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Message #: 33109
Pittsburgh batters get a *lot* of breaks against Cincy pitching, but the Reds hit well too at times and took 3 games in our first 4-game road trip of the year.... Game 1: The Reds jumped on Dan Miceli for 4 runs in the top of the first, but the offense then went dormant as usual and one surgical split card was good for a 3-run gopher in the PIN 4th off Mark Langston and the lead was suddenly down to 1. The Big Red LOB (11) and GIDP (2) Machine took just enough of a time out to rebuild the 4-run lead, and reliever Jeff Shaw held the Pirates scoreless for 3 innings until the 9th. As a reward to his manager for letting him bat in the 8th, Shaw needed just 1 pitch to gopher up another run for the Pirates, so Jeff Brantley came in and restored order for his 14th save. Final score: 7-4. The teams were equal in hits (10) and the Buccos led in total bases, 19-17, thanks to their 2 gophers; the biggest statistical difference was Cincy pitchers issuing only 2 free passes while the Pirates were generous and handed out 11 (mostly just adding to the CIN LOB count, though). ========================================================================== Game 2: Donne Wall and Paul Wagner briefly engaged in a pitchers' duel, with the Pirates taking a 1-0 lead into the 5th on the basis of another surgical split card gopher. Reggie Sanders matched that leading off the CIN 5th and 2 more runs scored later in that frame. An assault consisting mainly of singles and walks went on long enough in the 6th, against 4 different Pirates pitchers before being terminated by one of our 67 GIDPs in this series, to put 6 runs on the board. From there the Reds coasted to an 11-2 win. Wall, now 7-1, permitted both PIN runs in his 6.1 innings of work but offset those by going 2 for 3 at the plate with a double, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI and is now inexplicably hitting .379. On the other side of the coin and equally inexplicably, the Reds own not one, not two, but three of the most underachieving hitters in the National League and even they contributed a little something today. Bret Boone & Charlie O'Brien rank #1 and #3 respectively in underachievement among N.L. batters with 100+ AB and Billy Ashley would be #4 if he had more trips to the plate. That trio of unfortunates each got 1 hit today, combining for a spectacular (by their lowly standards) 3 for 12 performance with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. ========================================================================== Game 3: CIN starter John Smiley matched Wall at the plate (2 for 3) but not on the mound as he died the death of 1,000 surgical cuts and dropped a 6-3 decision to the Buccos. The super-efficient Pirate offense LOBbed only 2 runners today and crossed the plate on steals of home and wild pitches among other unlikely batting feats. The score was 2-2 in the 6th before the roof caved in on Smiley, the capper of that frame being Rex Hudler's steal of home with 1 out. Pittsburgh added their final pair in the 8th when Smiley donated a pair of baserunners and reliever Hector Carrasco promptly let both of them score via a deep sacrifice fly which advanced 2 runners, and a timely wild pitch. The Reds never had a chance in the 9th against Troy Percival, who blew away the side on 10 pitches for 3 K's and recorded his 23rd save in the process. Final score: 6-3. ========================================================================== Game 4: Luckless Dave Burba was handed an 8-1 lead in the 4th inning, and between his lackluster efforts & those of reliever Brian Keyser it's good the lead was that large because a mere 8 runs would prove insufficient to win. Final score: 12-8. Pittsburgh amassed 16 hits against Cincy's hapless pitchers including 6 for 14 with RISP, but for a change the Cincy offense was efficient also and only LOBbed 3 and failed to reach our daily quota of 2 timely rally-killing DPs hit into, settling for just 1 today. The Reds slugged 4 homers, two coming from Chad Curtis who drove in 5 runs. Super-slumper Bret Boone (.155) had his biggest day of the season, 2 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI. And fellow massive underachiever Charlie O'Brien raised his average to a lusty .152 with a 1 for 3 day that featured 2 runs scored and an RBI. Alan |
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