Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1994

Now here's the National League Report for Monday, September 25. We begin with Desmond in the East:

NY Mets 7, Atlanta 0
W - Bret Saberhagen (20-7)
L - Steve Avery (10-8)
HR - NYM: David Segui (20), Bobby Bonilla (29)

Segui and Bonilla's homers helped to stall the Braves' push to the Wild Card and prevented them from gaining ground on the Expos in the East. Their elimination number in the East has now dropped to five.

Florida 1, Chicago Cubs 0 (11 innings)
W - T.J. Matthews (3-2)
L - Jim Bullinger (12-4)

A scoreless tie ended when Bret Barberie was walked with the bases loaded.

Now to my Central report:

Expos 7, Cardinals 2

The Spos wake up and pummeled the Redbirds at Busch to knock their magic number for clinching the NL East down to four. Leading the way was Sean Berry, who went three for five, drove in three runs, and scored three as well. His homer came in the top of the first, and served as a signal that Les Expos sont la (The Expos are here). Larry Walker also went three for five and knocked in a pair, and Mike Lansing hade two hits. Geronimo Pena scored both runs for the home team, and Gregg Jefferies and Mark Whiten drove him in.

The Spos now go home to face the last-place Marlins while hoping for some help from the Phillies, who host Atlanta. "This was a learning experience," says manager Felipe Alou. "Now we know that we need to be at our best every night, no matter what. It's a lesson we needed to learn if we're going to be successful in the postseason." The Expos are almost sure to be going there, as it looks like they'll be the Wild Card even if the Braves beat them for the Eastern Division crown.

W- Heredia (8-7)
L- Palacios (4-10)

HR- MTL: Berry (14)

Pirates 4, Phillies 3

The Buccos closed out their home campaign in style, withstanding a ninth-inning rally to beat the Phils. Dave Clark went three for four to lead the Pittsburgh offense, and Orlando Merced, starting at first base today, was two for four. Pitcher Denny Neagle gave up just one run on four hits through eight innings, and knocked in a pair with a second-inning double. Mickey Morandini homered for the Fightins, and Ricky Jordan had two hits and drove in a run. The Phils scored twice off of the Bucco bullpen in the top of the ninth and had two on with just one out, but Mark Dewey retired pinch hitter Kevin Stocker and center fielder Lenny Dykstra on shallow fly balls to preserve the win.

A surprisingly large crowd of over 35,000 saluted the Buccos as they walked off the field at Three Rivers for the last time in 1994. "It's an honor to be a part of this community," said manager Jim Leyland afterward. "We'll be competitive soon enough, and once we are, we'll put Pittsburgh back on top of the baseball world for a long, long time."

W- Neagle (11-13)
S- Dewey (3)
L- Jackson (17-8)

HR- PHI: Morandini (5)

Giants 6, Reds 5 (10 innings; ABC: Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Lesley Visser)

The Giants got a much needed win on pinch hitter Mark Carreon's tenth-inning single. The Reds' magic number for clinching the Central remains at four, while the Giants need the Dodgers to beat the Padres later today to once again forge a tie atop the West.

The NL Central leaders cruised for most of the game, knocking out Giants starter John Burkett after just two and a third innings. Kevin Mitchell led the Cincinnati offense, going two for three with three RBIs and his forty-fifth home run of the year. Meanwhile, Matt Williams, like the rest of the Giants, was stymied. He popped weakly out to first to end the top of the first, was mowed down on three straight pitches to end the Frisco third, lined out to Barry Larkin at short in the sixth, and was caught looking to lead off the eighth. Cincinnati closer Jeff Brantley got two quick outs to lead off the ninth, but center fielder Dave Martinez got a two-strike base hit, and second baseman John Patterson walked on five pitches. This brought up Williams one more time. The count quickly went to 0-2, and then..............

Al Michaels: "Giants down to their last strike, runners at first and second."

Tim McCarver: "Williams has to just try to put the ball in play. If he thinks about a home run, Brantley might blow him away."

Jim Palmer: "Looks like the heat."

Michaels: "Brantley's ready, and the two-strike pitch...........DRIVEN DEEP TO RIGHT, SANDERS LOOKS UP AND WATCHES HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (No talk for over three minutes while Williams rounds the bases, greets his teammates, shakes hands with various Reds and the umpiring crew, and tips his hat to the delirious Riverfront Stadium crowd.)

Michaels: "Oh yeah, and this game is tied 5-5!"

Here's Ted Robinson's call:

"0-2 pitch.............HE GOT ALL OF IT! GO, BABY, GO, BABY.......IT'S GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!............Way over the right field wall, and ladies and gentlemen, history has been made! (Silence for close to two minutes)........Sorry for the dead air, but we needed to enjoy this moment too! Matt Williams is still being mobbed by his teammates, the Reds are coming over, Jeff Brantley's given him a hug, he's shaken hands with home plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt and the rest of the umpiring crew, and taken two curtain calls for the crowd here at Riverfront."

Mike Krukow: "Somewhere, the ghost of Roger Maris is watching, Teddy. And he's smiling big as life."

And finally, Marty Brennaman:

"Brantley's pitch driven deep to right, back on it is Sanders, but this one is long gone!!!!!!!!! Matt Williams has just broken Roger Maris's home run record with his sixty-second of the year and tied the game at five! We'll step out now and let you enjoy history, as Riverfront Stadium is on its feet for Matt Williams. Congratulations, Matt!"

"This was a great day, but it was better because we won," said Williams afterward. "The fact that this was the game-tying hit made it all the more special."

"It's been an honor to manage this man," gushed Giants skipper Dusty Baker. "Not only is he a great player, he's a great team player, and that make this even sweeter for us. I wish we were back home, but if we keep winning, our fans will see him again this year."

W- Hickerson (13-8)
S- Beck (38)
L- McElroy (2-4)

HR- SF: Williams (62)
CIN: Mitchell (45)

Finally, here's Joe Ray in the West:

Dodgers 3, Padres 2
W: Astacio (10-10)
L: Ashby (9-13)
S: Worrell (13)
HR- SD: Derek Bell (23)
LA: Piazza (41)
Gwynn: 1-4, 227-565 (0.40176)

The Padres lost a tough, hard-fought game against the Dodgers, who were led by a Mike Piazza's two-run homer in the sixth. Dodger starter Pedro Astacio went eight innings for the win, allowing nine hits and striking out five. Todd Worrell recorded the save in fourteen pitches, allowing just one runner in the ninth. Derek Bell homered for the Padres in a losing cause.

The Padres and Giants are once again tied atop the West, with the Dodgers sitting just three and a half games out. The Friars head to Cincinnati this week to battle the Reds, who are trying to nail down the Central. Meanwhile, the Dodgers head for Houston to face the Astros, who will be fighting for their own fading playoff hopes.

Rockies 9, Astros 7
W: Freeman (13-4)
L: Todd Jones (5-6)
S: Ruffin (23)
HR- COL: Galarraga (42), Bichette (37)
HOU: Bagwell (49)

Jeff Bagwell homered in the top of the first for the Astros, and a Tony Eusebio two-run single made it 3-0. Charlie Hayes cut it to 3-1 in the second with a run-scoring double which came after a Mike Kingery triple. Galarraga made it a one-run game in the third with a homer to right. Walt Weiss tied it in the fourth on a fielders' choice, but Houston took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth on a double by Ken Caminiti and a single by Craig Biggio. Colorado tied it in the bottom of the fifth on singles by Kingery and Hayes.

