Gaylord Perry, the reigning Cy Young winner, was too much for the Pirates in a 3-1 win for San Diego. The loss brought an end to the Bucs’ six-game winning streak.
Perry went the distance, holding the Pirates to four hits and a walk. The home team’s only run came in the sixth, when Manny Sanguillen reached on a pinch-hit single, came around to third on a single by Omar Moreno and a wild pitch, and scored when Tim Foli grounded out. The Pirates’ only other hits were a single by Moreno in the first and a double by Ed Ott in the seventh.
John Candelaria had a decent start, but was hurt by the longball. He allowed five hits over six innings, but one was a home run by Fred Kendall leading off the third, and another a two-run shot in the top of the sixth by Gene Tenace. Other than the gopher balls, nobody got past first against the Candy Man.
After Candelaria left for a pinch hitter, Enrique Romo threw two perfect innings. Bruce Kison threw a scoreless ninth.
The loss leaves the Pirates in fourth place, five games behind Montreal. They’re a game and a half out of third, occupied by the sinking Phillies.
