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Message #: 33206
For the second week in a row the Reds come up with an unimpressive road result vs. a divisional cellar dweller. But on the bright side we didn't get swept this time and also retook the N.L. lead in the coveted one-run loss category (18) by choking away multi-run leads and blowing the game in our opponent's final at bats on two occasions.... Game 1: The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first when Chad Mottola joined a select group by homering in his first major-league plate appearance. The Reds are never ones to waste any time before choking, so exactly one batter into the bottom of the first, the game was tied. The Cards quickly added 2 more in that same frame against Kevin Jarvis, but surprisingly that would conclude the St. Louis output against Jarvis. The CIN starter recorded 5 scoreless innings after that while his teammates went on to smash 3 more homers off David Wells and take an 8-3 lead in the 4th. The Reds would score nothing more, however the Cincy bullpen can't let an arson opportunity go by so Hector Carrasco allowed a 2-run surgical split card gopher in the 8th and then a 2-out double but retired the last 4 batters he faced to earn his second save of the season. Final score: 8-5. Mottola later added an RBI single to his solo homer and scored twice in his debut. ================================================================================= Game 2: Mark Langston was having a rare good start through 6 innings (4 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 6 Ks) and also had a 4-0 lead to work with. But these are the Reds, so you know what happened next. Langston started the 7th poorly (triple, single) and that ended his day -- but he wasn't finished giving up runs. Jeff Shaw came in to face Ozzie Smith and nearly accomplished the 'Perfect Sambito' -- gophering up a homer to the little power hitter, then permitting another hit before being hauled from the mound. Buddy Groom escaped that jam and would have earned a save since Shaw didn't quite choke away the entire lead, but some well-timed sabotage defense made sure that no save occurred for the Reds today. Jeff Branson was well-positioned to be the hero of the game, what with a double, a home run and all 4 Cincy RBIs. But his first error of the game opened the SLN 9th. Since it was a 2-base error -- 1 just wouldn't have sufficed -- the 2 consecutive routine groundouts that followed reduced the CIN lead from 1 to 0 and we went to extra innings. The thoroughly rattled Branson donated another 2-base howler in the SLN 11th but that somehow wasn't fatal. The fatality came shortly thereafter with Carrasco, atoning for failing to forfeit yesterday's contest, facing 9 batters in 1.1 innings and retiring only 3 of them. Four in a row reached in the 13th, and there simply wasn't room for all of those runners on just 3 bases. Reds blow a 4-0 lead, choke up 1-run loss #17. Final score: 5-4. ================================================================================= Game 3: The Reds got baserunners galore against St. Louis batting practice pitcher Alan Benes in the first 2 frames, but mostly began working towards our total of 10 LOB though we did plate a pair. After putting 6 of the first 11 batters he faced on base, Benes stiffened and had one of his best outings of the season and the Reds scored no further today. Fortunately, Donne Wall was even better for the Reds. Wall scattered 6 hits, all singles, walked nobody and the only run he allowed was purely the result of more sabotage defense. That occurred in the SLN 6th via an error, another error on a stolen base attempt, and a sac fly as the Cards scored without even a hit or a walk. Jeff Shaw forgot his gasoline for a change when he entered with 2 on and 1 out in the 8th and got a line drive DP to end the inning, then also mustered up a scoreless 9th. Final score: 2-1, a rare close game that ended with the Reds not on the losing end. We'd get right back to that in: ================================================================================= Game 4: As in the opener, Mottola put the Reds on top early with a solo homer and (also as in the opener) the Cincy starter -- Luckless Dave Burba this time -- gophered one to the very next batter he faced to offset Mottola's effort. The Reds had a 3-1 lead in the 2nd which quickly became a 4-3 deficit when Burba suffered his second gopher bite in 3 innings. A walk and a pair of singles tied the game in the CIN 6th and then the Reds stopped imitating the series opener and unfortunately began mimicking game 2. Following the pattern, the bullpen choked up the losing run in our opponent's final at bats, and once again it was an unearned run that led to the unearned loss. Sluggo Smith opened the bottom of the 9th with a single and was forced by Orlando Miller. Top defensive catcher Charlie O'Brien then supplied a timely passed ball (but at least he makes up for things like that by hitting .180) and Hector Carrasco, not to be outdone, supplied a timely wild pitch to put the losing run at third with one down. John Mabry flied out so Miller remained at third one batter longer than expected, but the inevitable happened one pitch later when Brian Jordan singled him home. Final score: one-run loss #18, by the count of 5-4. Luckless D.B. didn't pitch badly at all, permitting only 5 hits in 8 innings and walking just 3 (2 of which scored, 1 via a 2-out wild pitch) and striking out 9 St. Louis batters. Alan |
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