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Message #: 31884
The most talented offense in the N.L. generated 0 runs for the first 17.1 innings of the series yet we managed to split the first two games. The bats showed up for the finale.... Game 1: For a team that couldn't muster any offense whatsoever, the Reds still achieved the impressive total of 11 LOB (7 of them in scoring position, natch) and that total would have been higher but for 2 timely rally-killing GIDPs. On the other side of the field, the Padres launched an immediate surgical split card attack which resulted in CIN starter John Smiley's worst start of 1995 in terms of earned runs. Put it all together and the Reds never stood a chance. Final score: 5-0. The assault began harmlessly enough in the very first inning when Ken Caminiti batted with 2 outs and 2 men on base and rolled in a column where there was less than a 3% chance at a hit. He found it, with some surgical split card help. The leadoff batter in the SDN 2nd had a 1-2 chance at a gopher. He found it. In the 3rd the Padres drew their worst split card yet -- a 4! -- but it was yet another gopher and the rout was on. Since the Cincy batters were doing nothing, the home team committed 4 errors to help our cause but the Clutchless Wonders from southwest Ohio would have none of it. And when it came to split card chances that weren't x-plays, the Reds got the adverse result a perfect 100% of the time today. ==================================================================================== Game 2: Our batters did *much* better on split card hit chances today, getting the adverse result a mere 8 times out of 9! That didn't do much to help Cincy starter Dave Burba, who scattered 3 hits in 7 IP and still left on the wrong end of a 1-0 score. That run came in the 3rd, on another 2-out hit by Caminiti. The dice can't find the hits fast enough whenever Burba enters a game in relief and gets destroyed, but his solid outing today just might be an indicator of future success as a starting pitcher. Probably not, but we'll find out in 1996. Andy Ashby pitched 7 very effective innings for the home team, but he nearly lost his shutout (and the lead) in the 7th when Thomas Howard led off with a double. The Reds wasted an out successfully bunting Howard to third so that the next batter could come up with the perfectly-timed gb(B) to extinguish any chance of actually scoring a run. With the score still 1-0, Padre reliever Bryce Florie found himself in a similar situation in the CIN 9th. The leadoff batter made his way to second base (walk, SB) and the next batter moved him over to third. But instead of another perfectly timed choke, Bret Boone delivered the game-tying single and raced to second on the throw home, only to die there as the Reds racked up 2 more "RLISP-2out" and the teams went into overtime. San Diego threatened in the 11th, but Mark Mimbs and Jeff Shaw astonishingly combined for 6 shutout innings of relief work which enabled the Reds to win the contest at last in the 13th. Eddie Taubensee's 1-out, bases-empty single in that frame apparently rattled the Larry Thomas-John Flaherty battery out of their minds. Thomas promptly uncorked a pair of diceless wild pitches to move the lumbering catcher from first to third, then a blown catch-x resulted in the third consecutive wild pitch as Taubensee strolled home with the winning run. ==================================================================================== Game 3: Finally getting exactly as many good results as bad ones from the split cards (possibly an all-time record for the Reds!) the Cincy offense was unshackled and pushed 7 runs across the plate against Joey Hamilton and two relievers. On the mound for the visitors, Tim Pugh was something other than his usual Pugh-trid self and went the distance in the 7-2 win. The Reds blasted 3 triples in the game, and should have added 2 more: Billy Ashley was sent back to second base when his hard-earned triple was "modified", and the other batter drew one of our typical split cards ('19') to miss another easy chance. The San Diego offense, though not prolific today, was at least efficient (1 LOB) and also put the ball in play as much as possible with 30 batters compiling 0 walks and just 1 strikeout. Alan |
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