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Message #: 32038
Cincy had one good inning among the 27 we played in this series; the way HAL surgically dismembered the Reds' top-ranked offense (and top-ranked defense), the results looked much more like we were playing the 1994 Expos instead of the 1995 version. The Reds would do well to remember that there is one and only one team in the majors who is capable of choking away a 14-game lead with 1/4 of the schedule left to play, and they better not get too overconfident about their chances of clinching a playoff spot just yet.... Game 1: All-Star pitcher John Smiley was hardly in All-Star form but his infield turned 3 DPs behind him (and allowed 2 x-hits to offset the good things they did) which enabled Smiley to record a 5-3 win. In this game, the Montreal defense was on par with the Cincy sabotage, and that was a factor in the Reds' 5-run second inning though 4 of the 5 we tallied were earned. After 7 of the first 8 Reds reached base in that frame, MON starter Jeff Fassero left in disgust but the damage had been done. And "done" the Reds truly were. CIN would fail to score in 21 of the next 25 innings, aided by such typical things as getting the adverse result on 9 of 12 split cards today, and it would only get worse. ========================================================================================= Game 2: Tim Pugh was scheduled to start this one but at the last minute came up with a "usage injury" and had to be scratched. Taking his place on short notice was monstrous underachiever Andres Berumen. While his teammates were busy LOBbing 10 runners (7 in scoring position), HAL had the Expo batters find one needle after another in columns which contained nothing but almost totally empty haystacks. Despite allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in the first 2 innings, Berumen overcame his scalpel wounds long enough to register an amazing streak of 5 scoreless innings. But that unearned run and other lack of support turned out to be just enough to lose a 1-run game, by the count of 5-4. Berumen was assigned the loss, but the decisive run came via a 2-out surgical split card triple in the MON 8th with Tim Fortugno on the mound for the Reds being the victim of that misfortune. Mel Rojas was just a tad wild for the Expos in the Cincy 9th (walk, wild pitch, wild pitch, wild pitch, passed ball) and thus permitted the Reds to score our 4th run. We got the tying run to third base with 1 out, but that's when HAL came to the rescue and found a couple of very timely strikeouts on Rojas' card to end the game. ========================================================================================= Game 3: Jason Bere made his Cincy debut and HAL wasted no time whatsoever in welcoming him to the Luckless Legion. Bere didn't pitch all that badly even with the deck stacked heavily against him, as he & Fortugno combined on a 6-hitter, but Montreal batting practice hurler Pat Rapp was simply unfathomable to the hapless Cincinnati batters though he pitched scarcely better than Bere. Both starters had only occasional success in locating the strike zone, but Rapp was less "squeezed" in that area than Bere was. Rapp pitched into the 9th, allowing a mere 4 hits and 1 run before Rojas (more composed than yesterday's version) retired the final 2 batters without incident. Final score: 4-1. The contest was decided in the MON 3rd when, with 2 outs and the bases empty, the Expos rallied thanks to timely back-to-back blown x's by the Reds which put 3 runs on the board, and that was all Rapp needed against the catatonic Cincy offense. We couldn't even blame the split cards, as CIN batters only got the adverse result one time all day. Of course we only had 1 split card *chance* all day. The Reds did not lack for opportunities even with the lack of hits. We LOBbed 9 and, in a new boxscore category that Strat apparently created with this clutchless squad in mind, put up "TEAM RISP - Reds: 0 for 9". What with the Reds being clearly in "playoff form" now, the excitement in the tightly-packed N.L. West should reach a fever pitch as all 4 teams clamor to be the one who will qualify to easily defeat the more-talented Reds in the first round**. Alan ** if the Reds make it to the playoffs. |
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