In the bottom of the second, with two outs and Richie Hebner on second and Bob Boone on first, Dodger starter Burt Hooton began to dispute a number of borderline ball/strike calls issued by home plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt. The normally unflappable Hooton's visible frustration aroused the displeasure of Philadelphia's infamous "boobird" fans, who took out their wrath upon their team's opponent. As the volume of more than 63,000 fans escalated, including derisive chants of "Hoot, Hoot, Hoot" in unison, the rattled Hooton uncharacteristically lost control of both his composure and his pitching. He walked Ted Sizemore to load the bases and then walked pitcher Larry Christenson, Bake McBride, and Larry Bowa in succession to force in three runs and give the Phillies a 3–2 lead. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda then pulled Hooton in favor of Rick Rhoden, who induced Mike Schmidt into popping up to end the threat.