1993 Atlanta Braves Retrospective: The Last Pennant Race

[selmaborntidefan]

April 19, 1993
Off day
7-7
3rd place
1.5 games behind

BRAVES OFFENSIVE WOES CONTRASTED

With a .500 record and only 1.5 games out, the Atlanta Braves are in better shape at this point of the season than in either of their last two pennant-winning seasons. In 1991, the Braves had the exact same record (7-7), but were 2.5 games behind the Dodgers. Last year, the Braves were 6-8 and also 2.5 games behind the Astros. And - what does it mean?

Well, maybe everything.
Maybe nothing.

Runs Scored After 14 Games Since 1977
1983 - 72 (12-3)
1982 - 70 (13-2)
1991 - 67 (7-7)
1977 - 63 (8-6)
1979 - 57 (4-10)
1987 - 57 (6-8)
1981 - 56 (9-5)
1985 - 55 (6-8)
1986 - 54 (5-9)
1989 - 53 (7-7)
1992 - 52 (6-8)
1984 - 48 (5-9)
1980 - 39 (5-9)
1990 - 38 (2-12)
1993 - 37 (7-7)
1988 - 35 (2-12)
1978 - 32 (3-11)

The current Atlanta offensive drought - aided by 12 runs in their last game, mind you - ranks with some of the worst Braves teams of all-time or certainly the last 15 years. In fact, the 1993 Braves have only 2 more runs at this point than the ABSOLUTE WORST ATLANTA Braves team in history (1988). (The worst Braves teams ever are, in all probability, in order: 1935 [Babe Ruth was on this team], 1988, 1977 and then 1928. The Braves lost over 100 games six times in eight years in the first decade of the 20th century, but everyone understands it was the formative years of the sport and doesn't pay too much attention to that). Look at the records of the other Braves teams around them; only the 93 Braves are even remotely respectable record-wise.

On the other hand, they have 26 runs fewer and one fewer win than the 1977 Braves team, which endured a horrific 17-game losing streak and went 53-95 the rest of the way. Both the 77 and 79 teams, which were horrendous, had a lot of offense EARLY in the season, but they had Phil Niekro and a bunch of names out of the phone book on the mound.

On the other hand, look at the following:

Runs Allowed After 14 Games Since 1977:
1990 - 93
1988 - 74
1978 - 72
1979 - 70
1980 - 68
1984 - 65
1977 - 63
1985 - 60
1987 - 60
1986 - 53
1992 - 55
1991 - 51
1989 - 50
1983 - 49
1982 - 42
1993 - 41
1981 - 40

Even the five best Braves performances in fewest runs allowed have anomalies. Yes, the 82 and 83 teams were pennant contenders (82, of course, won), and 1989 finished last. Then there's 1981, which is a season of forgotten details, where the Braves were 2.5 games behind and a game over .500 on September 12, 1981, and went into a complete collapse, losing 14 of their last 21 games and getting Bobby Cox fired just ahead of a pennant. And you'll notice that in years where the Braves: a) had good hitting; and b: good pitching also, their records reflect that. The 82 and 83 teams were the best early season batting AND pitching - and finished 1st and 2nd. By contrast, the 78 and 88 teams were horrible at the start...and finished last with 93 and 106 losses. You might notice the 1990 team is the worst pitching and hitting about the same as the 93 Braves and got off to a 2-12 start. The rotation? Tom Glavine, Pete Smith, John Smoltz - and a bullpen by committee that included Kent Mercker and Mike Stanton, which only goes to show how much teams can improve and quickly.

It is unlikely Atlanta's offensive woes will continue too much longer. The team is loaded with a former MVP (Pendleton), Rookie of the Year (Justice), three excellent base stealers (Nixon, Sanders, Gant), and a solid contact hitter in Jeff Blauser, who is leading the league in hitting. And it should be noted the Braves ARE making contact and hitting the ball solidly, it's just going right at opposing players right now. The Braves head down to Miami for their first-ever matcup with the expansion Florida Marlins.

Game One: Greg Maddux vs Ryan Bowen
Game Two: John Smoltz vs Charlie Hough
Game Three: Steve Avery vs Jack Armstrong

There were only 3 games in the majors yesterday.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 20, 1993
Atlanta Braves 5 (W: Maddux, 2-1; SV: Stanton, 6)
Florida Marlins 4 (L: Bowen, 1-1)
8-7
3rd place
1.5 games behind

MADDUX, STANTON COMBINE FOR NARROW ATLANTA WIN;
IS ECKERSLEY AT THE END?

It was a good all-around effort by new Braves ace, Greg Maddux, tonight against the expansion Florida Marlins. The reigning Cy Young winner got through eight innings having allowed just one run on only four hits, and he'd even driven home a run with a fourth-inning single that gave Atlanta the lead. Three outs from a complete game, Maddux nearly blew it all, surrendering two home runs - the first two ever by the Marlins at Joe Robbie Stadium - in a sequence of three hitters and turned over the outcome to Mike Stanton, whose inept pitching two days ago helped the Braves blow a 12-8 ninth-inning lead. Stanton faced three hitters, walking one, and got the last two outs to nail down a 5-4 Braves win that they hope will get them back on track in the pennant race. Atlanta's hitting is still a source of concern, but they did manage to cluster enough of them together tonight to push five runs across the plate. That's not to say it was easy.

Ryan Bowen, with a career record of 7-11 in 24 starts toyed with trouble early and was bailed out by Atlanta's inability to capitalize. Ron Gant doubled with two outs in the first and then was thrown out at third behind a single to first by Terry Pendleton, ending the inning. Sid Bream doubled with one out in the second and was left there for the inning. In the third, the Braves got two more baserunners via walks when Jeff Blauser and Gant walked - Blauser stealing second - and Pendleton grounded out to end the inning. After wasting easy opportunities in the first three innings, the Braves found themselves trailing, 1-0, when Benito Santiago singled, stole second, and came home on a Jeff Conine base hit.

Bowen walked no less than four Braves hitters in the fourth, but he limited the damage to three runs. He loaded the bases with walks to the first three batters of the inning and then got Mark Lemke to bounce into a soft grounder that netted only one out at second and tied the game, placing runners at the corners with one out. Bowen likely figured his easiest out was batting, but Maddux lined a single that gave the Braves the lead. When Bowen walked Otis Nixon - his fourth walk of the inning - the Braves again had the bases loaded with one out - and the league's hottest hitter, Blauser, at bat. Somehow, Bowen, who had pitched pretty badly the entire inning, got Blauser to ground into a force at second - no small feat when the runner is Nixon - and got Ron Gant to fly out to end the inning. Atlanta lead, 3-1, but it should have been much more. The Braves added two more runs in the eighth on hits by Lemke, Nixon, and Blauser combined with a wild pitch. It appeared to be cosmetic scoring, but it wound up being the difference in the game.

Maddux opened the ninth by giving up a double to Orestes Destrade, and Santiago drilled a two-run shot that would have tied the game had Atlanta not scored in the 8th. After retiring Conine, Maddux served up another gopher ball to Alex Arias - a virtual rookie who had not homered in his 117 career at-bats - that brought the Marlins to within a solitary run. But Stanton came on and saved the win, the second for Maddux in Atlanta in the young season and the sixth save in Atlanta's eight wins for Stanton.

No fewer than four games went to extra innings tonight.

Phillies 4 Padres 3 (14 innings)
John Kruk's league-leading fifth home run with two outs in the 14th gave the Phillies a walkoff win. The Phils earned the win, too, holding San Diego's power order of Tony Gwynn, Gary Sheffield, and Fred McGriff hitless.

Giants 4 Mets 1 (11 innings)
The Giants ended a six-game losing streak against the Mets with their second straight win in 11 innings. Darren Lewis tripled to lead off the 11th and scored on Will Clark's single. Barry Bonds connected for a home run that put the game out of reach.

Cardinals 5 Rockies 0
Rene Arocha, the rookie who won his 3rd straight major league start, left in the sixth due to a broken finger when Dante Bichette lined a shot off Arocha's hand for an infield hit. Arocha may need surgery, spoiling a fantastic rookie start that has seen him start 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Eric Young of the Rockies is now 9-for-9 in steals.

