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Message #: 30228
The Braves are off to a rough start in 1994, but for 1 game and 8 innings they had much the better of the play as the Reds' last-place luck was on full display. Then things got weird.... Game 1: Teams are going to learn to stop using lefty starters against the Reds (ahem, Kevin Mitchell) but if you have the kind of pitchers that Atlanta does you can get away with it. Keeping with tradition, Cincy batters rarely caught a break -- all series long -- on split cards, especially on ballpark hit attempts, and that plus 3 timely GIDPs was very costly today. John Smiley was victimized early and hung around to give up 7 runs; the hits were just about even (13-12, Reds) but the Braves got 100% of the clutch hits and scored 6 times when just one out remained to get in an inning. Final score: 7-4. The 2 unearned runs we donated were nice, but not necessary. Cincy batters not named Mitchell (0 for 4; he can't always be Babe Ruth) batted .394 today and we had 21 total bases to Atlanta's 14 but clutch performance, and our clutch choking, meant everything. ================================================================= Game 2: Steve Avery was brilliant through 8 innings, holding the Reds to 3 hits (1 BB, 10 K) as we continued to be unable to afford the price of a good split card or dice roll. It's not that we *never* found a low split -- they came up all the time when Deion Sanders was running the bases, as he did in the first inning. Atlanta immediately came up with an RBI and Erik Hanson was down 1-0 before retiring anyone. Still 1-0 in the 4th, A surgical single kept the inning alive so Hanson could allow a surgical split card gopher with -- what else? -- 2 outs and the Braves were up 3-0 with the uber-talented Cincy offense showing no pulse whatsoever. When Barry Larkin scratched out a single leading off the CIN 9th, Avery merely looked amused. Two batters later, Babe Ruth Junior launched his 9th home run of the season and Avery looked for the showers. Greg McMichael walked Tony Fernandez but John Kruk lunged at the Atlanta reliever's first pitch and flew out to bring the Braves within one out of a win. Bret Boone tied the game with a double, Todd Jones handled the ATN offense in the bottom of the inning and we moved to the 10th. Larkin doubled home Felix Jose, then with 2 outs you-know-who rolled in the 2 column again for HR #10. 6-3 Reds now. Jeff Brantley struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th on 9 pitches. But a couple of batters didn't strike out, and those plus a passed ball made the score 6-4 before nobody touched Brantley's last 6 pitches. ================================================================= Game 3: Cincy's Tom Browning was having a nice day (shutout, 2 RBI, 4-0 lead) until the big kids got out of school in the bottom of the 5th. Four hits and 2 free passes later the score was tied and Browning's day was over, one out short of qualifying for the win. Instead, John Roper mopped up the garbage and found himself in position (temporarily) for the W when Felix Jose's double gave the Reds a 5-4 lead though run #6 was gunned down at the plate to end the inning. In the 7th, a groundout put the visitors up 6-4 which indicated to Roper that it was Gopher Time and he obligingly erased the lead moments later. Todd Jones and Kevin Gross for the Reds, and Pat Gomez for the Braves held their respective forts, though with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th defensive replacement Thomas Howard in LF (for the departed Mitchell) choked up a 3-base blown-x play but nobody was on base at the time and Gross fooled Roberto Kelly on 3 pitches for a strikeout. Two singles with 2 outs in the Cincy 10th set the stage for Atlanta to return the defensive favor, and Sanders' throwing error after the double he didn't quite get to put 3 runs on the board for Cincinnati. The drama is never over when the Reds' bullpen is in the game: Hector Carrasco got 2 quick outs and then just as quickly loaded the bases for the Braves with the aid of a timely HBP. But pinch-hitter Ryan Klesko was too anxious for a Grand Slam and flew out to end the game and give the Reds the series win. As in game 1, the hits were even and the Reds had a solid lead in total bases but, as ever, couldn't resist blowing a 4-run and then a 2-run lead. Alan |
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