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Message #: 26848
In a series played online -- thanks, Jeff! -- the surprising outcome was a 4-game sweep for the Cincinnati Reds over the Seattle Mariners. Boxscores and stats are posted here: Game 1: The Reds got on the board quickly against Randy Johnson, with some help from catcher Sandy Alomar: Mariano Duncan walked, stole second and advanced to third on Alomar's throwing error, then scored on a passed ball. Darrin Jackson's solo homer in the second and Barry Larkin's RBI groundout in the 3rd made the score 3-0. Gary Ward's triple and a couple of singles sandwiched a Bo Jackson error in the 5th and broke the game open, marking the end of Johnson's day. Meanwhile, CIN starter Jose Rijo did not allow a hit until Dave Parker's pinch-double with 1 out in the 6th. Brian Holman replaced Johnson for the M's and was victimized by some poor defense in the 7th (3 unearned runs via 2 errors) and was charged with 2 more runs in the 8th due to Chris Sabo's 2-out homer with 2 runners aboard. Rijo went the distance on a 2-hitter, walking 3 and fanning 7. Final score: 12-0. ============================================= Game 2: Seattle showed quickly that there would be no repeat of game 1, and it was the Reds who looked nervous at the outset. Jackson led off the game with a grounder to Sabo, who threw it into the stands. An antsy Tim Belcher took over from there (walk, wild pitch, wild pitch) and Jack Clark's groundout plated a second run. Clark led off the SEA 4th with a home run and after an out, three consecutive hits resulted in a 5-0 lead for the visitors. They loaded the bases with 2 outs in the 5th, but Norm Charlton retired Alomar to keep the contest within unlikely reach. Jamie Quirk, who entered the game at catcher in a double-switch moments earlier, broke the ice against Burkett by leading off the CIN 5th with a homer. After 2 outs Hal Morris doubled, Eric Davis walked and John Kruk chased them both home with a triple to make the score 5-3. Wes Gardner held the fort for the Reds in the 6th and Seattle needed 3 pitchers in the Cincy half of the inning, but no runs scored. Bryan Harvey took the mound to start the 8th for the M's and was greeted by a Von Hayes double. After pinch-hitter Jackson K'd, 3 straight singles from Oliver, Doran & Larkin tied the game and a walk to Morris preceded Harvey's exit with still just one out. Eric Davis worked Dennis Eckersley for a sac fly, Rob Dibble retired the side in order in the 9th, and the Reds escaped with a 6-5 win. ============================================= Game 3: After an off day the series moved to Seattle where Jack McDowell opposed Greg Harris. The game was uneventful until the Reds strung together 4 singles with 2 outs in the 3rd to take a 2-0 lead, Von Hayes delivering the RBIs. Harris's error opening the SEA 4th, plus a free pass to Jackson, resulted in 3 unearned runs which erased our lead when Alomar emptied the bases with a 2-out homer. Ken Griffey, Jr.'s solo shot in the 5th terminated Harris at the wrong end of a 4-2 score. Cincy stormed back in the 6th when another Kruk triple plated Morris, who had doubled leading off the inning. Sabo's sac fly tied the contest two batters later and, continuing what would become a theme for the series, a Cincy catcher (Jeff Reed, this time) came through with a 2-out, 3-run homer that suddenly put the Reds up 7-4. CIN reliever Gardner escaped trouble in the 6th and 7th but Dibble was not so fortunate in the 8th. RBI singles by Parker & Franco followed a Dave Henderson double and a Hal Morris error, and Seattle cut the deficit to just one run. But Dibble regained his composure and retired the M's in order in the 9th to preserve the narrow 7-6 victory. ============================================= Game 4: Johnson started again for the Mariners, and Cincy's lone remaining RH starter (Mike Witt) tried to keep things close for the Reds, without a lot of success. Johnson blew away the Reds with 3 K's (10 pitches) in the 1st and Clark's homer in the SEA 2nd resulted in a quick 2-0 advantage. After the first inning, Cincy had little trouble reaching base against Johnson, but had considerable trouble scoring. We eked out a run in the 3rd then loaded the bases with 1 out in the 5th and plated nothing. SEA tacked on insurance runs in the 5th and 7th, which finally vanquished Witt and Randy Myers did well to escape further damage in the 7th. The M's nearly got a second run in the 5th but Joe Oliver blocked the plate on Griffey, who was trying to score from 1st on Clark's RBI double. And Oliver wasn't done having an effect on the scoreboard.... With a 4-1 lead, the Seattle pen emptied in the Cincy 8th but too much blood was spilled before it was over: Bryan Harvey allowed a leadoff double to Sabo; Russ Swan retired the one batter he faced but Rich DeLucia gave up an RBI single to Kruk. Trevor Wilson came on to face pinch-hitter Hal Morris, who was then lifted in favor of Eddie Williams; Williams walked. Bob Walk replaced Wilson to face RH catcher Oliver, who lofted one into the left field seats for a 3-run homer and a 5-4 lead! It was the first 3-run homer of Oliver's career, and his first off a RH pitcher in 1990. Dibble got through the 9th, not quite as efficiently as in game 3, but sealed up the 5-4 win and earned his third save of the series. Cincy stranded 11 runners today, but helped keep Seattle's total low by turning 3 DPs, including one in the 9th. Randy Myers came in at the right times to compile a 2-0 record during the series, but the MVP award must be split between Quirk, Reed & Oliver, Cincy's not-ready-for-prime-time catching combo that went 7 for 17 with 3 homers, 6 runs & 6 RBI. Kruk & Sabo (not to mention Rijo) did very well too. Speaking of catchers, SEA's Alomar was a very tough out: 5 for 15, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 2 doubles and a homer. He also gunned down a 95% base stealer in game 3. Alan |
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