Braves: 1993 Atlanta Braves Retrospective: The Last Pennant Race

[selmaborntidefan]

September 21, 1993
Atlanta Braves 18 (W: Smoltz, 15-10)
Montreal Expos 5 (L: Hill, 9-6)
97-54
1st place
3.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 22, 1993
Montreal Expos 6 (W: Fassero, 12-4)
Atlanta Braves 1 (L: Avery, 16-6)
97-55
1st place
2.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 23, 1993
Atlanta Braves 6 (W: Maddux, 19-9)
Montreal Expos 3 (L: Martinez, 14-9)
98-55
1st place
2.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 24, 1993
Philadelphia Phillies 3 (W: Greene, 16-3; SV: Williams, 41)
Atlanta Braves 0 (L: Glavine, 20-6)
98-56
1st place
1.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 25, 1993
Atlanta Braves 9 (W: Bedrosian, 5-2; SV: McMichael, 16)
Philadelphia Phillies 7 (L: Mason,5-12)
99-56
1st place
1.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 26, 1993
Atlanta Braves 7
Philadelphia Phillies 2
100-56
1st place
1.5 games ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 27, 1993
TRAVEL DAY
100-56
1st place
1 game ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 28, 1993
Houston Astros 5 (W: Harnisch, 16-9; SV: Jones, 26)
Atlanta Braves 2 (L: Maddux, 19-10)
100-57
TIED
1st place

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 29, 1993
Atlanta Braves 6 (W: Glavine, 21-6; SV: McMichael, 17)
Houston Astros 3 (L: Drabek, 9-18)
101-57
1st place
1 game ahead

 

[selmaborntidefan]

September 30, 1993
Houston Astros 10 (W: Hernandez, 4-5)
Atlanta Braves 8 (L: Smoltz, 15-11)
101-58
TIED
1st place

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 1, 1993
Atlanta Braves 7 (W: Avery, 18-6; SV: McMichael, 18)
Colorado Rockies 4 (L: Harris, 11-17)
102-58
TIED
1st place

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 2, 1993
Atlanta Braves 10 (W: Maddux, 20-10)
Colorado Rockies 1 (L: Reynoso, 12-11)
103-58
TIED
1st place

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 3, 1993
Atlanta Braves 5
Colorado Rockies 3
104-58
1 game ahead
1st place
NL WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS

ATLANTA PREVAILS IN BASEBALL'S LAST PENNANT RACE

In the end the predicted happened, but it didn't happen the way everyone thought it would happen.

The Atlanta Braves, the preseason favorites to win it all but mired 10 games behind the San Francisco Giants in late July, beat the Colorado Rockies, 5-3, to sweep the season series with the expansion team, 13-0. And they needed every win as the San Francisco Giants, winners of 103 games this year, had it in their power to force a one-game playoff. But the Dodgers, eliminated from the pennant race by the Giants in 1951, 1962, 1982, and 1991, got sweet revenge by blistering rookie Salomon Torres and six Giants relievers for four homers, 14 hits and 12 runs in a 12-1 pasting that clinched NL Rookie of the Year honors for Mike Piazza and thrust a dagger into the heart of a season that ended under any other circumstances would have been one of their greatest ever even if incomplete without the division title.

The Braves got their chance first, finishing out in Atlanta and facing David Nied, who was supposed to be the next Atlanta ace but was lost last fall to the Rockies as the first pick in the expansion draft. Four third inning singles and a walk plated two Atlanta runs to give Tom Glavine, a Cy Young candidate for the third straight year, a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Otis Nixon walked, Jeff Blauser singled, and Ron Gant tripled both home to push Atlanta's lead to 4-0. The Rockies got one back quickly when Jerald Clark walked leading off the fifth, Chris Jones doubled to right, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out, and Danny Sheaffer's sacrifice fly scored Clark to make it 4-1. Nelson Liriano drew the Rockies closer when he led off the sixth with a double to right, moved to third on a single and then scored when Andres "The Big Cat" Galarraga hit into a double play. But when Roberto Mejia homered in the 7th, the Rockies were only one run down with six outs to go. And Greg McMichael, who has been sensational the last six weeks, came on to get those last six outs. Before he did, however, David Justice fulfilled the promise the Braves had when they drafted him by drilling a solo homer, the first time in his career Justice has reached the 40-home run mark, and McMichael had a 5-3 lead as the game went to the 9th.

After Charlie Hayes grounded out to short, McMichael faced Clark and after a high changeup for ball one, threw a sinker into the strike zone. Clark turned on the pitch and drilled it towards left field on a line. But Terry Pendleton made a sensational leap and snagged it, retiring Clark for the second out of the inning and sparing the Braves of the tying run coming to the plate. When Darryl Boston struck out, the Braves had their 104th win of the season and had clinched a tie for third. The rest of the day was dedicated to watching the Dodgers and Giants on the Jumbotron, eerily similar to that unforgettable day two years ago. On that day, the Giants won, but the Braves needed the opposite result today. The Giants never made a serious threat, scoring only when Darren Lewis grounded out with runners on second and third with one out to close the gap to 3-1. The Dodgers pounded the pedestrian San Francisco bullpen, and Tommy Lasorda wasn't going quietly. In the postgame interview, the portly skipper said, " I know it’s a sad time for the Giants. They won 103 games and did a sensational job. But when we look back at what they did to us four times, we wanted to let them know what the feeling was like. We had to hang our heads a few times. Now it’s their turn. And now they know how we felt in 1951 and 1962 and 1982 and 1991." This condescension did not go over well immediately upon the game's end. Matt Williams felt the Dodgers had crossed the line from simply beating them to mockery, claiming a lot of the snarky cracks from a team that did nothing this year were below the belt. He even singled out one particular player, Dodger legend Orel Hershiser, mockingly saying that "If he ever pitches again - there's line drives up the middle." Williams went further, saying the Dodgers would not beat the Giants even one time in 1994.

