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Message #: 30997
Regular season games are meaningless now, but HAL has just about perfected the method for ensuring that the Reds -- despite having the second most talent in the majors -- will be only brief participants in the postseason. Cincy recovered, barely, to win 3 in this series after the complete hosing we took in the series opener, but the weekly message was received loud and clear nonetheless.... Game 1: The combination of timely sabotage defense and the Reds' complete inability to draw a good split card is a certain recipe for disaster, and that was proven for the umpteenth time today. The beneficiary was Pirate pitcher Steve Cooke, who went 9 innings for the first time in 30 starts in 1994. Final score: 4-1. The Reds had a 1-0 lead when a timely error -- our third infield blown x-play in barely 3 innings -- provided the tying unearned run in the PIN 4th. Then CIN starter John Smiley was victimized for 3 "earned" runs keyed by a timely blown-x double -- yet another botch by Felix "3 Who Fields Like 5" Jose in right field which donated 2 runs. So the final score was 1-1 in deserved runs, but those others unfortunately count too. Pittsburgh got a surgical split card triple on a '1' during the fatal rally. How nice that must be; in just another routine performance, CIN batters had 9 split cards chance at the plate today (including 3 chances at home runs in the space of 4 batters), and as you no doubt guessed by now, got the adverse result all 9 times. Catcher Greg O'Halloran, just picked up from the scrap heap by the Buccos as the bottom-of-the-barrel last available catcher, a lefty swinger who has a totally empty card vs. LHP, 100% outs.... naturally got 2 hits today and both came off of a lefty pitcher. Wonders never cease against the Reds. ====================================================================== Game 2: CIN scrub starter Paul Gibson had led a pretty charmed life in 1994 until lately, and today he reached rock bottom with a 12 baserunners in 4 IP epic disaster of a start. Fortunately for the Reds, Pittsburgh's Denny Neagle was identically ineffective (14 baserunners in 4.1 IP) as Gibson. Both bullpens were nearly perfect, combining for 9.2 IP, NO hits and 3 walks. The Reds choked away leads of 4-0 (a 1st inning Grand Slam by blown-x master Jeff Branson) and 5-2 but clawed back to take an 8-7 lead against Neagle in the 5th and that's how it ended. Hector Carrasco did more than just save the day for the Reds, he got the win with 5 hitless relief innings and he got away with the 3 walks he permitted. Pittsburgh relievers Ravelo Manzanillo (0.82 ERA now) and Kevin Rogers (0.00) retired all 14 Cincy batters they faced but the Reds held on for a rare 1-run win that involved a comeback in addition to the usual chokes. Ravelo would fare not so well later in the series, even though we still wouldn't touch him for any hits. ====================================================================== Game 3: Our second of three straight 1-run wins was even more unlikely -- no chokes involved (!) and a stellar pitching exhibition by Tom Browning and his rotten card. Both Browning and PIN starter David West took no-hitters into the 5th inning, though the teams had combined for 8 baserunners through 4. The double no-no was broken by, of all people, Browning himself as he reached first on a blown-x scored as a hit against Pirate SS Jay Bell. Nothing came of that "rally", as the runner became just another of 11 LOBbed by the Reds. Browning's bid for immortality ended 2 batters later when lightweight Nelson Liriano gophered one out of Three Rivers to give the home team a 1-0 lead. West left in the 6th, with his shutout still intact and in line for the W. But Manzanillo walked a pair of Reds in the 8th and Rick White took the hill to face Kevin Mitchell and proceeded to throw 4 straight allegedly unintentional balls. Barry Larkin then came through with a 2-out, 2-run single and Todd Jones completed the 3-inning save. Final score: 2-1. West and Browning's combined line: 11.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 gopher, 8 walks, 7 K's. ====================================================================== Game 4: The Reds thoroughly outplayed the Pirates (14-9 advantage in hits, 23-10 in total bases, Hanson, Cox & Brantley issued just 1 walk and fanned 11 Buccos). So of course the score was as close as could be. A pair of, what else, 2-out singles put 3 runs on the board for the Pirates in the 3rd, but the Reds eventually took just enough time out from compiling a 12-5 "advantage" in LOB to take a 5-3 lead into the 9th before making it a 5-4 final. Despite a start which featured 15 baserunners (but only 4 scored) in 6 IP, the Reds must have seen something they liked in Pirate scrub pickup Kevin Jarvis. Cincy immediately signed him to a contract for the 1995 and 1996 seasons, a no-cut deal at that. We figure he should be a real good one.... Alan |
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