Marvin Freeman's wild pitch in the sixth gave the Astros a 6-5 lead, but the Rox came back with four in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Andres Galarraga and a three-run homer by Dante Bichette. The Astros only managed one more run in the top of the seventh. They got the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth to no avail.

The Stros' elimination number in the Central is down to three, and their elimination number in the Wild Card is down to just two. While they face the equally desperate Dodgers this week in the Astrodome, the Rox welcome new single-season home run king Matt Williams and the Giants starting Tuesday.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 92-64 (Magic Number: 4)
Braves: 89-67- 3 GB
Mets: 79-77- 13 GB
Phillies: 77-79- 15 GB
Marlins: 66-89- 25.5 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 89-66 (Magic Number: 1)
Astros: 83-73- 5.5 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 18 GB
Cardinals: 68-87- 20 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 28.5 GB

In the West:

Padres: 82-75 (Magic Number: 6)
Giants: 81-75-.5 GB
Dodgers: 78-78- 3.5 GB
Rockies: 74-83- 8 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 89-67 (Magic Number: 1)
Astros: 83-73- 6 GB

Next: We look at September 26.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Okay, folks, I did some checking, and I had to correct the standings. What you see above you now are the official standings heading into the final six days of the season, at least for the contenders.

Basically, if a team has more than six games remaining their record is incorrect. I may fix the Cubs and Marlins if I get a spare moment, but they're out of the race, so it doesn't matter. As for the Reds and Cardinals, they played to a tie in the first week of the season that was never made up because of the strike, so they still have seven games each remaining. If the Reds fall flat on their faces and the Astros get hotter than the Texas panhandle, there's an infinitesimal chance that it may need to be replayed. I'll take care of that if and when it's needed, but it shouldn't be.

Stay tuned for a great last week (I hope!)
 
I've decided to play the makeup game between the Reds and the Cardinals and have done with it. Remember, if the Reds win they win the Central Division title.

Reds 17, Cardinals 1

The Reds wrapped up the Central in dominating fashion, piling up seventeen runs on twenty-three hits. Kevin Mitchell was the hitting star, getting hits in all three official plate appearances (he was also walked three times), driving in four runs, and scoring five times. His biggest hit was a two-run homer in the fourth. Jacob Brumfield also had three hits, scored three runs, and drove in four, while Hal Morris went four for six with three runs scored and a pair of ribbies. The only member of the starting lineup not to drive in at least one run was starting pitcher John Smiley, who went hitless in five at-bats and struck out three times. He made up for it with eight stellar innings on the mound, during which he gave up just one run on six hits while walking two and striking out seven. Bernard Gilkey was the only Cardinal with two hits, while Gregg Jefferies drove in the only St. Louis run. Allen Watson took the loss, giving up six runs (all earned) on six hits in just an inning and two-thirds.

Now that the Reds have clinched the Central, the season is over for the Cubs, Cardinals, and Pirates. That means that the scheduled series between the Cardinals and Cubs in Chicago and the Pirates and Mets in New York are canceled, as well as the final two games of the Pirates-Cubs and Cardinals-Mets series. The Reds will meet the Wild Card winner (most likely the Braves) in the Division Series, and they'll have hone field advantage.

W- Smiley (15-12)
L- Watson (9-8)

HR- CIN: Mitchell (46)

The standings in the Central to the moment:

Reds: 90-66 (clinched)
Astros: 83-73- 7 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 19.5 GB
Cardinals: 68-88- 22 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 30 GB

Next: Our look at September 26.

Thoughts?
 
Never heard of series being cancelled just because post season lineup was settled...thousands of AL games (between 1921 and 1964) would have never been played with that kind of logic.
 
I'm doing that because there's no CBA in this universe either. I didn't butterfly the strike away; the players simply agreed to keep playing meaningful games while a new contract was negotiated with the owners. Now that playoff spots in the National League have been determined, certain games are no longer meaningful, and the Players' Association is telling the players on those teams to strike, even while their brethren in other cities keep playing. I doubt very seriously that something like this would happen in real life, but it's my way of keeping the strike as a part of the timeline while also playing the season to a satisfying conclusion in spite of it.
 
Now here's the National League Report for Monday, September 26. There are no home games in the West, so we'll begin with Desmod in the East:

Montreal 12, Florida 2
W - Ken Hill (22-11)
L - Pat Rapp (11-12)
HR -MTL: Larry Walker 2 (35), Vladimir Guerrero (2), Cliff Floyd (8)
FLA: Jeff Conine (22)

The Spos hit four home runs, and Hill battled the flu for six and a third innings to notch his league-leading twenty-second win. The Spos' magic number to clinch the East is now three


Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 2
W - Bobby Muñoz (10-8)
L - John Smoltz (9-12)
HR - PHI: Pete Incaviglia (16)

A five-run fourth doomed the Braves, as their elimination number in the East dropped to two and they failed to eliminate the Astros and claim the Wild Card. They can still do that with a Dodger victory at the Astrodome later tonight.

Now for my Central report:

Reds 7, Giants 5

History was made for the second day in a row at Riverfront, as Barry Bonds smacked two homers for the Giants to become the sixth man to hit fifty home runs in the 1994 season. On the other hand, Matt Williams didn't hit a ball out of the infield, going 0 for 4. Hal Morris and Kevin Mitchell went deep for the home squad In other news, Deion Sanders has joined the Reds for the playoffs with the 49ers' permission, and he went one for five and scored a run. Starter John Smiley went six and two-thirds innings on the mound and two for three at the plate, driving in a pair to help his own cause. The Reds host the Padres and Tony Gwynn beginning tomorrow night here at Riverfront, while the Giants fly to Denver to battle the Rockies. Their elimination number in the West is five.

W- Smiley (16-12)
S- Brantley (23)
L- Portugal (11-12)

HR- SF: Bonds 2 (51)
CIN: Mitchell (47), Morris (17)

Dodgers 3, Astros 2

The Diodgers are still clinging to life in the West, while the Astros have been eliminated from the Wild Card race. The Men in Blue got a homer from Henry Rodriguez and RBIs from Jose Offerman and pinch hitter Jeff Treadway, while Ramon Martinez held the Stros to just two hits in eight innings. But the home team almost pulled it out in the ninth against the suddenly shaky Todd Worrell. Third baseman Tim Wallach fluffed a ground ball on the first pitch, alowing Houston second baseman Craig Biggio to reach, and Worrell fell behind Jeff Bagwell 3-0 before the slugger swing at ball four for out number one. Worrell's next pitch was smoked into right center by Luis Gonzalez to bring home Biggio, and Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda called on Jim Gott to finish up. Jim's first pitch was tattooed into center by Ken Caminiti, and Brett Butler had to climb the wall to take away a walk-off homer. Scott Servais then popped out, and the Dodgers breathed a sigh of relief.

The Dodgers' elimination number in the West remains at three with five games left. They play here in Houston through Thursday, then finish up Friday and Saturday against the Giants at Dodger Stadium if necessary.