Reds 5 Pirates 0
Barry Larkin had as many hits by himself - three - as the Pirates' entire lineup did in nine innings against Tim Belcher. Larkin also drove in two runs to give Pittsburgh their fourth straight defeat.

Cubs 2 Astros 1
Dwight Smith had three hits and scored both runs in Chicago's win.

Expos 7 Dodgers 3
Mike Lansing had 4 RBIs and Larry Walker hit his 3rd homer of the year as Montreal roughed up Tom Candiotti

Tigers 3 Rangers 1
David Wells went 7 innings and gave up only 3 hits, including a solo Dean Palmer home run, in a windy game at Arlington, lifting his record to 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA. Think Toronto, who cut him a week before the season started, could use that kind of pitching? Yep.

Red Sox 5 Mariners 2
Roger Clemens walked six, but home runs by John Valentin and Mike Greenwell gave Boston their fourth consecutive win and have the Sox off to their best start since their AL pennant winning year in 1946.

Twins 10 Brewers 0
Dave Winfield hit a three-run shot in the first as Willie Banks, Pat Mahomes, and Brett Merriman combined for an 8-hit shutout.

Athletics 9 Yankees 7 (10 innings)
Former Athletic and Yankee - back with Oakland - Rickey Henderson bailed out the Athletics with a walkoff two-run home run in the 10th. Oakland took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Rick Honeycutt quickly gave two runs back by walking Danny Tartabull and surrendering a home run to Randy Velarde. Dennis Eckersley - a Cy Young winner and MVP just six months ago mind you - came on and gave up a single, a double that cut the lead to one, hit Jim Leyritz with a pitch to put runners at the corners, and gave up a double to Bernie Williams that put the Yankees ahead, 7-6. Incredibly, Eckersley struck out Wade Boggs before walking Don Mattingly to load the bases and retired Tartabull on strikes to end the inning. Oakland took only two batters to tie the game as a single by Ruben Sierra and a double by Kevin Seitzer gave Steve Farr his own blown save. Henderson's homer in extras made a winner of - get this - 41-year-old Goose Gossage.

White Sox 2 Orioles 1 (14 innings)
A Frank Thomas sacrifice fly won the game for Chicago

Angels 7 Indians 2
J.T. Snow and Tim Salmon homered to beat Cleveland starter Jose Mesa.

Royals 8 Blue Jays 2
KC ace Kevin Appier got his first win of the year by throwing a complete game three-hitter.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 21, 1993
Atlanta Braves 7 (W: Smoltz, 2-2; SV: Stanton, 7)
Florida Marlins 4 (L: McClure, 0-1)
9-7
3rd place
0.5 games behind

SMOLTZ WINS A LESS THAN STELLAR OUTING;
DIBBLE BREAKS FOREARM BONE, OUT INDEFINITELY;
OAKLAND LOSES AS ECK BLOWS 3RD STRAIGHT SAVE

This time he got a break.

John Smoltz, so stellar in his first 3 starts (2 of which he was saddled with the loss), didn't pitch quite as well tonight, but he won anyway. He didn't pitch poorly, scattering 8 hits in 8 innings while striking out six, but he walked four batters and gave up a game-tying two-run home run to Junior Felix in the sixth. Charlie Hough matched him pitch-for-pitch, but once Hough was gone, so were the Marlins.

The Braves went back to their 1991 formula in the first inning as Deion Sanders singled, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored on a Jeff Blauser single to give Atlanta a quick 1-0 lead. Blauser moved to second on an infield ground out and scored on a David Justice single. Justice was thrown out stealing second, but the Braves were being aggressive for once. Good thing, too, because Smoltz walked Chuck Carr to start the game and gave up two singles to Felix and Dave Magadan, putting the Marlins in position to respond with a big inning. But Smoltz got the next three guys out and settled into his rhythm except for a brief regression in the sixth when Felix homered to tie the game. A Marlins error in the second put leadoff batter Sid Bream on base, and moving station to station, he scored to put Atlanta ahead 3-1until Felix's dinger.

When Hough left for pinch-hitter Greg Briley in the 7th, the Marlins cashed in when Magadan doubled him home for the go-ahead run, but the Florida bullpen imploded in the 8th when in the series of just five batters, Pendelton singled, Justice homered, Greg Olson singled, and Mark Lemke homered. Just like that, the Braves were ahead, 7-4. Mike Stanton nailed down his 7th save, although he allowed Magadan, who went 4-for-4 and walked his other time up, to reach base. Fittingly, Magadan was forced at second to end the game as an Atlanta win. Smoltz, not pitching up to his usual standards, got the win after two heartbreaking losses.

Astros 2 Cubs 0
Doug Drabek threw his third straight complete game, the first Astros pitcher since Joe Niekro threw seven straight complete games in 1982 to accomplish that feat and never allowed but one runner to second in a 2-0 shutout win over the Cubs.

Mets 10 Giants 0
Doc Gooden and Mike Draper combined to scatter 8 meaningless Giants hits while 3 deep bombs - Todd Hundley, Bobby Bonilla, and Eddie Murray - carried the Mets to the win. Gooden, no longer the phenom of the mid-80s, entered the game with a 4.09 ERA.

Expos 6 Dodgers 4
Jimmy Jones improved to 3-0, though he gave up a two-run homer to the returning Darryl Strawberry, who has been out a week, in the top of the first. Otherwise, the Dodgers had only two other hits, a double by Brett Butler and a single by, of all people, Dodger starter Pedro Astacio. Three walks and an error helped LA keep the final score close.

Rockies 11 Cardinals 2
Andres Galarraga had three hits and scored twice and two former Braves pitchers, David Nied and Jeff Parrett, combined for a six-hitter. Dante Bichette hit his third home run.

Reds 8 Pirates 7 (12 innings)
Cesar Hernandez came on for Cincinnati as a defensive replacement with Rob Dibble attempting to close out a 7-5 lead. After loading the bases with two outs, Hernandez dropped the game-ending fly ball, allowing two runs to score and tie the game. Dibble then threw a wild pitch that could have lost the game, but he tagged out Kevin Young attempting to score from third. In the process, Dibble broke a bone in his forearm, meaning the Reds lost the lead and their closer. But they won the game itself in the 12th when Barry Larkin drew a bases loaded walk.

Mariners 5 Red Sox 0
Ken Griffey Jr. socked two homers for the second time in three games and Randy Johnson struck out 8 and scattered four hits in tossing his sixth career shutout and first of Boston this season.

Tigers 5 Rangers 4
Rob Deer hit two home runs and threw out Jose Canseco at home plate to end the game as the former MVP tried to tie the game on Dean Palmer's sacrifice fly. The Rangers trailed entering the 9th, 5-2, and had the bases loaded after scoring two runs when Deer saved the day.

Brewers 10 Twins 8 (10 innings)
Trailing 7-3 in the fifth after Kent Hrbek's grand slam, the Brewers battled back to tie against an ineffective Twins bullpen then won on John Jaha's two-run double with two outs in the tenth.

Royals 6 Blue Jays 5
Greg Gagne's daring dash when Luis Sojo succeeded in knocking down but not holding onto Kevin McReynolds's infield single was the difference as KC escaped with the win.

Angels 7 Indians 6
J.T. Snow and Tim Salmon homered. Again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Yankees 5 Oakland 3
In a game that looked a lot like last night's contest, Rick Honeycutt entered the ninth with a lead and gave up an extra-base hit (this time a double) to Randy Velarde. Dennis Eckersley came on and blew the save. Of course, Honeycutt got the loss, but Eck is ineffective and appears to not have recovered from Roberto Alomar's turnaround homer in last fall's playoffs. Steve Farr, who himself blew a save last night, pitched a perfect ninth to gain it tonight.

San Diego at Philly was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 2. Chicago at Baltimore was also postponed due to rain and will be made up tomorrow, which was originally an off day for both teams.

