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Message #: 31775
A late but insufficient comeback in game 2 was all that separated the Reds from a sweep, but we played badly enough that we could very easily have been 0-3 in New York.... Game 1: CIN starter Scott Kamieniecki got an ugly win, being both hittable (8 hits, 14 total bases) and wild (5 free passes in 7 innings) but getting the Mets to LOB 12 runners in Cincy's 6-3 win. The Reds would have been right up there with the Mets in LOB, but a trio of typically rotten split cards cut runners down on the basepaths and eliminated scoring chances. Dave Burba completed the victory with 2 innings of inexplicably effective relief (don't worry, he'd revert to form later) and earned his 2nd save of the season. Chris Sabo and Bret Boone both delivered a pair of RBI in the CIN 3rd, then the Mets got within 4-3 before the Reds sealed it up with 2 runs in the 6th. All 6 CIN runs scored with 2 outs while our opponent LOBbed a ton, an extreme rarity for the Reds to say the least (though we still won the "RLISP 2-Out" category). =========================================================================== Game 2: Lenny Dykstra's blown x-play contributed to our 2 run first inning rally, but we don't accept charity so Tim Fortugno had given it all back 4 batters into the bottom of the frame. From that point forward the Mets got approximately 110% of the breaks and built a 6-2 lead as the CIN offense continued its relentless pursuit of the all-time underachievement record. Scrub starter Kevin Ritz got the Reds to roll quite often on his generous card, but all we found there were outs. Quite the opposite was true for the New York batters, who found surgical success everywhere against Fortugno (6.1 IP, 14 baserunners) and the NYN lead could well have been far greater than 6-2 if not for the fact that they rung up 11 more LOB today. Suddenly in the 9th, a gaffe by Fred McGriff opened the door for the Reds and Reggie Sanders followed with a home run to make the score 6-4. Two batters later a solo shot from Billy Ashley, one of our very few non-underachievers, made it a 1-run contest. Two split card hits followed, but both batters got the adverse results and settled for singles instead of extra bases, and there they died when Chad Curtis grounded out to end the game. Final score: 6-5, our N.L.-leading 11th 1-run loss of the season. =========================================================================== Game 3: Lefty starters John Smiley and Pete Schourek both pitched reasonably well, taking dual shutouts into the 6th inning, where .120 hitter Eric Anthony capped a two-out, three-single rally with an unexpected RBI which put the visitors on the board first. Finally getting some support, Smiley naturally picked that point in time to feeb up a split-card gopher to McGriff and Smiley went from being up a run to being down a run in the blink of an eye, and it was 2-1 after 6. Smiley was yanked for a pinch hitter in the 7th and Schourek also eventually departed, so the game came down to which bullpen could bring the most gasoline. Normally, ***nobody*** can beat the Reds at that but today John Franco could -- barely. Morris & Sanders singled to open the CIN 8th, which ended Schourek's stint. NYN reliever John Franco had to know it wasn't going to be his day when the .120 hitter greeted him with an RBI double. Franco got the next 2 outs and then received orders to IW #8 hitter Barry Larkin. Pinch hitter Jerome Walton smashed the first pitch he saw for a Grand Slam to cap the 5-run comeback, and the Reds had a 6-2 lead. CIN closer Jeff Brantley came into the contest and allowed 2 hits in the NYN 8th, but couldn't quite choke up any runs. But he was just warming up. The Reds rallied for 3 more runs in the 9th, all charged to Franco, and then Brantley got down to business. A leadoff single was immediately followed by a gopher which cut the 9-2 lead to 9-4. Burba took over and permitted 4 baserunners and 2 more runs, and now here comes McGriff to the plate representing the tying run with still only 1 out. Big Mac rolled on his own card, giving himself about a 90% chance at a home run since it's the 9th inning and he's facing the Reds in a close game, but everyone in attendance was shocked when he found a game-ending gb(A) instead. Final score: 9-6. In the battle of the arsonists, it was Franco/Cornelius with 2 IP, 6 hits, 2 walks and 6 runs given to the Reds; Brantley/Burba with 1.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk and 4 runs for the Mets. After Burba was placed in handcuffs and led away from the mound, lefty Mike Mimbs earned his first save by getting the crucial DP from McGriff. Alan |
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