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Message #: 31426
Message from: Steve Bivens
Sent: Sep 30, 2014
Subject: NLCS Game 5
This SMILEY National League Championship Series is the Montreal Expos 13th appearance. This is a SMILEY record. I honestly didn’t know this until yesterday and I would have guessed that the Reds (10 appearances) or the Red Sox (9 appearances) would have had more. However, any pride or glory for having made so many appearances was probably lost because of the absolutely dismal performance the Expos have had in this series with only two series wins and an overall record of 17 wins 32 losses for a .347 winning percentage. You would have thought that the simple law of averages would have a team win more than slightly one-third of its games. Not so.
This particular NLCS represents the fourth time the Expos have faced off against the Reds. Somehow we won one these in the 1981. And yet I have great trepidation with both the NLCS and the Cincinnati Reds.
Thank you for indulging me in this short history of SMILEY NLCS and in my fears (since I didn’t ask your permission!) as we go to the fifth and final game of the 1994 NLCS.
Pedro Martinez would face Jose Rijo at Olympic Stadium. This would be Pedro’s 3rd playoff start and he had pitched poorly in his first two. Jose Rijo was coming off a loss in game 2 of this series and had not pitch well in either of his two playoff starts either.
The Reds struck first in the top of third. Barry Larkin doubled with one out. After a Hal Morris ground out, Kevin Mitchell drew a walk. Reggie Sanders followed with a solid double to center that scored Larkin but a lumbering Mitchell could not head enough steam to score. This proved a missed opportunity as Felix Jose grounded out to end the inning.
The Expos rallied right back in the bottom of the third. Marquis Grissom singled (he would go 3 for 3) and scored on a two-out double to left by Jeff Bagwell.
Martinez and Rijo each pitched a scoreless 4th. In the bottom of the 5th the Expos got back-to-back singles from Grissom and Baerga with two-out only to see Jeff Bagwell clutch-out on a 1-8 roll. Ouch.
Martinez and Rijo match zeros through six innings. In the top of 7th Martinez began the inning by striking out Rijo but then walked Bret Boone. Martinez induced Barry Larkin to hit a double play grounder to Baerga who let misplayed it into a single and Boone scampered to third. That was it for Martinez and Tim Scott was brought in to face Hal Morris (the hitting machine). Before Morris could square up on a pitch Larkin was thrown out trying to steal second. Morris followed this up by popping out to Bagwell.
It was now the Expos turn in the bottom of the 7th. Marquis Grissom singled with two out. After his stole second base Carlos Baerga doubled him home on deep drive to center. After a visit from Manager Boodman, Rijo was left in the game to pitch to Bagwell…and he struck him out.
Mel Rojas was brought in to pitch the Reds top of the 8th and he did not disappoint. After a Kevin Mitchell fly out Reggie Sanders tripled off the wall in center. Felix Jose the hit a fly ball X to Larry Walker but pulled an 18 and Sanders could not score from third. However, Rojas was not to be denied and he gave up the run scoring single to pinch-hitter Jeff Branson who had replaced Tony Fernandez. Then in a strange move, Gerald Young was brought in to run for Branson (at least I thought it strange since it required Kruk to be brought in to play 3rd base at the conclusion of the inning). Young remained anchored at first as Game 1 hero Lenny Webster rolled a homer/fly out split off Rojas but was denied when he pulled a 13 on the 1-9 chance. Insert expletive from both managers (HERE).
With that bit of good fortune that Expos struck back against Jose Rijo who was still pitching for the Reds. Moises Alou ballparked a single to start the inning and boldly stole 2nd base. That was it for Rijo and Chuck McElroy was brought in to face Larry Walker. Walker struck out but in the process Alou advanced to third on a wild pitch. Wil Cordero was up next and he singled home Alou with the go ahead run. McElroy struck out Randy Ready and got Lansing on a ground out to end the inning.
With all the managerial acumen of Maury Wills, John Wetteland was brought in to protect the 3-2 lead. The Reds brought in Eddie Taubensee looking for a bolt of lightning. He grounded out to 2nd. Bret Boone grounded out to short. Barry Larkin was the last man standing and he flied to center to complete the 1-2-3 inning.
Expos win the series 3 games to 2 and it was quite a battle. Just writing about it makes me sweat.
Reds............ 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 2 9 2
Expos........... 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 - 3 9 0
Reds (5-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
J.Rijo LOSS(1-2) 7 8 3 3 1 11 0 117 5.23 A1 D4
C.McElroy 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 16 0.00 D5
[1]Totals 8 9 3 3 1 13 0
Expos (6-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
P.Martinez 6 1/3 7 1 1 4 6 0 111 5.40 A1 D2
T.Scott 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.00 D3 D3
M.Rojas WIN(2-0) BS(1st) 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 16 15.43 D4 D8
J.Wetteland SAVE(4th) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.00 D9
Totals 9 9 2 2 4 6 0
Steve Bivens
General Manager
ALSCO
Tacoma/Seattle
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