Hal Schumacher, who won 158 career games for the NY Giants teams of the 30s and was a two-time All-Star, died of stomach cancer today at the age of 82 in Cooperstown, New York.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 22, 1993
Florida Marlins 4 (W: Armstrong, 2-2; SV: Harvey, 4)
Atlanta Braves 3 (L: Avery, 1-2)
9-8
3rd place
1.5 games behind

SANTIAGO SAVES FLORIDA IN FINALE;
BOSIO NO-HITS BOSOX;
MARK KOENIG, LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF 27 YANKS DIES

Benito Santiago saved the best for last - literally, in this case - and the Atlanta Braves saved their offense for a later time this season once again. Maybe. Trailing from the moment cleanup hitter Orestes Destrade smashed a two-run homer - only the 2nd of his MLB career - off Atlanta starter and loser Steve Avery, the Braves rallied in the ninth only to come up short. As in "the tying run tagged out at home plate to end the game" short.
The Braves put together one of their trademark late rallies late, but bizarrely enough it was umpire interference - alleged anyway - by Randy Marsh that also aided Florida to their first win ever over the Braves. And that, too, is quite bizarre since Marsh is so often given credit for aiding Atlanta's spectacular 9th inning rally in Game Seven of last year's NLCS that culminated in a pennant for the Braves.

Avery had an off-night, charged with four runs on 7 hits and three walks in just 5.1 innings. He left in the sixth when the Marlins extended their lead to 4-1 thanks to two walks, a single, and a double to set the table by Dave Magadan, who went 6-for-11 in the short series. Greg McMichael came on and ended the rally with a double play. Atlanta's run came when David Justice doubled, moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on an error. Justice's solo home run in the 8th narrowed the gap to 4-2 entering the 9th. When Mark Lemke led off the inning with a single, rookie Ryan Klesko stepped to the plate as the tying run and singled to right, but two on with nobody out. Bill Pecota came on as a pinch-runner for Klesko, and with Otis Nixon batting, everyone in the world knew a bunt was coming. Santiago fielded the bunt and threw Pecota out at second, leaving runners at the corners with one out. It was a moot point now, though, as Nixon stole second easily. With Atlanta's hottest hitter, Jeff Blauser, able to win the game with one swing, the crowd stirred in anticipation. Blauser did half of his job, moving both runners ahead, Lemke scoring to make the score 4-3 with the tying run 90 feet away. Ron Gant walked, bringing Terry Pendleton to bat. Closer Bryan Harvey threw a 1-2 forkball that hit the dirt and then - luckily for Florida - bounced off Marsh behind home plate. The speedy Nixon tore out for home, but Santiago tagged him out to end the inning, the game, and the three-game series with Florida's sole win.

Afterwards, Nixon pointed out that you have to be aggressive and those things happen while Pendleton mused that Florida's MVP for the game was Marsh, saying that a previous pitch had also hit Marsh and prevented Nixon from scoring. Pendleton, though, was not upset, saying, "That's baseball."

Mariners 7 Red Sox 0
Chris Bosio signed as a free agent with Seattle after going 16-6 with the Brewers last year, and his first win with the Mariners was unforgettable, pitching a no-hitter and extending Boston's scoreless innings streak to 19, all courtesy of Seattle pitching. Bosio walked two while rookie second baseman Brett Boone connected for his fifth career home run. Just two days ago, we were talking about Boston's best start since the Truman administration, but they're cold as ice now.

Twins 5 Brewers 4
Jim Deshaies, who left for Minnesota after a seven-year span in the NL, improved to 4-0 by scattering five hits over 6.2 innings and getting lucky enough that Minnesota's horrific bullpen only allowed the Brewers to almost come back. Rick Aguilera, formerly about as "lights out" as anyone, came on in the 9th and gave up three hits and a two-run bomb by Greg Vaughn, but he got out of the game with the save despite poor pitching.

Blue Jays 6 Royals 3
Speaking of poor pitching, the $18 million man (David Cone) dropped to 0-4 as Pat Hentgen and Duane Ward combined to stifle KC. Cone struck out six, but he gave up six hits and four runs.

Angels 8 Indians 0
J.T. Snow homered twice, his fourth in three games, and Chuck Finley tossed a two-hitter.

Yankees 5 Oakland 1
A five-run third inning against Ron Darling in his first start since April 7 was all the Yanks needed. Both teams had seven hits. The Athletics are only one game out of last place.

White Sox 3 Orioles 2
A pitcher's duel between Jack McDowell and Rick Sutcliffe turned on a Mike Devereaux error in the 9th. With runners at second and third and nobody out in a 2-1 game, Dan Pasqua hit a sinking liner that "died on me" as Devereaux said when it reached him, and he dropped it, allowing both runners to score. Gregg Olson's wild pitch that put both runners in scoring position was largely forgotten. McDowell improved to 4-0 while Roberto Hernandez got his second save.

Pirates 5 Reds 4
Tim Wakefield walked nine batters - just as he did on Openind Day, and he won - just as he did on Opening Day. Bobby Kelly and Kevin Mitchell joined Rob Dibble, who was diagnosed with a broken arm, on the DL with pulled hamstrings. The Reds are the second best team in the NL talent-wise if they could stay healthy. Free agent starter John Smiley dropped to 0-3 despite taking the mound with a 3-0 lead to start the game.

Expos 3 Dodgers 1
Eighth inning doubles by Will Cordero and Darrin Fletcher off Dodgers' starter Orel Hershiser gave Montreal the win and sweep over LA.

Cardinals 5 Rockies 2
Todd Zeile's RBI single off Gary Wayne put St Louis ahead and keyed a three-run eighth inning that lifted the Cards to the win.

Padres 2 Phillies 1
Darren Daulton flied out with the tying run on third (John Kruk) as Rich Rodriguez got the save for facing one batter in relief of Andy Benes, who went 8.2 innings and gave up only 5 hits while striking out five. Bob Geren's home run was the difference for San Diego.

Giants 13 Mets 4
San Francisco banged out 19 hits as John Burkett became the NL's first four-game winner of the season with 5.1 innings of four-hit ball.

MARK KOENIG DIES AT 88
Mark Koenig, the last surviving member of the 1927 Yankees, generally considered the greatest baseball team in history, died today in his native California from cancer after years of declining health. He was 88.

Koenig was the central character in the alleged "called shot" by Babe Ruth against the Cubs in 1932. Despite playing a key role in Chicago's pennant win, the Cubs voted Koenig only a "half share" of World Series money, a choice announced before the series began. It was when the benches were yelling back and forth that tempers escalated and Ruth - allegedly - called his home run shot off of Charlie Root. The 27 Yankees have had several tragic deaths over the last 65 years. Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Urban Shocker, Tony Lazzeri, Johnny Grabowksi and Manager Miller Huggins all died prematurely. In recent years, Koenig has been giving interviews regarding his inevitable status as the last 27 Yankee to die, which has been known since 1989.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 23, 1993
Atlanta Braves 3 (W: Glavine, 3-0; SV: Stanton, 8)
St Louis Cardinals 1 (L: Murphy, 0-1)
10-8
3rd place
0.5 games behind

GLAVINE PREVAILS IN PITCHER'S DUEL;
WINFIELD'S SLAM FOR NAUGHT;
BOSOX SCORELESS SKEIN REACHES 28 BEFORE ENDING

Francisco Cabrera's name will live in Atlanta hearts forever no matter what happens in the future. In the present, Cabrera got to start his first game of the season - and first since August 31, 1991 - at first base, and he made the most of it. Cabrera socked a solo home run off Cardinals starter Donovan Osborne in the second inning to give Tom Glavine a 1-0 lead that the former Cy Young winner held until the sixth inning, when he finally found trouble. Glavine inexplicably walked Osborne, and Geronimo Pena's double put runners at second and third with nobody out. Gregg Jefferies, a last-minute starter after missing the last two games, has hit Glavine at a .429 clip in his career, and he singled to short, scoring Osborne to tie the game with only one out. Glavine, to his credit, got Ray Lankford and Mark Whiten out, but it appeared he might fall victim yet again to Atlanta's lethargic offense. Rob Murphy came on in relief of Osborne in the ninth, and it was just the break Atlanta needed. The slumping Ron Gant, who entered the game batting .157, singled home Jeff Blauser after the shortstop reached first on an a fielder's choice and went to third on a throwing error by Ozzie Smith, with an assist from Jefferies. Mark Lemke then homered to give Glavine a 3-1 cushion, and he took the mound in an effort to complete the task. He found trouble instead.