W- Martinez (14-9)
S- Gott (5)
L- Harnisch (12-7)

HR- LA: Rodriguez (12)
HOU: Mouton (3)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 93-64 (Magic Number: 2)
Braves: 89-68- 4 GB
Mets: 79-77- 13.5 GB
Phillies: 78-79- 15 GB
Marlins: 68-89- 25 GB

In the Central:

Reds: 91-66 (clinched)
Astros: 83-74- 8 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 20 GB
Cardinals: 68-88- 22.5 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 30.5 GB

In the West:

Padres: 82-75 (Magic Number: 5)
Giants: 81-76- 1 GB
Dodgers: 79-78- 3 GB
Rockies: 74-83- 8 GB

In the Wild Card:

Braves: 89-68
Astros: 83-74- 6 GB

Note: I didn't say that the Braves have clinched the Wild Card because they still have at least a mathematical hope of winning the East, in which case the Expos would be the Wild Card.

Next: We look at September 27.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Now here's the National League Report for Tuesday, September 27. We begin with Desmond in the East:

Montreal 8, Florida 0
W - Pedro Martinez (16-6)
L - Mark Gardner (6-7)
HR - NTL: Moises Alou 2 (41), Larry Walker (36)

The Spos' magic number to clinch the East is down to one after their decimation of the Marlins.

Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 1
W - Danny Jackson (18-8)
L - Kent Mercker (12-8)
HR - PHI: Pete Incaviglia (17), Darren Daulton (21)

The Phils scored four in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie. The Braves are thus assured of the Wild Card, and because of the rotation system used to determine playoff matchups, they know that they'll open one NLDS against the Reds at home a week from today. The Expos will open at the home of the Western Division winner.

All further games involving Eastern Division teams are now canceled. We'll have the final standings at the end of this post.

Now for my Central report:

Padres 6, Reds 5 (10 innings)

Ricky Gutierrez's tenth-inning double reduced the Padres' magic number for clinching the West to four. Tony Gwynn went two for five with a run scored, which keeps his average at .401. The Friars got their offense from other sources as well, such as Phil Plantier, who belted a home run, Archi Cianfrocco, who drove in a pair of runs, and Derek Bell, who went three for five and scored twice. The Reds got a home run from Reggie Sanders and two hits and a pair of RBIs from Kevin Mitchell. In fact, it was Reggie's two-run ninth-inning shot off of San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman that tied the game as Riverfront Stadium went berserk. A.J. Sager took up the closer cudgel and got the save for San Diego, while Hector Carrasco takes the tough loss for the Reds.

W- Hoffman (5-5)
S- Sager (1)
L- Carrasco (5-8)

HR- SD: Plantier (24)
CIN: R. Sanders (26)

Gwynn watch: 2-5 tonight, 227-566 for the year, current average .401

Dodgers 11, Astros 3

The Men in Blue pounded the home team to the tune of eleven runs and twenty-two hits to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Manager Terry Collins decided to start Houston staff ace Darryl Kile on just three days' rest, and he was pounded for five runs on six hits while getting just two outs in the first. Every Dodger starter had at least one hit, and everyone but center fielder Brett Butler had an RBI. Even pitcher Kevin Gross went three for five with an RBI in addition to his eight solid innings on the hill. Amazingly enough, the Dodgers did all of their offensive damage without the benefit of a home run. Ken Caminiti went deep for the Stros. Despite their loss, the fans of Houston showered their Astros with a standing ovation as they left the field, and even in defeat, the Stros vowed to play spoiler for the Dodgers over the next two nights. "These are our playoff games now," said slugger Jeff Bagwell. "We're going to play these next two games like postseason games, because we can keep them from winning the West." .

Because the Padres won earlier, the Dodgers' elimination number in the West now stands at two.


W- Gross (12-8)
L- Kile (13-8)

HR- HOU: Caminiti (23)

Now here's Joe Ray in the West:

Rockies 9, Giants 4
W: Nied (9-10)
L: Swift (8-8)
HR- COL: Galarraga (43)
SF: Williams (63)

Andres Galarraga's first-inning single scored Eric Young to give the Rox a 1-0 lead. Matt Williams hit Number 63 in the top of the third with one on to put the Giants up 2-1, and Todd Benizinger's run-scoring single made it 3-1 in the fifth, but Galarraga gave the home squad the lead with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. They put the game away with a five-run seventh, the key blow being Ellis Burks' two-run double. Williams closed the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth. The Giants put two men on in the ninth, but couldn't score.

The Giants are now two games behind the Padres, and their elimination number is down to three. They play here in Denver the next two days, then finish at Dodger Stadium, while the Padres play two more in Cincinnati, then finish with a pair here.

The final standings in the East:

Expos: 94-64
Braves: 89-69- 5 GB
Mets: 79-77- 14 GB
Phillies: 79-79- 15 GB
Marlins: 68-90- 26 GB

The standings in the Central to the moment:

Reds: 91-67 (clinched)
Astros: 83-75- 8 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 20 GB
Cardinals: 68-88- 22 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 30 GB

In the West:

Padres: 83-75 (Magic Number: 3)
Giants: 81-77- 2 GB
Dodgers: 80-78- 3 GB
Rockies: 75-83- 8 GB

The final Wild Card standings:

Braves: 89-69 (clinched)
Astros: 83-75- 6 GB

Next: We look at September 28.

Thoughts?
 
To add to what I said earlier, I''ll be doing one series at a time so I can also update my other thread. The Braves-Reds Division Series will be first, since I only have to copy it from All Time Sports. Then will come the Expos-West winner Division Series, then the NLCS.
 
Now here's the National League Report for Wednesday, September 28. We begin in the Central:

Reds 2, Padres 1 (ESPN: Chris Berman, Joe Morgan)

The Reds scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Padres, and the Friars thus missed a chance to keep the pressure on the Dodgers and Giants . Unlike last night, the Reds got to and beat young closer Trevor Hoffman, as Brian Dorsett's double drove in Kevin Mitchell and Bret Boone with the winning runs. Shortstop Luis Lopez's second-inning sacrifice fly scored the only San Diego run. In the night's other important business, Tony Gwynn went two for four with a pair of doubles to raise his average to .402 (.4017). He has one more game tomorrow night here at Riverfront, then he and the Pads close the season in the hitter's nirvana known as Mile High Stadium.

In other news, Barry Larkin was sent home by Reds management before the game, with orders not to report back until the team's first pre-NLDS workout on Monday in an effort to rest his still-aching groin.

W- Carrasco (6-8)
L- Hoffman (5-6)

Gwynn watch: 2-4 tonight, 229-570 for the season, currently batting .4017 (.402)

Dodgers 5, Astros 2

The Men in Blue kept their still-faint playoff hopes alive with tonight's victory at the Astrodome. The big inning for the Dodgers was the third, when they scored three times, including twice on a Mike Piazza homer. Delino DeShields, Jose Offerman, and pitcher Tom Candiotti had the other Dodger RBIs, and Candiotti worked seven and two-thirds strong innings to get the win, with Roger McDowell picking up the save. Jeff Bagwell's eighth-inning two-run homer, his fiftieth of the year, provided all the offense for the home side. Bagwell is the seventh major leaguer this year to hit fifty or more home runs.

