Posted Messages
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Message #: 27634
The two teams were down to their #3 starters (Randy Tomlin, Greg Harris) and it showed as both offenses opened the contest in high gear. Today, neither starting pitcher would complete even 2 innings. Bonds laced a 2-out double in the first that gave the visitors a quick 1-0 lead but the Reds came back immediately with consecutive 1-out singles that put us up by 1 after 1. Tomlin was almost lifted but bounced back to retire John Kruk and Joe Oliver to strand a pair; but then he was pinch-hit for. Harris turned into his typical hit machine in the PIN 2nd by allowing 4 singles that plated a run, therefore he was yanked with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Enter Kevin Gross, who graciously and quickly allowed Pittsburgh's 5th and 6th singles of the frame, good for 3 runs, all charged to a very unhappy Harris. The final single resulted in an RBI but also ended the rally when a cutoff throw nailed John Wehner trying for third on the play. The Pirates began emptying the bench in the 3rd when Andy Van Slyke replaced starter Javier Ortiz in the outfield. Darrin Jackson opened that frame with a walk and moved up to second on Dwight Evans' single after Sabo fanned. Another free pass to John Kruk loaded the bases for Jeff Reed, who came up with a fortuitous split card (1!) and moved everyone up 90 feet. Hal Morris PH for Ricky Jordan and came up small in the clutch by whiffing on 5 pitches and leaving the bases still loaded and his team down by a pair with 2 outs. Making one of those idiotic decisions he is known for, the Reds manager let #5-hitting pitcher Kevin Gross bat for himself. Gross missed his loaded column by 1 and added 3 to our eventual total of 17 LOB. At least Gross justified his manager's highly-questionable faith in him by pitching much better after his initial meltdown; he wound up with 3.1 officially scoreless innings today, the longest stint on the mound of any of the 14 pitchers that were used. But the Pirate bullpen was just as effective and neither side seriously threatened to score*** until Paul O'Neill lined a 1-out double with the bases empty in the Cincy 6th. Roger Mason replaced Jim Gott at that point and -- pitching on the very mound that Joe Sambito made infamous -- emulated that long-gone and unlamented hurler by allowing a 2-run homer to Barry Larkin on his second pitch, tying the game 5-5. Mason hung around into the 7th and was replaced after Davis singled and raced to third on Reed's single to right. Lefty-killer Bob Patterson arrived to face lefty Hal Morris, who abandoned trying to get a hit and calmly laid down a nice suicide squeeze bunt as Davis charged home, giving the Reds a 1-run lead with 6 outs left to get. And then the defenses began to forget how to play the game. PIN's first batter of the 8th, and the first to be faced by Dwayne Henry, hit one to Sabo -- who booted it. Henry got a couple of outs before walking Bobby Bonilla, and Randy Myers was summoned to face Van Slyke. He grounded out to Larkin. Three outs to go. Cincy's offense did nothing in our half of the 8th and Dibble was selected to close out the Pirates. He damn near closed out the Reds. Pinch-hitter Lloyd McClendon led off with a single and moved to second on Chico Lind's sacrifice. Billy Hatcher ran for McClendon and easily made it to third when Dibble's very next pitch sailed to the backstop. Mike Lavalliere came through with a single that engraved a well-deserved "BS" next to Dibble in the boxscore but the erratic Cincy arsonist blew away Carlos Martinez for the second out. Then the Cincy Saboteurs went to work. Bell: x-grounder to Doran -- who booted it. Wehner: x-grounder to Morris -- who booted it to such an extent that Lavalliere was able to waddle home from second base and give the Pirates the lead. Having learned his lesson at last, Dibble then fanned Bonds on 3 pitches in order that the Cincinnati defense not be given the chance to touch the ball in any way. Suddenly it was the Pirates who needed just 3 more outs to seal up the win. Stan Belinda made his series debut and walked pinch-hitter Andy Allanson to open the 9th but then threw three straight strikes to Eric Davis, who watched them go by and then sat down. Reed's single sent Allanson to third and Morris tied it up when he also singled. A walk to Larkin loaded the bases with 2 outs but Doran couldn't deliver. On to extras with the Cincy bullpen now empty and "reliever" Greg Swindell now pitching. He retired the Pirates in order in the 10th and escaped a jam when Belinda had to bat with 2 on and 2 out in the 11th. The Reds got a double and a pair of walks with 2 outs in the 11th, and Jackson rolled his loaded 1 column but came up with "boxcars" instead of a good result and we LOBbed them loaded yet again. Taking quick advantage, the Pirates struck in the 12th when Bonds' boxcars (3-12 roll) got him hit by a Swindell pitch leading off, but Reed once again gunned him down trying to steal. Good thing too because Bonilla immediately doubled and with 2 outs went to third on a passed ball and Pagliarulo doubled Bonilla in to give the Pirates an 8-7 lead. But now it was the Pittsburgh defense that went to pieces, fatally. Sabo led off with a grounder that Pags (hero to goat just that quick) bobbled and then Sabo stole second. Swindell was up and had to stay in the game so he bunted. To Martinez at first base, who threw the ball to left fielder Bonds as Sabo scored to tie the game and Swindell took second. Three pitches later, Eric Davis doubled home Swindell with the winning run and the Reds somehow emerged with our third one-run victory in as evenly-matched a playoff series as there can be. By the end the Reds had no relievers available (just 2 upcoming starters) and Pittsburgh had only one. All PIN position players got into the game, while just Hayes & Benavides remained on the bench for Cincy. Alan *** Dewey Evans had a 1-15 shot at a 2-run BPHR in the 5th and, naturally, missed. The Reds don't consider a mere 1-15 split card opportunity as a "serious" scoring chance. |
| Quick Index: Teams | Leagues | Managers | Postseason | |
|
|