Whiten singled and Glavine lost control and walked Todd Zeile. With the winning run at the plate, Bobby Cox went with his newfound closer who has failed repeatedly to keep the job, Mike Stanton. Stanton did a pretty fair impression of John Franco, getting Bernard Gilkey to ground into a 5-3 double play and then ending the game by getting Tom Pagnozzi to fly out for Stanton's 8th save of the year. Glavine held St Louis to only four hits as he lifted his record to 3-0 on the year.

Mets 6 Padres 1
Bobby Bonilla smacked two home runs and drove in five to make a winner of newcomer (to the NL and the Mets anyway) Frank Tanana.

Rockies 5 Junior Felix 4
It was the first-ever meeting between the two new expansion teams in front of 57,000-plus at Mile High Stadium, and Colorado prevailed on home runs by Charlie Hayes and Jerald Clark. Junior Felix went 3-for-5 and drove in all four Marlins runs, including three on a home run.

Cubs 7 Reds 4
Sammy Sosa hit two bombs and drove home five as Jose Guzman beat Tim Pugh.

Expos 7 Giants 2
San Fran tore into Dennis Martinez for four hits and two runs before the Expos ever batted, but El Presidente and Brian Barnes held them to just two hits the rest of the way as Will Cordero and Marquis Grissom homered in the Montreal win.

Astros 4 Pirates 2
The Astros couldn't do much with Dave Otto, so they simply held serve until reliever Denny Neagle entered the game, and after the youngster walked Eric Anthony and surrendered back-to-back doubles to Ken Caminiti and Luis Gonzalez, the Bucs imploded under second reliever Paul Wagner. A wild pitch by Wagner and an errant attempted pickoff throw by catcher Tom Prince, and the combined pitching talents of former Indians teammates Greg Swindell and Doug Jones gave Houston the win.

Phillies 2 Dodgers 0
Curt Schilling threw a five-hit shutout, his second of the season, and Dave Hollins homered as the Dodger scoring woes continued.

Brewers 3 Rangers 0
After giving up a two-out hit to Rafael Palmeiro in the first, Cal Eldred retired the next 23 hitters and struck out ten, beating Texas ace Kevin Brown.

White Sox 5 Blue Jays 4
Trailing 3-0 in the third, Ron Karkovice delivered a bases loaded double off the glove of Ed Sprague and Kirk McCaskill, Terry Leach, and Roberto Hernandez combined to give Chicago the W.

Tigers 12 Twins 4
After giving up all of a four-run lead thanks to a Dave Winfield grand slam, Detroit's powerful attack obliterated Minnesota's shaky bullpen after sending Scott Erickson to the showers, scoring six runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. Mike Moore, who was 0-for-his-career in 11 starts at the Metrodome, finally got a win there.

Royals 7 Orioles 6
KC scored all 7 runs in the second to race out to a quick lead and then spent the rest of the game giving it back one piece at a time. Cal Ripken was at the plate as the game's winning run, but Jeff Montgomery induced a fly-out from the veteran to save the day.

Mariners 6 Yankees 3
Mike Hampton earned his first major league win thanks to Henry Cotto's two-run single that capped a four-run seventh as Seattle came back.

Angels 4 Red Sox 1
The hot start for Boston is only a memory now. Mark Langston went the distance, holding the Sox to only three hits and extending Boston's scoreless inning streak to an incredible 28 innings before Langston's balk put pinch-hitter Bob Zupcic at third base, from whence he scored on Carlos Quintana's single with two outs in the 9th. Langston then retired Mike Greenwell to end the game.

Cleveland at Oakland was postponed due to rain.

Mike LaValliere, recently cut by the Pirates, signed with the White Sox and why not? Pittsburgh on the hook for most of the $4 million-plus he is guaranteed to receive through next year. Rob Dibble will need surgery on his arm and is out for six weeks. Might want to perform a lobotomy while they're in there. John Franco's tender left elbow has him on the 15-day DL.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 24, 1993
Atlanta Braves 11(W: Smith, 2-1)
St Louis Cardinals 1 (L:Tewksbury, 0-3)
11-8
2nd place
0.5 games behind

BRAVES WIN 5TH SHUTOUT OF YEAR, 11-0, OVER CARDS;
REDS HIT 2 SLAMS IN GAME FOR FIRST TIME SINCE '55

For five innings tonight at Busch Memorial Stadium in St Louis, Bob Tewksbury and Pete Smith matched goose eggs and each allowed only three hits. But a three-run sixth inning where Atlanta batted around and still left the bases loaded gave Smith all the offense he needed to achieve his second win of 1993. Shoddy relief pitching by Les Lancaster and an error by the usually reliable Ozzie Smith opened a six-run inning in the seventh, and Atlanta cruised to an 11-0, their most productive offensive outing of the year. (The Braves did score 12 runs against the Giants last week, but they were aided by 11 walks and 3 errors. Tonight, they ripped out 16 hits). The win leaves the Braves 0.5 games behind first place Houston in the NL West.

Little happened until Otis Nixon led off the 6th with a single. Jeff Blauser, the only Atlanta regular who is producing consistent hits, doubled Nixon to third to set up a potential big inning and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Terry Pendleton then singled both runners home for a 2-0 lead, although he was thrown out trying to advance to second. David Justice and Ron Gant singled and then Sid Bream drew an unlikely walk from the control pitcher, and Tewksbury turned the game over to Lancaster with the bases loaded and one out. Damon Berryhill then advanced all the runners, scoring Justice, on a ground out to first. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Bobby Cox decided to send Ryan Klesko up for Mark Lemke, hoping perhaps to end the game with one colossal swing from the large Californian. St Louis, predictably, walked Klesko to load the bases, bringing up the pitcher (Smith) with the bases loaded and forcing Cox into a decision: turn over the game from your hot pitcher to your cold bullpen or give Smith a chance to hit. Smith ended the inning, and Atlanta left the bases loaded but had a 3-0 lead. Smith gave up just a single to Bernard Gilkey as he completed the sixth and then in the seventh, after batting around the order in the 6th, the Braves did it again in the 7th but with better and more conclusive results.

Nixon singled past Ozzie and then the Wizard made a rare and uncharacteristic error to put Blauser on as well. Lancaster walked Pendleton, and the Braves had the bases loaded again but this time with nobody out. (Kind of a fitting conclusion as Lancaster entered the game with the bases loaded and one out and left with them loaded and nobody out). Ugueth Urbani came in to face the dangerous Justice, and Justice prevailed, singling two runs home for a 5-0 lead. Gant drove home another run with a double, and after Berryhill walked, Rafael Belliard, who replaced Lemke at second, singled with the bases loaded and drove home two more. Just to show the night could get worse, reliever Mike Perez came on and gave up a single to Pete Smith that scored Berryhill. Keep in mind there was still only one out, but Perez then got Nixon to hit into a rally-ending double play, but the Braves were up, 9-0. They added two cosmetic runs in the 8th and Marvin Freeman closed out Atlanta's fifth shutout of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth that saw him strike out two of the three hitters he faced.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 25, 1993
St Louis Cardinals 7 (W: Olivares, 1-0: SV: Smith, 7)
Atlanta Braves 3 (L: Maddux, 2-2)
11-9
2nd place
0.5 games behind

(Note: my apologies. I'm absolutely exhausted today. This will do for now).

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 26, 1993
Pittsburgh Pirates 4 (W: Minor, 3-0; SV: Belinda, 5)
Atlanta Braves 3 (L: McMichael, 0-1)
11-10
3rd place
0.5 games behind

BUCS BEAT BRAVES BY BELINDA;
PHILS RALLY FROM 8-0 DEFICIT TO TOPPLE GIANTS;
FORMER BIG LEAGUER ROGER MILLER DIES IN EXPLOSION

You can't really call it revenge, but the Pirates will take it. After all, the last time they saw the Atlanta Braves live and in person, the Braves inflicted perhaps the most painful loss in the history of baseball, certainly in the history of the Pirates, on the franchise. A little over six months ago, Francisco Cabrera lined a 2-1 delivery from Stan Belinda into left field and scored David Justice from third and Sid Bream from second - barely - to put Atlanta back in the World Series. To give you some idea: it was the only time in the history of professional baseball that a team in a winner-take-all series went from winning the series to losing it on the last pitch of the game. All of the other painful losses you may think of - the Dodgers to the Giants in 1951, the 1986 Red Sox, the 1986 Angels - were either not in the do-or-die game or, in the case of the 1951 contest, were considered REGULAR SEASON games. The entire city was plunged into mourning, on top of which most of the Pirates involved are now with other teams.