Orel Hershiser will try to keep the Men in Blue alive again tomorrow night when he takes the mound against the Stros' Doug Drabek.

W- Candiotti (11-10)
S- McDowell (5)
L- Swindell (11-14)

HR- LA: Piazza (42)
HOU: Bagwell (50)

Now to the West:

Rockies 12, Giants 8

In a typical Mile High kerfuffle, the Rox outslugged the Giants and pushed them one step closer to elimination in the NL West. The home squad wiped out a 5-0 Frisco lead with six in the bottom of the fourth, as Eric Young's single gave them the lead for good. Things were blown wide open in the bottom of the sixth when the Blake Street Bombers tallied four more times, including a three-run homer from Ellis Burks that put them up 10-5. The Giants get back within 10-8 after seven and a half, thanks in part to Matt Williams' sixty-fourth home run, but the Rox scored twice more in the bottom of the eighth to close things out. In addition to Burks' home run, Charlie Hayes and pinch hitter Mike Kingery knocked in a pair of rhuns apiece, Hayes also had three hits, as did Young, while Walt Weiss went four for six and scored twice. In addition to Williams, Darren Lewis went deep for the Giants, and Kirt Manwaring drove in a pair.

The Giants are now tied with the Dodgers for second place in the West. Each team is two games out with three left, and the Padres' magic number to clinch the West is two.

W- Reynoso (6-4)
L- Torres (5-9)

HR- SF: Williams (64), Lewis (5)
COL: Burks (15)

The standings in the Central to the moment:

Reds: 92-67 (clinched)
Astros: 83-76- 9 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 20.5 GB
Cardinals: 68-88- 22.5 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 30.5 GB

In the West:

Padres: 83-76 (Magic Number: 2)
(tie) Giants: 81-78- 2 GB
(tie) Dodgers: 81-78- 2 GB
Rockies: 76-83- 7 GB

Next: We look at September 29.

Thoughts?
 
Now it's time for the National League Report for Thursday, September 29. We begin in the Central:


Padres 13, Reds 4

The Friars unleashed an eighteen-hit attack on the homestanding Reds, who were obviously looking forward to their playoff meeting with the Braves. Craig Shipley's home run and five RBIs led the way for San Diego, and Derek Bell went four for six. Brad Ausmus also went deep for the visitors. As for the man of the hour, Tony Gwynn went three for five with an RBI and a run scored; his current average can be found below, Andy Benes ended his regular season on a positive note, going eight innings and scattering twelve Cincinnati hits. Hal Morris went four for five for the Reds and drove in a pair, and Jacob Brumfield knocked in two more. The starting pitching is a concern, as John Roper lasted just two and two-thirds innings, giving up six runs on seven hits. He was penciled in as the first reliever out of the pen for the Reds during the playoffs, so it'll be interesting to see how manager Davey Johnson reacts to his ineffectiveness tonight.

The Padres have now clinched a tie for the Western Division title. If both the Dodgers and Giants lose tonight, they'll have completed their climb from tied for worst to first.

W- Benes (10-17)
L- Roper (8-5)

Gwynn watch: 3-5 tonight, 232-575 for the season, now batting .403

HR- SD: Shipley (7), Ausmus (12)

Astros 4, Dodgers 0

The Dodgers have been eliminated, as Doug Drabek turned in a vintage performance, blanking the Men in Blue on five hits and striking out eight without giving up a walk. Jaff Bagwell and Ken Caminiti led the Houston offense, each supplying two hits and driving in two runs. Despite the Stros being out of postseason contention, close to 40,000 show up at the Astrodome on a weeknight.

Now wee head to Denver for the showdown between the Giants and Rockies. If the Rox win, the Padres are NL West champs and the National League regular season is over.

W- Drabek (15-9)
L- Hershiser (8-11)

Now to the West:

Giants 8, Rockies 1

The Giants hammered the Rox to take sole possession of second place in the NL West. Kirt Manwaring led the offense by getting two hits and driving in three runs, while Royce Clayton scored three times. Matt Williams contributed by smacking his sixty-fifth home run of the year leading off the fifth. On the mound, Bryan Hickerson made an emergency start in place of Bud Black and tossed a five-hitter for his first complete game of 1994. The only Colorado hitter he had trouble with is catcher Joe Girardi, who went three for three with a home run.

The Giants need to win their last two games in Los Angeles and hope that the Rockies beat the Padres twice in Denver. If that happens, the Padres and Giants will have a one-game playoff on Monday at 3Com Park to determine the Western champion. Otherwise, the Padres are the champs and face the Expos in Game 1 of the NLDS Tuesday night at Jack Murphy Stadium.

W- Hickerson (14-8)
L- Ritz (6-8)

HR- SF: Williams (65)
COL: Girardi (7)

The final standings in the Central:

Reds: 92-68 (clinched)
Astros: 84-76- 8 GB
Cubs: 70-85- 20.5 GB
Cardinals: 68-88- 22 GB
Pirates: 60-96- 30 GB

The standings in the West to the moment:

Padres: 84-76 (Magic Number: 1)
Giants: 82-78- 2 GB
Dodgers: 81-79- 3 GB
Rockies: 76-84- 8 GB

Next: We look at September 30.

Thoughts?
 
Now here's the National League Report for Friday, September 30:

Padres 18, Rockies 5 (NBC: Bob Costas, Tony Kubek, Jim Gray)

The Padres shellacked the Rox to clinch the NL West. Brad Ausmus led the way, going four for six and driving in six runs; his two-run homer in the second opened the scoring. Archi Cianforocco went four for six, driving in four runs and scoring four more. Eddie Williams and Bip Roberts also had four hits each; the Friars totaled twenty-one in all. Two of these belonged to Tony Gwynn in his five at-bats with an RBI, and we'll update his batting average below. Ellis Burks' home run was the highlight of the evening for Colorado. The almost 60,000 fans in attendance gave their Blake Street Bombers a long standing ovation after the final out, thanking them for a season of great memories. After such a long wait, baseball is definitely here to stay in the Rocky Mountains.

W- Ashby (10-13)
L- Painter (4-8)

HR- SD: Plantier (25), Bell (23), Ausmus (13), Cianfrocco (6)
COL: Burks (16)

Gwynn watch: 2-5 tonight, 234-580 this season, currently batting .403

Final stats: 237-584, final batting average .406

Dodgers 14, Giants 2 (NBC: Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Hannah Storm)

The Dodgers feasted on Giant pitching early and often and clinch a tie for second place with the Giants in the West. Raul Mondesi paced the Dodger offense with a home run and five RBIs, Jose Offerman and Henry Rodriguez drive in a pair each, and Eric Karros added a dinger of his own. Shortstop Royce Clayton and pitcher Mike Jackson had the San Francisco RBIs. Two decisions made in this game will likely haunt Giant skipper Dusty Baker forever: one, the decision to give Bud Black his turn in the rotation and move ace John Burkett back to Saturday, and two, the decision to rest Barry Bonds despite him being in relatively good health. Bonds was limited to a meaningless pinch-hit single in the ninth, and Black was shelled into oblivion, giving up eight runs on six hits in two and a third innings. Meanwhile, Ramon Martinez went eight solid innings for the Men in Blue. "If we can't win with every starter on our staff, we don't deserve to be here" is how Baker defended his decision to use Black. As for Bonds, Baker claimed that his knee was bothering him during pregame outfield practice, a claim the slugger disputed after the game. "My knees are no worse than usual," said Barry B. "They always hurt this time of year, but I could have played, especially in a game like this."

