The date was May 17, 1979 – exactly 36 years ago today.

The Phillies were wrapping up a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago and the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field. In fact, Chicago weather historian Frank Wachowski documented the weather that day as “south winds were blowing straight out to left field at 20 mph with gusts in excess of 30 mph during the game.”

Without ever having known or having spoken to either starter – Randy Lerch (2-2) for the Phillies or Dennis Lamp (3-0) for the Cubs – I guarantee you that neither man wanted to start that game. And for good reason. Neither starting pitcher would make it through the first inning.

With a regular lineup consisting of Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, Larry Bowa, Garry Maddox, Manny Trillo, Bob Boone, and free-agent acquisition Pete Rose, the Phillies were an up-and-coming National League contender. With pitchers Steve Carlton, Nino Espinosa, Ron Reed, and Tug McGraw. the 1979 Phillies would finish in fourth place in the NL East with a record of 84-78. But they would make a few tweaks to the roster during the off-season and win the World Series the following year.

On the other hand, the Cubs were a rag-tag collection of players who weren’t going anywhere this season or next. On May 17, they sat one game over .500 at 16-15.

The Phillies and Cubs split the first two games of the series. The Cubs won the first game 7-1, but the Phillies trounced the Cubs 13-0 in the second game behind the three-hit pitching of Steve Carlton (4-5) and home runs by Garry Maddox (5) and Mike Schmidt (12).

With the wind blowing out, Schmidt was looking for more of the same – and he wasn’t disappointed.

Bake McBride led off with a single.

Larry Bowa doubled to left to put runners on second and third.

When Pete Rose tapped a ball between home plate and the mound, Bake McBride was moving with the crack of the bat. Dennis Lamp fielded the tapper quickly, threw to the plate, and Barry Foote put the tag on McBride.

One out. Bowa held second and Rose was safe at first without a play.

Mike Schmidt stepped up and launched a ball to left. Whether the ball was propelled by Schmidt’s power, wind power, or a combination of both, the point was moot. The ball landed well into the bleachers and the Phillies held an early 3-0 lead – Schmidt’s 13th round-tripper.

But the Phils were far from done.

Del Unser – who was starting in left in place of the nicked up Greg Luzinski – and Garry Maddox followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out.

Bob Boone then lofted his second home run of the year into the bleachers in left. The three runs made it 6-0 Phillies and sent Dennis Lamp to an early shower.

Donnie Moore (1-2) replaced Lamp and struck out backup second-baseman Rudy Meoli for the second out. But he grooved a fastball to Randy Lerch and Lerch launched the fourth home run of his career into the bleachers in left to make it 7-0 Phillies after one-half inning.

But the Cubs also knew how to play the wind in Wrigley.

Ivan DeJesus and Mike Vail opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles.

Bill Buckner lined a single to right. DeJesus scored to put the Cubs on the board at 7-1. Vail stopped at second to make it first and second with nobody out.

Dave Kingman stepped to the plate and lifted a fly ball into the wind that easily carried into the bleachers to cut the Phillies lead to 7-4 – Kingman’s 10th of the season.

Lerch got Steve Ontiveros to ground out to Pete Rose unassisted at first for the first out. But when Lerch gave up a double to Jerry Martin, Danny Ozark yanked Lerch in favor of Doug Bird (0-0).

Bird got Barry Foote to line out to right for the second out. But Ted Sizemore drove Martin home from second with a double to center to trim the Phillies lead to 7-5 – and pitcher Donnie Moore followed with a triple to trim the deficit to a single run.

After one inning, the Phillies led 7-6.

Neither team scored in the second inning.

Garry Maddox led off the top of the third with a double and scored when Bob Boone singled to left.

Moore got Meoli to fly to center, but then he walked Doug Bird to put runners on first and second with one out.

Bake McBride singled. Boone scored to make it 9-6 with Bird stopping at second.

Larry Bowa singled to load the bases.

Pete Rose hit a two-run double to make it 11-6. Bowa stopped at third to put runners on second and third with one out.

Cubs manager Herman Franks replaced Donnie Moore with Willie Hernandez (0-0).

Hernandez issued an intentional pass to Mike Schmidt to load the bases.

Del Unser hit a ground ball to first. Bill Buckner fielded the ball and beat Unser to first for the second out, but Bowa scored to make it 11-6 and put runners on second and third with two outs.

Garry Maddox then lifted a three-run homer to left and it was 15-6 Phillies – number-six for Maddox.

Hernandez hit Boone and gave up a single to Meoli before striking out Dog Bird to finally end the inning.

Bird shut the Cubs out in the bottom of the third.

Larry Bowa singled with one out in the fourth and scored on a double by Pete Rose.

Hernandez walked Mike Schmidt intentionally to put runners on first and second with one out.

Del Unser hit into a force for the second out, and then Garry Maddox doubled home Pete Rose to make it 17-6 Phillies. Greg Gross came in to run for Maddox who tweaked something.

Mike Vail hit a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. One out later, Dave Kingman (11) hit his second home run of the game, and Steve Ontiveros (1) followed with a solo shot to trim the deficit to 17-9.

Greg Luzinski pinch-hit for Bird to start the top of the fifth and drew a walk. Nino Espinosa came in to run for the Bull.

Bake McBride singled to put runners on first and second.

Larry Bowa doubled. Espinosa scored – 18-9. McBride advanced to third to make it first and third with nobody out.

Pete Rose hit a ground ball to short that DeJesus couldn’t handle for an error. McBride scored on the error. Bowa held second and it was first and second with one out.

Hernandez walked Schmidt to load the bases.

Del Unser and Greg Gross hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to make it 21-9 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Tug McGraw came in to pitch for the Phils – but McGraw didn’t have it.

A single, an error, and a walk loaded the bases, but then Tug walked Ivan DeJesus to force in a run.

Bill Buckner hit a grand slam.

McGraw walked Dave Kingman, struck out Steve Ontiveros, but then gave up a two-run shot to Jerry Martin and the Phillies lead shrunk to 21-16.

Ron Reed replaced McGraw, but he ran into trouble in the Cubs sisxth.

Steve Dillard singled, Ivan DeJesus doubled, and it was second and third with nobody out.

Mike Vail and Bill Buckner both grounded out to short, but a run scored on both plays – and Dave Kingman hit his third home run of the game – and 12th of the year – to make it 21-19.

Greg Gross led off the seventh with a triple and scored on Bob Boone’s double – 22-19 Phillies.

Ron Reed gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth on five singles and the game was tied at 22 going into the ninth inning.

Neither team scored in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. By then, Bruce Sutter (1-0) was pitching for the Cubs and Rawley Eastwick (0-0) was pitching for the Phils.

With two outs in the top of the tenth, Mike Schmidt hit his second home run of the game to give the Phils a 23 to 22 lead.

Eastwick got the Cubs 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth to pick up the win.

And that was one of the classic games in Phillies history.

Barry Bowe is the author of Born to Be Wild, 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant, and 12 Best Eagles QBs.