The starting and losing pitcher is gone.
The catcher who just failed to tag Bream is gone.
The second baseman whose error blew open the big inning is gone.
The left fielder, whose lob had all the energy of a somnolent with a Prozac overdose is gone.

The guy who served up the hit? He saved the Pirates tonight.

For the 15th time in 21 games - 16 if you exclude runs in extra innings - the Atlanta Braves were held to three runs or fewer and this time even with John Smoltz finally getting some support, it wasn't enough. Smoltz faltered in the seventh, surrendering a tying two-run shot off the bat of shortstop Tom Foley (not to be confused with former Pirates shortstop TIM Foli) and left with two runners on, although Steve Bedrosian put out that fire by striking out Jeff King. The Pirates finally prevailed, perhaps fittingly, when former Brave Lonnie Smith golfed an 0-2 delivery from Greg McMichael into the bleachers for a solo shot leading off the 11th. Belinda got Bream out leading off the bottom of the inning and tattooed McMichael with his first career loss while picking up his fifth save of the season. With Tim Wakefield up tomorrow night, whom Atlanta couldn't hit to save their lives last October, the Pirates have to feel good about their chances of sweeping this two-game mini-series.

Phillies 9 Giants 8 (10 innings)
Don't look now, but not only do the Phillies have the best record in baseball (14-4), they are not giving up, not even when they came up tonight in the bottom of the 76th trailing the "also first place" Giants by 8 runs. They chased starter Jeff Brantley with three in the sixth, hammered two relievers for four runs aided by an error in the seventh, tied it in the eighth on a Mickey Morandini triple, and won it on a walk, a single, an error, and a wild pitch to end the game in the tenth. One thing we can see with Philly so far in 1993: if you make a mistake, they make you pay for it. Granted, the Giants only led for the same reason; namely, 11 walks and two errors in the first five innings by Philly. Overall, the Giants received 14 walks and still lost.

Expos 6 Padres 4
Jimmy Jones, who went to spring training as a non-roster player who had never won more than four games in a season, is now 4-0 for Montreal, as he allowed just two hits in 7 innings.

Reds 3 Marlins 0
Jose Rijo tossed a three-hitter and Joe Oliver's RBI single in the 7th off Charlie Hough was enough to lift Cincinnati. Jeff Reardon earned his 358th career save.

Cubs 6 Rockies 3
Mike Harkey may have given up 13 hits in six innings, but he remained undefeated thanks largely to an RBI single by Steve Buchele in Denver.

Cardinals 3 Astros 2
Ozzie Smith's 8th inning RBI single sent Doug Drabek to 2-3 and gave Joe Magrane his first win.

Dodgers at Mets was postponed due to rain.

White Sox 7 Orioles 0
Fernando Valenzuela isn't in 1981 anymore as Frank Thomas got him for a three-run shot in the first, and he surrendered an unearned run en route to another loss.

Brewers 10 Twins 3
A seven-run inning put the game away early as the Twins scored three cosmetic runs after falling behind, 10-0.

Mariners 6 Indians 3
Randy Johnson pitched his second straight complete game and scattered 7 hits while Dave Valle clinched the game with a two-run shot.

Tigers 5 Royals 3
A four-run first keyed by Kirk Gibson's double lifted Detroit to their 13th win, tops in the AL.

Blue Jays 8 Rangers 6
Sixteen Toronto hits and effective pitching gave Jack Morris his first win of 1993.


Give the Reds some credit: with their owner out a year just for being a generally miserable person who said some stupid and racist things, they handled this one well. Two lawsuits were filed, one by a religious advocate, over banners flown at the stadium during games. The Reds passed a policy - no banners of any kind during the game, period. Problem solved. Way to go, Reds.

MILLER DIES AT 38
Roger Miller, who made two appearances on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1974, died today in Pennsylvania at age 38. Miller was a welder in a limestone mine at Commercial Stone Co. in Connellsville, PA and was killed in an explosion via acetylene torch that is still under investigation.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 27, 1993
Pittsburgh Pirates 6 (W: Wakefield, 3-2; SV: Wagner, 3)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Stanton, 0-1)
11-11
3rd place
1.5 games behind

WAKEFIELD CONTINUES MASTERY OVER ATLANTA IN 11 INNING WIN;
MCRAE APOLOGIZES FOR TIRADE;
METS APOLOGIZE FOR LYING

In his brief MLB career encompassing 20 starts (including the post-season), knuckleballer Tim Wakefield has compiled an overall record of 13-3. Perhaps most shockingly, Wakefield ran his record to 4-0 against the NL champions, the Atlanta Braves, after throwing 172 pitches and giving way only in the 11th inning after issuing two walks (for a total of 10) that put the tying run in the on-deck circle with nobody out. Paul Wagner came on and retired the next 3 Braves in order, concluding a Pirates' sweep and dropping Atlanta to .500 for the first time since June 9, 1992. And once again, the anemic Atlanta offense pushed the "fans are concerned" button even higher because the Braves had only one run until rookie Ryan Klesko pinch-hit for starter Steve Avery in the ninth and slammed his first career home run off Wakefield to tie the game and give the hometown fans hope for another ninth inning comeback. But Wakefield retired the next three hitters in order, and the game went 11 innings for the second straight night. We could muse that the Braves have trouble with the knuckler, but given the pathetic offensive output this season thus far, the Braves can't hit anyone.

Avery pitched well, scattering seven hits and striking out two in nine innings, but he got off to a rough start, giving up hits to the first three batters and allowing Jay Bell to score on Andy Van Slyke's single to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. A Carlos Garcia and two sacrifices in the third gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead, and with Wakefield a tad erratic but not giving up many hits, it seemed that would be enough. A walk to Jeff Blauser, Atlanta's sole decent hitter thus far, and a double by David Justice cut the lead in half in the fifth, but it took until Klesko's bomb, which fans hope is a prelude to many years of same, to tie the game. Jay Howell pitched a scoreless tenth, and Mike Stanton came on in the 11th. And once again, the skeptics of Stanton as closer were validated as the Braves' bullpen blew their second straight chance at a win. Garcia doubled again, and Pirates Manager Jim Leyland decided to keep Wakefield in the game and allowed him to bunt. Stanton threw the bunt wild at first, scoring Garcia and sending Wakefield to second. He moved over to third on Al Martin's bunt for the first out of the inning, so the Braves walked Bell to set up the inning-ending double play and keep the game at one. Stanton struck out Van Slyke for the second out, but Jeff King singled Wakefield home and then Orlando Merced chased two more runs home with a double, giving the Pirates a four-run lead and the game. Wagner got the save, and the Pirates got the win and sweep. The Braves have lost three games in a row, and the Marlins come to town for a three-game series tomorrow night.

Padres 4 Expos 1
Andy Benes took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and ran his record to 4-1 with his fourth straight win. Moises Alou broke up the no-no in the 7th and homered for the only Montreal run in the 9th.

Marlins 4 Reds 3
A three-base error on a misplay by Cecil Espy off the bat of Dave Magadan allowed the winning run to score. Marlins rookie pitcher Trevor Hoffman got his first career MLB win.

Rockies 11 Cubs 2
Keyed by a 464-foot two-run shot by Andres Galarraga that was the highlight of a six-run inning, the Rockies had their biggest inning of their young history and captured the win for Butch Henry.

Giants 6 Phillies 3
John Burkett became the league's first five-game winner and ended Philly's four-game winning streak behind Matt Williams's 6th home run.

Dodgers 4 Mets 1
What a difference five years makes. In 1988, Orel Hershiser and Dwight Gooden matched pitches in a classic NLCS, Gooden pitching very well and Hershiser pitching phenomenally. Since those glory days for both, Hershiser has missed over a year with a torn labrum and Gooden has had a bad shoulder, but the two met in another classic tonight as Orel went the distance and allowed just three hits and one unearned run thanks to a ninth inning Darryl Strawberry error and topped Gooden's eight innings that were undone thanks to a Tim Bogar error that led to three unearned runs, 4-1.

Astros 9 Cardinals 2
Craig Biggio finally got his first two RBIs of the season on a 3-for-4 night.