W- Martinez (16-9)
L- Black (4-3)

HR- LA: Mondesi (23), Karros (17)

The final standings in the West:

Padres: 85-76
(tie) Giants: 82-79- 3 GB
(tie) Dodgers: 82-79- 3 GB

Rockies: 76-85- 9 GB

Next: We begin the NLDS.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Our first Division Series will pit the Cincinnati Reds against the Atlanta Braves, and it will begin on Wednesday, October 5 at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. Bob Costas and Tony Kubek will have the call for NBC, with Jim Gray and Mary Anm Grabavoy serving as dugout reporters.

Weather: 61 degrees, clear skies, calm winds

Here are the umpires for Game 1:

Home Plate: Frank Pulli
First Base: Joe West
Second Base: Greg Bonin
Third Base: Ed Rapuano
Left Field: Bill Hohn
Right Field: Jim Quick

Here wee go:

Live from Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, its Game 1 of the new National League Division Series! This matchup pits the National League Central champion Cincinnati Reds against the National League Wild Card, the Atlanta Braves. Today's pitching matchup should be something to see: John Smiley, whose regular season record was 15-13, goes for the Reds against National League Cy Young candidate Greg Maddux, who finished with a record of 21-6. Both teams lost their shortened series last weekend, as they were looking forward to this matchup. The team that regains its focus faster will have a decided advantage. As far as lineups go, the Reds have a rested, though not completely healed, Barry Larkin back, and Deion Sanders is here and leading off amid reports that the San Francisco 49ers would refuse to let him play. For the Braves, Rafael Belliard is subbing for Mark Lemke at second base while Lemke nurses a hip pointer. Lemke is available to pinch hit, however. With those changes noted, let's get this Division Series underway!

Maddux gets the first two outs in the top of the first on three pitches before giving up a walk to Reds first baseman Hal Morris that leads to nothing. In the bottom of the inning, Smiley walks left fielder Dave Gallagher on five pitches to start. Next up is second baseman Jeff Blauser, who grounds the 0-1 pitch right back to Smiley. John throws to Bret Boone at second to get the force, but Boone's throw to first is late, and Blauser's on. Next comes center fielder Mike Kelly, who lashes a 1-1 slider into left. Blauser comes home to give the Braves a 1-0 lead, and Kelly ends up at second with a double. After first baseman Fred McGriff grounds to Boone, Smiley loses David Justice to a five-pitch walk, but third baseman Terry Pendleton pops out to his opposite Tony Fernandez to end the inning. After one, it's 1-0 Atlanta.

Maddux has a tough time to start out the second, as he gives up back-to-back walks to Boone and Fernandez. But he shows uncharacteristic power afterward, striking out right fielder Reggie Sanders, catcher Eddie Taubensee, and Smiley on a total of eleven pitches to end the inning. After the Braves go one-two-three in the second, Deion leads off the third with a base hit and steals second. But Maddux punches out Larkin to record his fourth consecutive out on strikes, gets Morris to ground out, and after pitching around left fielder Kevin Mitchell and giving up a walk, fans Bret Boone to end the inning. "Maddux looking like Nolan Ryan through three," observes Costas.

Smiley gets Gallagher on a screaming liner to Pandleton to lead off the third, but then comes Blauser:

Costas: "One-one pitch.............hit a ton to right, Reggie Sanders on the move, back to the wall, but he's too late; it's in the third deck! 2-0 Braves!"

Kubek: "Blauser's not exactly a masher, Bob, but when he gets all of a pitch, you know it, and he gets all of this one. Reggie makes the effort, but like you said, he's too late."

The tomahawk chop ringing in his ears, Smiley gets Kelly to line out to Pendleton and freezes McGriff with strike three to get out of the inning. Three innings are in the books, and the Braves are up 2-0.

Maddux gives up yet another uncharacteristic walk to Taubensee in the fourth, but no harm is done. That's more than the Reds can say in the bottom of the inning, when David Justice leads off against Smiley:

Costas: "Smiley only down 2-0, and despite the strikeouts, Maddux isn't at his best today, so if he can keep it close, the Reds might have a chance. BUT NOT IF JUSTICE HITS TOO MANY MORE LIKE THAT! NOT EVEN DEION HAS A CHANCE, AND IT'S 3-0 ATLANTA!"

Kubek: "This was like a mortar shot. Not only was it hit far, it was hit fast. Deion gets a jump, but Justice nailed it in the right spot; it just kept rising."

The tomahawk chop is louder than ever, but Smiley quiets the fans slightly by retiring Pendleton, catcher Javy Lopez, and Belliard in order. At the end of four, it's Braves 3, Reds 0.

Both sides go down one-two-three in the fifth, and Mitchell's bloop hit over Pendleton's head leading off the sixth is wasted. Then it all falls apart for the Central champs. Kelly lines one into center to start the bottom of the sixth, and McGriff beats out a ground ball that the still-hobbled Larkin has trouble getting to quickly. Justice then steers one just out of Fernandez's reach and into left to bring home Kelly, and it's 4-0 Braves. Pendleton is next, and his gap shot into right center hops over the wall for a ground-rule double. McGriff trots home, and it's 5-0 Atlanta. Then it's Lopez's turn, and his fly ball drops between Mitchell and Prime Time. Justice scores, and third base coach Jimy Williams sends Pendleton home. Mitchell's throw is right on target, and Pendleton has to try to run Taubensee over to get across the plate. Pulli's right there for the out call, however, and there's one gone. Pendleton's all right, but Taubensee has to be helped off the field, and Brian Dorsett comes in to take his place behind the plate. Smiley exits as well, and Tim Fortugno takes his place with the Braves up 6-0 and Fulton County Stadium more boisterous than ever. Fortugno adds to the bedlam by throwing his first pitch to Belliard all the way to the backstop. He rebounds to strike Raffy out, but his defense betrays him when Fernandez can't handle Maddux's hot smash. Gallagher drops one in front of Mitchell to score Lopez and make it 7-0, and then Blauser puts the finishing touches on when he sends one over Reggie's head in right. Maddux and Gallagher both come around, and the Braves are up 9-0. Kelly comes up as the tenth man to bat, but he grounds to Larkin to finally and mercifully end the inning. The Braves' eruption thus ends after six runs on six hits, and Maddux figures to cruise from here on out. After six, it's Atlanta 9, Cincinnati 0.

The Reds, however, show some life in the top of the seventh. With one out, Jacob Brumfield bats for Fortugno and lines one into the gap in left center for a double. After Maddux gets Deion looking, Larkin grounds one through the hole between third and short. Brumfield scores, and the Reds are on the board. Morris follows up with another base hit, and then one gets away from Maddux and hits Mitchell in the right calf. No damage is done, but the bases are loaded, at least until Boone unloads them with another gap shot to left center. By the time the merry-go-round stops, all three baserunners have scored, and it's a 9-4 ballgame. Fernandez grounds out to Belliard to end the inning, but the Reds are back into things in a big way after their four-spot. More importantly, they've solved Maddux, at least for today. "He hasn't been himself today," observes Kubek. "He's walked five guys, hit a man, been behind in the count more than usual. Just not a vintage Greg Maddux performance." How long will Bobby Cox stick with his ace? We'll find out soon enough. It's stretch time in Atlanta, and the Braves are up 9-4.

