffering major injuries, said Coryell, who revealed that John Jeffersons possible pinched neck Northwest next Sunday for the real thing against the Seahawks in the opener of the 16-week regular season. The San Diego coaches will undoubtedly dig a little deeper into the playbook in Seattle. Our offense has a lot more complicated variations than what weve shown in the pre-season, said quarterback Dan Fouts, who completed seven-of-nine passes for 96 yards in 2W quarters of play.

The coaching staff will be getting on all of our tails, and rightfully so, said kicker Rolf Benirschke. L.A. just killed us out there, but maybe that will make us think a little more. I hope it hits home. The same thing happened to us last year in the last pre-season game (a 23-7 loss at L.A.), but we still got off to a good start.".