Royals 4 Tigers 3
Trailing 3-0 in the 8th, Kansas City rallied to tie the game, taking David Cone off the hook and avoiding an 0-5 start for the $18 million man. Jose Lind's single in the tenth through a drawn-in infield won it.

Blue Jays 4 Rangers 3
Pat Hentgen held Texas to 3 hits in 8 innings as Toronto won their fourth straight.

Oakland 7 Red Sox 2
Four Oakland bombs, two by Mark McGwire, snapped their four-game losing streak and extended Boston's to six.

Mariners 4 Indians 0
Chris Bosio's attempt at back-to-back no-hitters ended with the first batter, and he left with an injury - but he still got the win.

White Sox 9 Orioles 4
Jack McDowell became the first AL pitcher to win five games thanks to 4 RBIs from Frank Thomas.

Brewers 3 Twins 2
Pat Listach went 4-for-4 as Milwaukee gave Jim Deshaies his first AL loss.

Yankees 5 Angels 0
Chuck Finley gave up four bombs - two to Mike Gallego - as Jimmy Key ran his record to 3-0.

Royals Manager Hal McRae apologized for his Monday night tirade that saw him swipe tape recorders and microphones off his desk, one hitting a reporter who was treated by the KC medical staff and not seriously injured. McRae did not apologize for the tirade, where he felt the media was nitpicking his answers, but for the fact he hurt the reporter and damaged their equipment.

The Mets also apologized for chicanery. Moments before Monday night's game with the Dodgers was called on account of rain, the Mets suddenly announced that Dwight Gooden had been scratched as the scheduled starter, but they didn't explain why. Naturally, word got out: Gooden was hit on the shoulder by a practice golf swing of a new club by Vince Coleman. The Mets had admitted he'd been hit in the shoulder but not the details. Coleman, who missed most of the 1985 post-season after getting run over by the automatic tarpaulin in Busch Stadium, has been involved with freak injuries before.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 28, 1993
Florida Marlins 3 (W: McClure 1-1; SV: Harvey, 7)
Atlanta Braves 1 (L: Bedrosian, 0-2)
11-12
3rd place
2.5 games behind

BAD OFFENSE AND BULLPEN BURY BRAVES;
PHILS POST BEST APRIL EVER
JIMMY V PASSES AT 47

This is far from normal: the expansion Florida Marlins extending the losing streak of the Atlanta Braves to four games and pushing the two-time defending National League champions below .500. Yes, it's early, but this was still - and is still - shocking. Tom Glavine pitched well, though far from perfect, going through 8 innings and giving up only five hits and one run before giving way to a pinch-hitter with two outs in the eighth. The only bad mark against Glavine was an uncharacteristically high 7 walks, but he pitched around them. All he got for his trouble was a tie courtesy of Atlanta's moribund offense.

Marlins starter Chris Hammond scored the game's only run as well as ejection when he beat out an infield single in the top of the third. Braves Manager Bobby Cox vociferously argued that Hammond was out at first and got the heave-ho from Eric Gregg. When Ron Gant misplayed a double to right by Junior Felix, Hammond scored to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. Atlanta tied it in the fifth when their one hot hitter, Jeff Blauser, singled and then circled the bases on two more singles. And the game remained 1-1 until Steve Bedrosian took over in the 9th.

Bedrosian's first act was to hit pinch-hitter Greg Briley with a pitch leading off the inning. Briley moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a single by Felix, opting not to try the (sometimes) lethal arm of right fielder David Justice. But Benito Santiago then singled through Blauser, whose error allowed Briley to score. Felix then scored the insurance run on a sacrifice fly, and Bryan Harvey came on to notch his 7th save by retiring Gant, who came up as the tying run with two out in the ninth. The Braves left 12 runners on base, including 10 in the first five innings. The Braves also left 23 runners on base during the two 11-inning losses to Pittsburgh entering this series.

Angels 3 Yankees 2
Mark Langston took a no-hitter and 2-0 lead into the 8th inning and a one-hitter into the ninth, but an error by Rene Gonzalez and a Danny Tartabull error tied the game. Buck Showalter opted to let Jim Abbott take the mound for the 9th, and he gave up a game-ending home run to Tim Salmon. Both pitchers went the distance.

White Sox 11 Brewers 2
A Frank Thomas two-run shot and seven strong innings from Kirk McCaskill lifted Chicago. The White Sox activated 35-year-old Dave Stieb, one of the best pitchers of the 80s, for tomorrow's game.

Red Sox 3 Athletics 1
Frank Viola and two relievers combined with a Mo Vaughn homer to end Boston's six-game losing streak.

Mariners 4 Indians 0
Ken Griffey Jr had three hits, including his 7th home run of the season, as Seattle completed the sweep.

Orioles 8 Twins 4
Two four-run innings, one keyed by a Cal Ripken three-run homer, overcame two Pedro Munoz homers in Minnesota's sixth straight loss.

Rangers 6 Tigers 5 (11 innings)
Trailing 5-1 entering the 8th, the Rangers came back to tie it and then won it on Julio Franco's double.

Royals 5 Blue Jays 3
Mark Gardner threw six-hit ball for 7 innings to help end Toronto's four-game winning streak.

Phillies 5 Padres 3
Dave Hollins drove in two as Curt Schilling improved to 4-1 while Mitch Williams earned his 8th save in a win that ensured Philadelphia's best start in team history (15-5). It is worth pointing out that in their best start in team history (1979), the Phillies failed to win the division for the only time in a five-year span, finishing fourth in the six team NL East.

Reds 4 Pirates 2
A three-run shot by Joe Oliver and five double plays lifted Tim Pugh to his second win.
Jeff Reardon got his 359th career save.

Astros 6 Cubs 1
Ken Caminiti's solo shot lifted Greg Swindell to 4-1 and gave Houston their 12th win in the last 16 games.

Cardinals 7 Rockies
Darren Holmes came on to close out a 6-5 Colorado win only to load the bases on three walks with one out. Two scored, and the Cardinals had a comeback win on the road.

Dodgers 6 Expos 1
LA followed a 1-6 road trip with a win in the home opener against Dennis Martinez thanks to two Montreal mental blunders and solo home runs by Eric Karros and Eric Davis.

Giants 4 Mets 3
Matt Williams did it again, driving home Mike Benjamin with a two-on, two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a blown save in the top of the inning by Giants closer Rod Beck. Frank Tanana got the first hit of his major league career after 19 years as an AL pitcher with a two-run single.

Jimmy V Passes
Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State basketball coach who inspired sports fans a decade ago by guiding the Wolfpack to an unexpected national championship and inspired all with his courageous battle against a metastatic adenocarcinoma, died today at 47. After his playing career as a point guard at Rutgers University, Valvano was hired by the school as an assistant. He worked his way up the college rankings, coaching at Johns Hopkins, Iona, and Bucknell before succeeding Norm Sloan at North Carolina State after Sloan left for Florida in 1980. In his third season as head coach, NC State won one of the most improbable championships in basketball history, upsetting highly favored Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma led by future NBA stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Valvano was best-known for his reaction after the winning shot, racing around the court looking for someone to hug. In 1989, Valvano's career as a coach came under scrutiny due to Peter Golenbock's book "Personal Fouls," that alleged rules violations in the recruitment of Chris Washburn. No fewer than six investigations of Valvano failed to produce a single shred of evidence of his knowledge of wrongdoing, but in 1990 with his reputation in tatters via innuendo, Valvano negotiated a severance package from NC State. In June 1992, he was diagnosed with cancer, and on March 4 this year gave an emotional and moving speech challenging the audience to "Don't Give Up, Don't Ever Give Up." The speech was given at the inaugural ESPY awards, with charitable donations made to "The V Foundation." Valvano's overall career record was 346-210. Valvano was supposed to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium this year but his health didn't permit his participation. His place was taken by rival coach and friend Dean Smith.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 29, 1993
Florida Marlins 6 (W: Aquino, 2-1; SV: Hoffman, 1)
Atlanta Braves 5 (L: Smith, 2-2)
11-13
3rd place
3.5 games behind

BRAVES DROP 5TH STRAIGHT;
DEION SANDERS PLACED ON DISQUALIFIED LIST

This is the kind of thing thought to be virtually impossible, and yet it happened in the first month of the baseball season. The Atlanta Braves, who have what might be the best five-man rotation in the history of professional baseball, sent all five to the mound in a series of five days - and the Braves lost all five games. 0-5. Two games below .500. Third place in a division they're projected to win with ease behind a team who less than a year ago was headed for South Florida and a team with the second-worst record in baseball two years ago. What is going on in Atlanta? Well, a lot of drama in an organization that thrives on order.