Pete Schourek is next out of the pen for Cincy, and he erases a Justice single in the bottom of the seventh by getting Pendleton to ground into a double play. The last true threat of the ballgame comes in the Reds' eighth. Maddux is still on the mound, and Reggie greets him with a screaming double to center. Maddux then walks Dorsett, his sixth free pass of the game, and Jeff Branson comes up to bat for Schourek. His liner is gloved by Belliard before it can do any damage, and Deion forces Dorsett at second for the second out. Larkin gets a hold of one and sends Kelly to the wall, but Mike makes the catch, and the side is retired with Cincinnati coming up scoreless.

That's pretty much it; Belliard's double play erases Lopez's single in the bottom of the eighth, and Boone's game-ending double play nullifies Morris's ninth-inning walk. The Braves take Game 1 9-4, and lead the series one game to none.

Blauser's two-for-four, three-RBI day nets him NBC's Player of the Game honor. "Everything worked out the way it was supposed to," the Braves' shortstop tells Mary Ann Grabavoy. "The fans were out of this world, and Greg battled just the way we know he can. He wasn't at his best, but the offense picked him up. It was a team effort all the way. Hopefully we can put together another one tomorrow and go down there with three chances to clinch."

That does it for Game 1 in Atlanta; the final score, the Braves 9, the Reds 4, and the Braves lead the series one game to none. Be sure to stay tuned for the Prudential Postgame Report, followed by local programming. Then we're back tonight with Unsolved Mysteries, Law and Order at the special time of 9 Eastern, and then at 10, we have our pregame show for Game 1 between the Expos and Padres in San Diego. Vin and Joe will have the call. We'll be back tomorrow at 3 Eastern from right here in Atlanta as the Braves try to go up two games to none. It'll be Tom Glavine for the Braves against Jose Rijo for the Reds. Of course, if you want more baseball between now and tonight, the American League Division Series is being carried by our friends at ABC, and best of luck to them.

So that's the story from Atlanta. The final score: the Atlanta Braves 9, the Cincinnati Reds 4. Maddux the winner, Smiley the loser. For Tony Kubek, Jim Gray, and Mary Ann Grabavoy, I'm Bob Costas. Greg Gumbel will be along with our postgame show right after these messages and a word from your local station. See you tomorrow!

W- Maddux (1-0)
L- Smiley (0-1)

HR- ATL: Blauser (1), Justice (1)

Next: Game 2 between the Braves and Reds.

Thoughts?
 
Here are the umpires for Game 2 of Reds-Braves:

Home Plate: Joe West
First Base: Greg Bonin
Second Base: Ed Rapuano
Third Base: Bill Hohn
Left Field: Jim Quick
Right Field: Frank Pulli

Weather: 74 degrees, clear skies, calm winds

Here we go with the action:

Live from Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, It's Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves. Yesterday, the Braves used a six-run sixth inning to crack the game wide open on their way to a 9-4 victory. This afternoon, the Reds send Jose Rijo (10-8) to the mound in an effort to tie the series at a game apiece. He'll be opposed by the Braves' Tommy Glavine, who only had two decisions (both losses) for the whole month of September and finished with a record of 15-11.

As far as the lineups go, Eddie Taubensee has been cleared to go back behind the plate after getting the worst end of a collision with the Braves' Terry Pendleton yesterday. One significant change, however: Thomas Howard, who started in center field quite a bit over the season's last couple of weeks, replaces Kevin Mitchell, the Reds' leading home run hitter, in left field due to Mitchell's sore right knee. For Atlanta, Rafael Belliard starts at second base in place of Mark Lemke for the second day in a row. Lemke's resting a hamstring pull and is available to pinch hit if needed. Also, Ryan Klesko is back in left field today after Mike Gallagher started Game 1. Let's get Game 2 of this series underway!

The Reds get a runner as far as third in the top of the first. Deion Sanders beats out an infield hit, steals second after no less than six consecutive throws to first, holds when Tony Fernandez flies to center, and moves to third on Berry Larkin's groundout. But Hal Morris taps to Fred McGriff at first to end the inning. Klesko doubles with two out in the bottom of the inning, but nothing comes of it. In the top of the second, Glavine walks Howard, who steals second, and later walks Taubensee. But he sends Rijo fishing for a slider in the dirt to end the inning. The Braves go out in order in the second, and Deion's infield hit and steal of second are wasted in the Cincy third. Belliard gets to second on a base hit and a Glavine sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the third, but is stranded there.

The Reds bust out in the top of the fourth, and in a big way. Bret Boone leads off with a hard single to center, and Howard's seeing-eye base hit to left puts runners at first and second. Reggie Sanders sends Mike Kelly deep into the gap in right center to make a running catch for out number one, but Taubensee walks to load the bases. Ball four appears to be right over the heart of the plate, which earns home plate umpire Joe West a hard stare from Glavine. Now it's up to Rijo, who looked foolish striking out his first time up. This time, he cracks Glavine's 1-0 pitch into left for a base hit to score Boone and Howard and give the Reds a 2-0 lead. Glavine strikes out Deion for out number two, but Fernandez and Larkin hit back-to-back ground-rule doubles; Fernandez's scores Taubensee to make it 3-0, and Larkin's brings home Rijo and Fernandez to put the Reds up 5-0. At that point, Bobby Cox has seen enough; after just three and two-thirds innings, during which he's given up five runs to this point on seven hits, Glavine's day is done. Mike Bielecki comes on to finish the inning, and is greeted by Hal Morris's single to left. which scores Larkin, bad groin and all. Then comes the man who started this mess, Boone, who draws a walk. But Howard grounds to Belliard at second to finally end the inning. After six runs on six hits, the Braves are out of the fourth; now to dig out from a 6-0 hole.

The Bravos manage two hits off of Rijo in the fourth. Justice gets a two-out hit, and Pendleton beats out an infield single. But Lopez's scorching line drive is speared by Morris for the third out. New pitcher Kent Mercker gets the Reds in order in the fifth, and the Braves come as close as they do all day in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Cox elects to have Mercker bat for himself to save his pen in case there's a comeback, and Kent sizzles one into right center for a base hit. Kelly follows up with another single, and Mercker moves to third after Blauser forces Kelly. This brings up Klesko, and here's Bob:

"Braves need to make something out of this down 6-0. Klesko down a strike to Rijo. Mercker at third, no threat to run obviously, and Blauser at first. Rijo stretches, and here's the 0-1..........driven deep to right center, Deion back as fast as he can go, at the track, looking up, IT'S GONE!...........The tomahawk chop is heard for the first time today at Fulton County Stadium, as just like that the Reds' lead is cut to 6-3."

Tony Kubek: "Klesko's got some pop in his bat, and here he shows it, goes down and gets the curve, and I thought Deion might have a play on the hop off the wall if it didn't get out, but it did."

