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Message #: 31575
The unluckiest, most underachieving offense anywhere was (not surprisingly) no match for a very good Florida team. It awoke from hibernation only just in time to avert a sweep, barely offsetting some surgical dismemberment of the Arson Squad.... Game 1: HAL made it very easy for FLN starter Kevin Brown, forcing 17 of the first 22 Cincy batters to roll on his near-empty card where they naturally came up with near-empty results. Jose Rijo was quite doing well under the total lack-of-support circumstances and he also had a shutout going through 5 innings. In the 6th, moments after the Reds had LOBbed the bases loaded without scoring, the M's got a clutch 2-out single from Manny Ramirez to plate the game's first run. Then in the 7th a critical bunt chart single by the non-hitting Brown loaded the bases following a pair of free passes, and the next batter also executed a perfect bunt to make the score 2-0 even though nobody hit the ball past the pitchers mound. HAL finally began permitting the Reds batters limited access to their own cards, but only in the emptiest columns, so the contest concluded with only a Chad Curtis single interrupting Brown's retirement of 100% of the CIN batters after our loaded LOB. Final score: 2-0. ======================================================================== Game 2: The Reds broke our scoreless-inning streak with a bases-loaded walk in the first inning (before another loaded LOB), but the CIN pitcher who almost recorded a no-hitter in his previous start was anything but unhittable today. Brian Williams' timely 2-out wild pitch in the bottom of the 1st put a pair of RISP so they could both score on a timely 2-out single. Williams was further singled to death in the next couple of frames as the home team built a 4-2 advantage and it appeared that the Reds offense had slumped back into its terminal coma. But we "exploded" for 2 runs in the 7th to tie the game, aided considerably by a blown-x from RF Gary Sheffield which contributed an unearned run. The Reds, never ones to accept charity, returned the favor at the worst possible time. After CIN 3B Mark Lewis missed what would have been a game-winning home run in the 9th by the width of one thin split card, Bret 'e5' Boone came to Florida's unlikely rescue with a -- what else -- 2-out error in the bottom of the 10th, and of course the next batter drove in the losing run. Final score: Reds choke again, 5-4 in 10. ======================================================================== Game 3: At long last the cavalry arrived, bringing the Reds' bats with them. Seven Cincy players recorded 2 or more hits, including starting pitcher David West, as we racked up a total of 17 (6 doubles and a homer among them). Although some incredible surgical precision was still blatantly apparent when Florida was at bat, West got all the support he needed and turned things over to the Arson Squad on the happy end of a 10-4 lead. And heeeeere come the gas cans and the matches..... Dave Burba fanned 2 of the first 3 batters he faced in the FLN 7th, but walked the other one. A 2-out double shaved the lead to a still comfortable 10-5, then a pair of 2-out surgical walks loaded the bases which inevitably led to the 2-out Grand Slam. The CIN lead still existed, but at 10-9 most of the comfort had disappeared. Future closer Jeff Shaw replaced the just slightly ineffective Burba, who left to a standing ovation from the Miami fans, and Shaw thankfully ran out of gas(oline) immediately. Shaw put down all 7 Florida batters he faced and earned his first save in the process. Final score: 12-9. Should this close game ever have been so close? You tell me. LOB: CIN - 10, FLN - 2. Alan |
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