First, the ballgame.

To be fair, only one starter (Greg Maddux) has been the losing pitcher in the streak, and he simply had one of his rare bad outings. Three of the other four losses were quality starts where the pitcher got minimal offensive support, and the bullpen blew the game. Tonight was a combination of less-than-stellar starting pitching from Pete Smith, and the bullpen ineptitude continuing. The offense was minimally decent, but two errors made the difference. And in the end, a Dave Magadan two-run bomb, his first homer since July, chased Smith and gave Florida a 5-3 lead. They extended it to 6-3 in the 8th when Greg McMichael walked leadoff hitter Jeff Conine and gave up a two-out RBI single to Greg Briley, showing once again that the bullpen has major deficiencies. Atlanta made up both runs that Smith was responsible for with solo shots by Ron Gant and Damon Berryhill in the bottom of the 8th, but the run McMichael surrendered proved too much to overcome. Rookie Trevor Hoffman got his first-ever big league save after he walked Otis Nixon leading off the game by retiring the next three batters and leaving the tying run stranded at second. The Marlins got their first sweep in their history, and have a record only .003 behind Atlanta, though in the other division. Then there's the off-the-field stuff that will not help the Braves, either.

Deion Sanders left the team to attend his father's funeral, and now he ain't coming back. So says his agent Eugene Parker, who notified Braves GM John Schuerholz that Deion is unhappy with his playing time, and - if I may be cynical - is using his bereavement leave to finagle a starting outfielder position with the Braves upon his return. He'll be back, of course, but it's long past time the Braves coddle this prima donna, too. Yes, you can say that Otis Nixon let down the team and the fans with his September 1991 cocaine-fueled relapse. But Nixon is a team player who made a mistake, paid the price, and has been accepted back into the fan's good graces. Deion is a master of calling attention to himself, and to be blunt about it, he ain't that good of a baseball player. He's hitting .281and 2-for-4 in steals while Nixon is hitting .235 thanks to a recent slump and is 9-for-10 in steals - despite being 8.5 years older than Deion. Reminder: Deion used the pennant celebration last October to...throw water on Tim McCarver. The Braves have activated Tony Tarasco to replace Deion.

Giants 10 Mets 5
Barry Bonds drilled two home runs and Matt Williams another as the Giants blasted Brett Saberhagen.

Phillies 5 Padres 3
A four-run third inning by the red-hot Phillies courtesy of a two-RBI hits by Milt Thompson and Juan Bell enabled a two-game sweep.

Cardinals 5 Rockies 2
Bob Tewksbury scattered 8 hits and drove home two runs with his own single to get his first win.

Astros 5 Cubs 4
Craig Biggio's two-run shot was the difference as Houston won their third in a row.

Expos 7 Dodgers 3
Marquis Grissom hit his 4th home run and Ken Hill improved to 4-0.

Blue Jays 8 Royals 0
Juan Guzman went the distance, giving up only 5 hits and striking out 9.

White Sox 7 Brewers 4
Dave Stieb won his first-ever start for Chicago, giving up 5 hits and striking out 7.

Orioles 11 Twins 0
Mike Mussina extended Minnesota's losing streak to 7 games. Glenn Davis hit his first home run of the season and dropped Pat Mahomes to 0-4.

Tigers 3 Rangers 1
Chad Curtis hit a homer and had an RBI double as Detroit concluded a 5-2 road trip with a win.

The Cardinals come to Atlanta tomorrow for a three-game series.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

April 30, 1993
Atlanta Braves 3 (W: Stanton, 1-1)
St Louis Cardinals 2 (L: Murphy, 1-2)
12-13
11 innings
3rd place
3.5 games behind

BERRYHILL BAILS OUT BRAVES BY BOMB;
SANDERS BLASTS SCHUERHOLZ FOR "WORST BETRAYAL IN SPORTS HISTORY"

You can pardon Greg Maddux if at some point he doesn't think to himself that maybe he should have taken the larger contract with the Yankees or even stayed in Chicago. If he wanted to pitch spectacularly well and get no run support, he didn't even have to change his mailing address. Maddux was magnificent, retiring 24 of 25 batters after he started by giving up three straight singles with one out in the first that scored Ozzie Smith with the game's first run. With Atlanta's underachieving batting order and haphazard bullpen, he has no choice, and when Maddux finally weakened just two outs from a 2-1 win and gave up a bomb to Gregg Jefferies, the frustration of a five-game losing streak and what felt sure to be a wasted fantastic effort seemed to much. Maddux went 10 innings, scattering five hits while striking out 8 and walking none, and he still didn't get the win. Mike Stanton came on in the 11th and scared everyone in the 404 area code by getting two on, but he worked through the inning and it took only one pitch from Rob Murphy for Damon Berryhill to end the game with his second homer of the season and first walkoff solo job.

And then there's Drama Queen Deion Sanders, who needs launched into orbit on the next Space Shuttle. Prime Time is apparently so upset by the death of his father that he's using it to play some sort of a contract game in the newspapers. And in a gaslighting move worthy of the only the most mentally defective narcissist, he has managed to do exactly the thing he's accusing the Braves of doing. Sanders was quoted in today's "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" as saying that being placed on the disqualified list by Atlanta General Manager John Schuerholz is - get ready for this - "the worst betrayal by a team in all sports history." Yes, in Deion's verbiage, what happened to him was a bigger betrayal than the 1919 White Sox throwing the World Series. One can hardly wait to to see the movie about that time...a GM put a player whose agent said he wasn't coming back on a list. Deion asserts this is because the Braves are mad he won't sign a long-term contract with them. Well, Deion, your word sure as hell isn't very good now, is it? Aren't you the guy who told everyone you'd be in a Braves uniform through the last game of the season whenever that was only to change your mind and decide to play football on the same day as...your team had a chance to clinch a World Series berth? Deion wants more playing time, the Braves want a commitment. In all honesty, this thing needs to end quickly. This is not Reggie Jackson or Babe Ruth, and he needs to be sent anywhere but Atlanta.

Deion is rapidly becoming baggage the team doesn't need in what is already looking like it may turn quickly into an uphill fight unless the offense can find a rhythm.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 1, 1993
St Louis Cardinals 10
Atlanta Braves 3
12-14
3rd place
4.5 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 2, 1993
Atlanta Braves 4 (W: Mercker, 1-0; SV: Stanton, 9)
St Louis Cardinals 3 (L: Murphy, 1-3)
13-14
3rd place
4.5 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 3, 1993
Off day
13-14
3rd place
4.5 games behind

BRAVES WORKING OUT ISSUES AS THEY MOVE FORWARD

Maybe the entire problem is that everyone including Braves fans just assumed this was going to be a cakewalk to a World Series championship. Maybe pundits overestimated the Braves' ability to succeed a third year in a row. Maybe it's the fact the Braves went from the most ignored team in baseball, a team whose sole asset to the public was you could view your team's games every time they played Atlanta to a team that is a serious contender and thus invites attention.

Or maybe it's just early, right?

The Braves are 13-14 as they have a day off, and it seems unfair. This team added Greg Maddux, so if their other pitchers could just do what they did last year and Maddux could as well, the Braves should win about 118 games this year. And Maddux should probably do better since he lost a bunch of games where the Cubs gave him zero run support. But just to remind you that this isn't exactly new ground, let's take a look at recent years and Atlanta's record after 27 games:

1992: 13-14
1991: 15-12
1990: 8-16
1989: 10-14
1988: 6-18
1987: 12-15
1986: 12-15

This is essentially the modern Bobby Cox era, starting from when he took over as the GM after the 1985 season. There are several ways you can look at this. One is to say, "Wait, we're only one game ahead of those horrible teams in 1986 and 1987?" Another is to say, "We're even with the same record last year, and that team won 98 games." But that doesn't mask the fact that there are two major concerns, the bullpen and - this one shockingly - the team's batting. A third concern is whether or not Deion Sanders is going to be allowed to become a full-time distraction or some other team's part-time distraction (as in when he decides he wants to play baseball rather than football).