McGriff almost makes it back-to-back jacks with a deep drive to right, but Reggie Sanders makes the catch at the wall to end the inning. The Braves have made it a ballgame again thanks to Klesko's home run, and now it's up to Mercker to keep the Reds off the board while the comeback continues. At the end of five, it's Cincinnati 6, Atlanta 3.

Both sides go out in order in the sixth, with McGriff making all three putouts of the Reds. The Reds add on in the top of the seventh. Morris leads off with a base hit, followed by a Boone free pass and a infield hit from Howard. With the bases loaded, Reggie grounds one into center for a hit to drive in Morris and Boone and give the Reds an 8-3 lead. It becomes 9-3 when the Braves decide to trade a run for two outs on Taubensee's double play ball. Howard crosses the plate, and it's 9-3 Reds. Rijo flies out to end the inning, but Cincinnati's original six-run cushion has been restored, and as we stretch in Atlanta, the home team is down 9-3.

The Braves get a runner on quickly in the bottom of the seventh when Belliard is hit by a pitch, and with Steve Bedrosian throwing in the Atlanta bullpen, Cox sends Lemke up to hit for Mercker. But he looks pitiful on three straight swings and strikes out. Kelly puts one in the gap in right center, but unaccountably, third base coach Jimy Williams puts up the stop sign for Belliard. "Is Cox playing for the big inning?" Costas asks Kubek. "I would hope not, not down six runs," answers the former Yankee shortstop. Blauser grounds to Larkin, and Klesko flies out to Deion in right center. The Braves thus squander an opportunity to cut their deficit, and after a quiet eighth from both teams, the Reds add the extra point in the ninth off Bedrosian. Boone is the "placekicker", if you will:

"Bedrosian's first pitch to Boone driven deep to center. Kelly turns around, sprints to the wall, climbs........can't get there! Boone golfs one over the center field wall, and the Reds now up by a touchdown, as Fulton County Stadium starts to empty out."

Kubek: "Boone had sixteen home runs this year, so he's no slouch with the bat. Hits this one a ton, and Kelly can only watch it go."

With the score 10-3, the only thing left to determine in the bottom of the ninth is if Rijo can go the distance, and he does, giving up only a single to Lemke, who entered the game at second after he pinch hit, moving Belliard to short. The final is 10-3, and this series goes back to Riverfront Stadium on Saturday tied at a game apiece.

Rijo is named player of the game by NBC, going the distance while giving up nine hits, but no walks, and striking out seven. "I feel real good out there," Rijo tells Jim Gray with help from his interpreter Fernandez. "Fastball is real good, slider breaks hard. Never any pressure." Deion has his say with Gray as well. "I'm feeling real good about our chances now. We get to go home, and although they're tough and all, we're just as tough at Riverfront." Will you try to play both baseball and football this weekend? "Nope, not this time. Mr. D (49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo) said to take care of business here, no problems, so that's what I'm gonna do."

And with that bit of breaking news, we wrap it up from Atlanta. Final score: Reds 10, Braves 3. Stay tuned now for the Prudential Postgame Report, followed by your early local news and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw over most of these stations. We'll be back on Saturday at 3:30 Eastern from Riverfront Stadium with Game 3 of this series, as John Smoltz goes to the mound for the Braves against the Reds' Erik Hanson. We'll be preceded by Game 3 of the Padres and Expos from Olympic Stadium starting at 12 Noon Eastern. Game 2 of that series will be up tonight at 8 Eastern from San Diego with Vin, Joe, and Hannah. For Tony Kubek, Jim Gray, and Mary Ann Grabavoy, I'm Bob Costas. The Reds tie the series at a game apiece, beating the Braves today 10-3. Greg and the gang will join you from New York after these messages and a word from your local station. See you Saturday!

W- Rijo (1-0)
L- Glavine (0-1)

HR- CIN: Boone (1)
ATL: Klesko (1)

Next: We look at Game 3.

Thoughts?
 
Here are the umpires for Game 3 of Braves-Reds:

Home Plate: Greg Bonin
First Base: Ed Rapuano
Second Base: Bill Hohn
Third Base: Jim Quick
Left Field: Frank Pulli
Right Field: Joe West

Weather: 79 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, wind south at 14 MPH.

Here we go:

Now it's time for Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, live from Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. The two teams traded blowouts in Atlanta; the Braves took Game 1 on Wednesday, 9-4, and the Reds triumphed in Game 2 on Thursday, 10-3. Today, John Smoltz takes the mound for the Braves against Erik Hanson of the Reds. Hanson had a record of 7-8, despite solid performances all year long, while Smoltz's record was a similarly deceiving 9-12.

As far as lineups go, the major change for Atlanta is behind the plate, where Charlie O'Brien replaces Javy Lopez. Also, Mark Lemke is still hobbled by his pulled hamstring, so Rafael Belliard starts his third consecutive game at second base. For the Reds, Kevin Mitchell's knee is feeling better, so he's back in the lineup after sitting in Game 2. Now that we know who's playing, let's play ball in Game 3!

The Braves strike quickly in the top of the first, with Mike Kelly getting the party started by dropping one in front of Reggie Sanders in right for a double. Hanson comes back to strike out Jeff Blauser and Ryan Klesko, but McGriff hits a sizzler that eludes Reggie's glove and rolls to the wall. Kelly and The Crime Dog exchange places, and the Braves are up 1-0. Hanson then walks David Justice, and gets in deeper trouble facing Terry Pendleton:

Costas: "Not a very good start for young Erik Hanson: two runs in and a former National League batting champion at the plate in Pendleton. Gets the sign from Taubensee, and the 1-0 pitch............line drive to center, it'll drop! McGriff scores easily, and here comes Justice! Deion up with it, here's the throw...........perfect on the fly, and Justice is out!..........We know he's a receiver, but that throw would have made Steve Young proud! Still, the Braves get two, and lead 2-0 as the Reds come to bat."

Smoltz sets the Reds down one-two-three in the bottom of the first, and a much calmer Hanson does the same to the Braves in the top of the second. Smoltz is on his way to another easy inning in the bottom of the second when he gets the first two outs on two pitches, but Tony Fernandez singles to right. That brings up Reggie:

Costas: "Sanders down a ball and two strikes, Reggie Sanders that is, and Smoltz cruising except for Fernandez's base hit. Looking for the strikeout here, the one-two pitch.............DRIVEN DEEP TO LEFT CENTER FIELD! KLESKO BACK TO THE TRACK, AT THE WALL, AND THIS GAME IS TIED!"

Kubek: "One of the most dangerous bats in the Cincinnati lineup, and you see why here. Smoltz thinks he can put one down the middle, and Reggie won't expect it. Well, he might not have expected it, but he sure knew what to do once he got it."

Eddie Taubensee singles to left to keep the inning alive, but Hanson continues the fine tradition of pitchers looking clueless at the plate and strikes out on three pitches to end the inning. Reggie's home run has tied things at two and reenergized the Riverfront crowd as we go to the third.

