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Message #: 30692
The Reds get almost our fair share of the breaks for a change, and that turns out to be very bad news for the Cubs. Speaking of rarities, Cincy gets some late heroics, wins some close games and finally (but probably not permanently) opens up the kind of gap in the N.L. Central that everyone expected from the beginning of the season based on our level of talent.... Game 1: It's too bad that Cincy scrub pitcher Paul Gibson can't be a full-time starter because the guy almost never gives up a hit. He gave up just 1 today in 6 IP -- so of course he was on the short end of a 1-0 score when he left the game because his teammates were racking up a massive 11-5 advantage in LOB. The one hit Gibson allowed was a leadoff single by Sammy Sosa in the 5th. He stole second, was balked to third and immediately was balked across home plate (HAL wasn't taking any chances). That gift run was offset in the CIN 7th when the normally smooth-fielding Ryne Sandberg committed his second error in 2 innings, and 3B Mike Blowers added another one. The visitors charitably limited themselves to just one run before LOBbing the bases loaded for the second time today. Sandberg atoned for his gaffes in a big way when he opened the CHN 8th with a surgical split card triple and Glenallen Hill delivered a surgical split card 2-run double moments later to give Chicago a 3-1 lead with just 3 outs left to get. However CIN reliever Jeff Brantley was relieved of his well-earned goat horns when CHN starter Jim Bullinger abruptly ran out of fuel in the 9th. Two singles opened the frame and Hal Morris was going to chase them both home with at least a triple -- but got the (easy) split card that resulted in a 3-run homer! Dennis Cook stopped the bleeding, and in the bottom of the 9th Brantley showed that he wasn't ready to relinquish his goat status just yet: he put 2 runners on with nobody out, but then fanned Turner Ward and got the next two batters to draw a pair of "Cincy Specials" in the split card deck (20s, what else?) to notch his 6th win of the season. Final score: 4-3. The Cubs only got 4 hits today, but the Reds almost handed them a win anyway. ======================================================================== Game 2: A similar contest in which the Reds choked late but rebounded just in time to win. John Smiley and Doug Drabek hooked up in a scoreless duel which was broken in the 6th when 2 walks and 2 singles sandwiched a 2-base Sosa error and the Reds took a 2-run lead. A third run was gunned at the plate to terminate the rally. Smiley was slow in taking his usual cue to choke, as he blew away the Cubs with three strikeouts ON NINE PITCHES in the bottom of the 6th. But in the bottom of the seventh.... batter #1: gopher; batter #2: gopher. Smiley: tie game, choke complete, hit the showers. Todd Jones restored order and found himself on the winning side when Tony Fernandez got a home run of his own in the CIN 8th. Jones (5-2) retired all 9 Cubbies he faced and the Reds escaped with a 3-2 win. Smiley and Jones combined on a 5-hitter with 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. Sandberg committed his 3rd error of the series in the 9th, but the Reds LOBbed a pair and for the second straight day outdid our opponent by a ratio of greater than 2 to 1 in that category. ======================================================================== Game 3: Same story, different day, with the only twist that it was the Cubs doing most of the LOBbing rather than the Reds. Good thing, too. Tom Browning was given the chance to start for Cincinnati, and he was also given a 6-0 lead as his teammates tallied runs in each of the first 5 frames. Browning tossed 6.2 innings -- and didn't figure in the decision. The Reds politely shut down the offense after the 5th inning, and the Cubs sprung back to life as Browning choked away nearly 100% of the enormous lead he'd been handed; Danny Cox, previously damn near perfect, earned his Arson Squad credential at last by finishing the job. The 9th was the only scoreless inning of the day, though CHN had a runner on third with less than 2 outs, and we went to extras with the score knotted at 6. Bret Boone walked to open the Cincy 10th and after an out Reggie Sanders got an adverse split card -- but it was still an RBI triple and Sanders scored just as he would have on a homer, on Hal Morris's subsequent sac fly. Brantley was anything but unhittable again but escaped damage in the bottom of the 10th to preserve the 8-6 win. The Cubs outhit the Reds 15-9 but also out-LOBbed us (11-4) for a change. ======================================================================== Game 4: Chicago's Kevin Foster had a 2-0 lead, we were avoiding his loaded 4 column like the plague, the Reds (even when we eventually got a good column) were 0 for 5 on split card hit chances... IOW there was nothing remarkable about the game at all through 6 innings. In the 7th, Felix Jose opened with what appeared to be a harmless single (but on a good split card!) and pinch-hitter Hal Morris followed with another. Then lightweight Thomas Howard cleared the bases with our second decent split card of the frame, this one resulting in a home run (!), just his second of the year. Eric Anthony added another with nobody on base in the CIN 8th and Todd Jones again contributed 3 scoreless relief innings. Final score: 4-2. Kevin Gross (8-4, 3.29) got the win and Jones earned his 14th save. First baseman John Kruk, stapled to the bench all season long in favor of Morris despite a very good 1994 card, was given a surprise start and went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles though he figured in none of the scoring. Alan |
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