Terry Pendleton is a major part of the problem. Last year, he led every single player in baseball in batting average with runners in scoring position (.373). This year, he has the second-lowest batting average of any starter in the league (.154). But Atlanta could survive and maybe even thrive if Pendleton was the only hitter on the Braves struggling. Ron Gant (.196), David Justice (.183), Sid Bream (.225 and only 1 HR), and Otis Nixon (.250) are doing from horrendous to subpar. It is unlikely any of them will continue to struggle to this degree, but the season is one-sixth over as of today, and not one has shown anything resembling offense. The starting pitching has been both bailing the Braves out and suffering misfortune any time they go out knowing one mistake may lose the entire ballgame - and in THAT sense, this team is exactly like those bad Braves teams of a few years ago.

The other issue is three years in the making, and let's just go right ahead and say that Mike Stanton isn't a long-term solution as a closer. He's "sort of" in the middle of a hot streak right now, but his luck will run out and he'll be back to a "well, he's pretty decent as a setup man" again. It remains a mystery why Cox doesn't seem to understand he needs a reliable, lights-out closer to have a complete pitching staff and team.

I've said all I'll say on the Deion saga except to note this: the fans are overwhelmingly behind Nixon in this demand for playing time, and it doesn't say much for your level of fan support when you're losing a popularity poll to a guy who got suspended for drug use in the heat of the most important Atlanta sports season in city history.

The Braves head out on a nine-game road trip tomorrow that will start in Pittsburgh for a pair of games, move to Colorado for a four-game series in the first-ever metting with the expansion Rockies, and conclude with a three-game trip to the Astros, thought to be one of two possible NL West contenders before the season and currently in second place 3.5 games ahead of the Braves.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 4, 1993
Atlanta Braves 3 (W: Glavine, 4-0; SV: Stanton, 10)
Pittsburgh Pirates 2 (L: Wakefield, 3-3)
14-14
3rd place
3.5 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 5, 1993
Pittsburgh Pirates 4 (W: Walk, 3-2; SV: Belinda, 6)
Atlanta Braves 1 (L: Maddux, 2-3)
14-15
3rd place
4.5 games behind

(Note: The Braves' lone run scored in this game was quite memorable. The score, with the call from Sports South's Ernie Johnson, is in the clip below the summary article).





Maddux scores... - YouTube

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 6, 1993
Atlanta Braves 13 (W: Smoltz, 3-3)
Colorado Rockies 3 (L: Nied, 3-3)
15-15
3rd place
4 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 7, 1993
Atlanta Braves 13 (W: Freeman, 1-0)
Colorado Rockies 5 (L: Parrett, 0-1)
16-15
3rd place
4 games behind

 

[selmaborntidefan]

May 8, 1993
Atlanta Braves 8 (W: Mercker, 2-0; SV: Stanton, 11)
Colorado Rockies 7 (L: Fredrickson, 0-1)
17-15
3rd place
3 games behind

BREAM'S GRAND SLAM KEY IN BRAVES COMEBACK FROM 6-0 DOWN
ROCKIES TO SURPASS 1 MILLION FANS TOMORROW

"A lead is never safe in this place" was the musing of Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox mere moments after the Braves proved that by rallying from a 6-0 deficit in the 8th inning and then hanging on by getting Dante Bichette, batting as the winning run in the bottom of the 9th, on an infield ground out to clinch the game and assure the Braves of a series win regardless of what happens tomorrow. The Atlanta comeback was scintillating to the Braves and devastating to the Rockies, but it also helped cover up yet another relatively lame output by the Atlanta hitters. Merely looking at the final scores of the three games in Mile High Stadium doesn't change the fact that this is occurring in a football stadium in a high altitude or the fact that Atlanta did get eight runs on only nine hits today largely because the Rockies made 3 errors. While fans can enjoy the victories and scoring, it will take more than this to validate the idea that Atlanta's offense has turned the corner, but it can be said at this point that this is a positive first step, too.

Pete Smith went 6.2 innings, and he was pretty good during innings 2-6 as well as the first - after he gave up a two-run bomb to Jerald Clark just three batters into the game. Given the venue, the erratic Smith was quite effective, and he got to the 7th with the Braves still trailing only 2-0. That's when Smith tired and the Steve Bedrosian experiment blew up in Atlanta's face and nearly cost them the game.

Charlie Hayes homered leading off the seventh, and Smith fell apart. Joe Girardi singled, Smith hit Vinny Castilla with a pitch, and Colorado starter Bruce Ruffin moved the runners into scoring position with an infield out at first. Eric Young's sacrifice fly to center scored Girardi to make it 4-0, and after Smith walked Alex Cole, Bedrosian came on and walked Clark to load the bases and then gave up a two-run single to Andres Galarraga that seemingly ended the game as the Rockies now led, 6-0. As it turned out, the game had only just begun.

Terry Pendleton, who has been so ineffective that he's only starting part-time, came on and made yet another out as he pinch-hit for Bedrosian leading off the eighth. Otis Nixon singled and then Mark Lemke walked, bringing Atlanta's hottest hitter, Jeff Blauser, to the plate. Blauser appeared to kill the rally, but Vinny Castilla, the former Brave taken in the expansion draft, misplayed the ball, and the bases were loaded with only one out. With Ron Gant, whose struggles in pressure situations are well-documented, at the plate, the inning appeared well in hand when he bounced an infield grounder with the potential to end the inning. But Eric Young's error scored two Atlanta runs and put Blauser at third and Gant at second with one out and David Justice at the plate. Reliever Willie Blair walked Justice to load the bases, bringing Francisco Cabrera, the hero of last fall's playoffs, to the plate. In order to improve Atlanta's chances, Cox pulled Cabrera and sent the lefty hitting Sid Bream to the plate against the righty, Blair. Bream worked a 3-2 count and assumed a largely defensive posture at the plate to avoid the strikeout. Blair threw what looked like an almost perfect pitch, and Bream swung, making contact that seemed rather ordinary. The ball lifted into the air and just carried almost on its own whim and landed just barely over the 333 mark on the left-field fence for an incredible grand slam that tied the score at six.

And there was still only one out. Damon Berryhill grounded out, Bill Pecota singled to left, and Pendleton returned to the plate again in the pinch-hit role and made his second out of the inning, his struggles continuing, but the game tied.

With the sudden reversal of fortune, Kent Mercker took the mound and faced four hitters, giving up only a double to Castilla but sustaining no damage. Nixon then walked leading off the ninth. Lemke's bunt attempt failed, but Nixon wound up on second anyway thanks to a wild pitch. Blauser's single scored Nixon with the go-ahead run, and Blauser moved to second on the throw home. Blauser then scored on a Justice single, an insurance run that Atlanta wound up needing in the ninth. Mike Stanton came on to close it out, and every Braves fan in America who hadn't tuned out the game when trailing 6-0 or left to go buy a Mother's Day card for tomorrow, held their breaths. They needed it, too.

Stanton immediately gave up a single to Eric Young, but he struck out former teammate and 80s Braves legend Dale Murphy. Young moved to second on an infield ground out by Clark, and he scored to narrow the gap to one on a single by Galarraga. Gerald Young came on to run for Galarraga, but Bichette's infield grounder ended the game on a force at second as Stanton got save number 11, and the Braves clinched a series victory with a thrilling 8-7 comeback win.

Colorado Manager Don Baylor was so disheartened by the loss that he disappeared and went home with the usual post-game press conference. He has watched his expansion team lose 19 of 29 games but none so painful as this one. Cox sympathized, saying, "It would be tough to manage 81 games a year in this ballpark."

But if you don't think Denver was starved for some baseball, consider this: when the turnstiles open tomorrow, the Rockies will have their one millionth fan in attendance in only 18 home dates, an astonishing average per game attendance of over 55,000 fans per game. Their attendance in less than 1/4 of the total home dates for the season has already surpassed the inaugural season attendances of Seattle, Milwaukee, and the Los Angeles Angels. This is also an all-time MLB record, breaking the mark set by Toronto last year, who surpassed one million in their 21st home game.