Klesko's single goes for naught in the top of the inning, but the Reds take the lead for good in the bottom. Deion lines one into left center for a base hit, and the Braves respect his speed so much that Blauser takes himself out of position so he can help to nail Deion in case he tries to steal. This helps Larkin to beat out an infield hit that Blauser would have normally gobbled up, even though Larkin's groin is still sore. "Larkin has no business beating out an infield hit in his condition," Kubek observes. This brings up Morris, who drops one in front of Justice for a double to score both Prime Time and Larkin and put the Reds up 4-2. Then, Mitchell shows why he hit forty-six home runs in the regular season:

Costas: "The vaunted starting pitching of the Braves hasn't been strong all series, and Smoltz is on the ropes here, down 4-2 with Mitchell at the plate. Even at a ball and a strike, here's the next one.............DOWN THE LINE IN RIGHT, JUSTICE OVER..........IT'S GONE!...........6-2 Cincinnati, and Bobby Cox may have seen enough."

Kubek: "This is a prime example of Mitchell's power. Most hitters would have dinged this off the wall, but Mitchell gets enough of it to get it over, and this hasn't been Justice's day, as they're hitting ball after ball right at him, and he hasn't been up to the task. He couldn't do much about this one, but they've hit plenty of others that he could have gotten to."

Smoltz gets Boone to ground to Pendleton, strikes out Fernandez, and induces Reggie to line one right at Blauser to end the inning. But the Reds have scored four to lead 6-2 after three, and just might have ended Smoltz's day in the process.

Justice's single is erased by a double play in the top of the fourth, and as expected, Cox goes to Mike Bielecki to start the bottom of the fourth, double-switching him and Lopez for Smoltz and O'Brien. It doesn't work out immediately, as Taubensee greets Bielecki with a hard single to center. Hanson bunts him over, and Deion flies down the first base line to beat out a grounder to Pendleton. Larkin forces Deion to bring home Taubensee and give the Reds a 7-2 lead, and Morris's single puts Reds at the corners. But Bielecki's backdoor slider fools Mitchell for strike three, and the Braves are out of danger. The home team has added another run, however, and after four, it's 7-2 Cincy.

The Braves go down in order in the fifth, but the Reds add on to make this an official laugher. Bielecki gets the first two outs, and then it's all downhill. Reggie hits a dying duck into right center for a base hit, and then Taubensee ends his afternoon with prejudice:

Costas: "Braves in trouble again down 7-2 here in the bottom of the fifth. Reggie at first, and now Taubensee at the plate, two for two with singles in the second and fourth. Mecker almost ready in the Atlanta bullpen. Bielecki checks Reggie, comes to the plate.........HIGH AND DEEP TO RIGHT CENTER, AND KELLY TURNS AROUND TO WATCH IT LEAVE! IT'S 9-2 REDS, AND HERE COMES COX!"

Kubek: "This one was way too high, and Taubensee barely had to move to hit it. Just a nice, compact swing, and nature does the rest."

Hanson bloops Mercker's first pitch into right for a hit, but Kent comes back to strike out Deion and end the inning. Two more for the home club in the fifth, and they're sitting pretty through five, up 9-2.

The Braves draw slightly closer in the sixth when Blauser leads off with a ringing double to center, bringing Klesko to the plate:

Costas: "Braves need offense in a hurry, down 9-2 in the top of the sixth, and this is one of the men that can provide it for them. Blauser at second, you wouldn't think he'd try to steal with Klesko up and McGriff coming up. Hanson's first pitch............HIGH FLY BALL TO LEFT CENTER! MITCHELL HOBBLES AFTER IT, BUT IT'S OUT OF HERE!......Klesko's second home run of the series cuts the Atlanta deficit to 9-4."

Kubek: "This one was a hanging slider from Hanson, and any good major league hitter lands all over those. The thing that the Braves need to do now is keep it going, get some baserunners and really make a dent in this Cincinnati lead. They've got a golden opportunity with the heart of the order coming up."

But Hanson bears down, getting McGriff and Justice to ground out and Pendleton to hit a weak fly ball to Deion in center. Through five and a half, it's Reds 9, Braves 4.

Mercker gives up a pair of two-out walks to Mitchell and Boone in the bottom of the sixth, but gets Fernandez to ground to Blauser to kill the rally. The Braves go in order in the top of the seventh, but Reggie spanks a double to center to lead off the bottom. Taubensee pops out to Pendleton for out number one, and Hanson strikes out for the second out. But Deion smokes one into right to score Reggie with the Reds' tenth run. Larkin's single puts runners at first and third, but Morris fans to end the inning. The Reds have gone into double digits with their run here in the seventh, and lead 10-4.

Blauser's one-out walk in the eighth is wasted when Klesko grounds into a 6-4-3 double play, and Mitchell puts the finishing touches on the Cincinnati rout when he leads off the bottom of the eighth:

"Mitchell's had some good and some bad today. He hit a home run in the third, but his outfield play has been hampered by that bad knee he still has. Davey Johnson obviously feeling that his bat is more critical than his glove, and so he's playing. Mercker's 1-0...........DEEP TO RIGHT! LONG GONE, AND IN THE UPPER DECK!..........We just got through saying Mitchell's big bat is worth his defensive deficiencies, and this is why."

Kubek: "The perfect home run swing, meets the ball and drives it with everything he has. If he'd been healthy, he'd have given Matt Williams a run for his money this year."

Reggie's two-out walk extends the inning, but Taubensee's grounder to Blauser finishes it. Mitchell's upper-deck blast has made things that much harder for Atlanta in the ninth; they're down 11-4.

Hanson's day is done after eight strong innings, and Johnny Ruffin comes in to finish up. He walks Pendleton with two out, but Dave Gallagher, batting for Mercker, forces Terry to end the game. The Reds have once again routed the Braves, 11-4, and will look to close out the series tomorrow night in Game 4.

Mitchell is named Player of the Game by NBC, mostly because of his two home runs. "This was a lot more than me," he tells Jim Gray. "Erik pitched his heart out, Prime set the table, Reggie got his hits, and so did E.T. (Taubensee). Did you know that that second homer traveled over 450 feet? "Sure felt good when I hit it, but I didn't think I'd hit it that far." Is your knee all right? "I'm not feeling it now, but we'll have to see how it goes. I'm not up to par in the outfield, and if Davey wants to sit me, I'll understand. Hopefully, it'll be all right tomorrow."

That'll do it from Riverfront Stadium. Stay tuned for the Prudential Postgame Report with Greg Gumbel, Mike Schmidt, and Johnny Bench, followed by local programming. Tonight on NBC, it's Dateline at 8 Eastern, followed by an encore showing of the two-hour premiere of the new hit series ER. Tomorrow following a football doubleheader, Game 4 of this series, with John Smiley looking to close it out for the Reds against Greg Maddux. We'll be on the air at 7:30 with the pregame show, and first pitch will be at 8PM sharp. Now for Tony Kubek, Jim Gray, and Mary Ann Grabavoy, I'm Bob Costas. Hanson the winner, Smoltz the loser as the Reds pound the Braves 11-4 to take a two games to one lead in the best-of-five. See you tomorrow night from the Queen City. Now here's Greg Gumbel with the Prudential Postgame Report!

W- Hanson (1-0)
L- Smoltz (0-1)

HR- ATL: Klesko (2)
CIN: Mitchell 2 (2), R. Sanders (1), Taubensee (1)

Next: We look at Game 4.

Thoughts?
 
Top