Sept. 21, 1981

Steve Carlton, the Philadelphia Phillies' silent southpaw, needs just two strikeouts in Montreal to pass Bob Gibson as the most prolific strikeout pitcher in National League history. Lefty ties Gibson's mark when he fans Larry Parrish in the second inning and then sets the record by whiffing Andre Dawson with the bases loaded in the third inning.

There are no balloons, fireworks or any kind of celebration. "Lefty might not like that kind of stuff," says Phillies first baseman Pete Rose after the Expos' 1-0 victory in 17 innings.

In pitching 10 scoreless innings, the 36-year-old Carlton strikes out 12, boosting his total to 3,128. Carlton, in his 16th season, moves up to fourth on the all-time major-list strikeout list, behind Walter Johnson (3,508), Gaylord Perry (3,326) and Nolan Ryan (3,229).