On August 20, 1986, pitcher
Don Carman took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the
San Francisco Giants at
Candlestick Park. Giants catcher
Bob Brenly hit a long drive into the gap in left-center field. Phillies center fielder
Milt Thompson was positioned to make a running catch but the ball hit the base of his glove and was ruled a hit. Carman pitched nine innings, gave up one hit, and was the winner when the Phillies scored in the top of the tenth on a Juan Samuel solo homer to win the game 1 to 0. The Phillies were the only team in the National League to post a winning record against the World Series champs, going 10–8 with a 7–2 mark at
Veterans Stadium. The high point of the season for the Phillies was the three-game sweep of the Mets in mid-September. and necessary because they were swept in a three-game series in
Chicago preceding this series and did not want to see a visiting team's division-title celebration at Veterans Stadium. Had the Mets won one of the three games, it would have been the first time that a division title was won at Veterans Stadium. During the series, Mets fans at Veterans Stadium became unruly and damaged seats in the upper deck. One Mets fan was arrested after striking at two
Philadelphia police officers. The Phillies distant second-place finish made Schmidt the first major-league MVP to have played on a team that finished at least twenty games out of first place.
Season standings Record vs. opponents Notable transactions • April 19, 1986:
Tom Gorman was signed as a free agent by the Phillies. • May 9, 1986:
Dave Stewart was released by the Phillies. • June 2, 1986:
Chuck Knoblauch was drafted by the Phillies in the 18th round of the
1986 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign. • June 24, 1986:
Steve Carlton was released by the Phillies. • July 24, 1986:
Tom Foley and
Lary Sorensen were traded by the Phillies to the
Montreal Expos for
Dan Schatzeder and
Skeeter Barnes.
1986 Game Log Roster == Player stats ==