So where does that leave us? Baseball pennant races are gone. Next year the league will join the other sports leagues in rewarding teams that don't finish in first place, and a lot of Giants no doubt wish those were the rules this year. If they were, the Giants would probably be preparing the face the Phillies while the Braves prepared to face whichever team won the NL Central division that will begin next year. (Based on wins this year, it would be the St Louis Cardinals, but the different schedule they would face makes that just a wistful thought at this point). And while it feels sad and tragic that the Giants have the second-best record not only in the NL West but in all of baseball and yet have nothing to show for it, the fact remains there will never again be a pennant race where fans in two locales and across the country follow the sport daily in hopes of seeing what happens. Next year, the Giants would likely have closed shop a bit early and set their rotation for the playoffs.

The Braves will be stuck with the current rotation thanks to the race while the Phillies get to counter with their best, Curt Schilling, in Game One. Breakdown of the ALCS and NLCS matchups over the next two days.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS ATLANTA BRAVES NLCS PREVIEW

The Atlanta Braves, baseball's most accomplished team over the last three seasons, are missing one accomplishment to complete the checklist. They hope the third time is the charm, and they have bet heavily on the present with the free agent acquisition of Greg Maddux last December. And with minor leaguers Chipper Jones, Ryan Klesko, Mike Kelly, and Javier Lopez - and those are just the more famous names, there's even more riches down on the farm than those - Atlanta should be a contender for years to come. Meanwhile, in the other dugout is almost the exact same team that went 70-92 last year but somehow - mostly through solid hitting - tore out to a huge division lead, were never seriously challenged, and won 97 games while scoring more runs than any team other than the Detroit Tigers while giving up 23 more runs than they did in 1992. Indeed, a look at Philadelphia's team suggests they have followed the path of a number of past surprise pennant winners like the 1961 Reds: three everyday players improve, one or two young players arrive and play well, one or two guys have career years. And a factor that wasn't around in 1961, free agency, can help, and the Phillies did improve their roster with three solid free agent signings: pitcher Larry Anderson and outfielders Jim Eisenreich and Milt Thompson.

It might be a decent series, or it might be a mismatch. One team's virtue appears to be they score a lot of runs because they have no other choice. The other team has a better pitching staff, both starting and relieving, a much better defense, hits more home runs, steals more bases, and an argument can be made that their offense is really better but the numbers don't show it because the Braves struggled offensively until acquiring Fred McGriff.

Overview:
There are simply no secrets about the Atlanta Braves. They have the best pitching staff in baseball, and if it continues for a few years, it may well go down in history as the greatest of all-time. With a league-leading ERA of 3.14 while playing half of their games in what is now the second easiest home run park in the majors (behind Mile High Stadium in Denver), Atlanta's pitching is a sight to behold. And while their bullpen has yet to attain a lights out reliable closer, the Braves, using bullpen by committee, have managed to piece together the exact same number of saves as the Phillies do (46) relying on Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams. The Braves also have an outstanding defensive team that made the second fewest errors in the National League. Offensively, their season-long numbers do not compare with Philadelphia, but the Braves are a completely different team since the acquisition of Fred McGriff. In their first 94 games, the Braves scored 375 runs, a horrid total of 3.98 runs per game. Since the tall lefty arrived complete with a fire on July 20, the Braves have ripped out 392 runs, raising their total to 5.76 runs per game, a number no other team even comes close to reaching (the Tigers as noted had the best total for the year at 5.55 rpg). The Braves lead the National League in home runs, and while critics would probably dismiss that total as inflated due to the ballpark, the Braves hit more home runs ON THE ROAD (91) than they did in the Launching Pad (78).

The Phillies arrive with the best offense in the National League. They score - a lot. Their league batting average is second behind San Francisco, and they're the best at getting on base. They don't steal very often and yet they don't ground into many double plays, either. Their solid .274 batting average is despite the fact they strike out a lot. Their defense is average at best, but part of this can be chalked up to playing their home games on the turf at Veterans Stadium. Their pitching staff has records that look quite dazzling but with jaw dropping ERAs. Curt Schilling, the staff ace, appears ready to blossom as he went 16-7, but his ERA was 4.02. Tommy Greene, who came over from Atlanta in the Dale Murphy trade in 1990, was a solid 16-4 with a 3.42 ERA, but he also got six runs of support per game. Give Greg Maddux - or pretty much any Atlanta starter - the run support Greene got and the Braves might well have had THREE 30-game winners. The Phillies score a lot because they have to score a lot. And they will have to make the most of their chances to have a chance to beat the Braves. The bullpen numbers at first sight would appear to favor the Phillies because they have a closer with 43 saves in 50 chances, but have you seen Mitch Williams pitch? It's a tightrope walk even when Philadelphia wins the game, and he's far from a lights out closer. But he's all they have.

The two teams split the season series with six wins apiece. Half of those games are before McGriff and half are afterwards, but there's also the fact the Braves were in more of a "must win" mode than Philly ever was. Atlanta is a sizzling 60-24 since July 1, while the Phillies are an average 45-40 over the same span.

Position by Position Analysis (Phillies Players Listed First)

Catcher - Darren Daulton vs Damon Berryhill/Greg Olson
An argument can be made that Daulton is Philly's best batter at the plate. While his .257 batting average isn't stellar, the guy gets on base a lot (.392 OBP), walks a lot, and leads the team in dingers with 24. And despite being a catcher, and thus presumed slow, Daulton only grounded into two double plays all year. His sole deficiency on offense is he strikes out a lot (111 times). Defensively, Daulton is as good as any catcher in the NL. Atlanta's combination of Damon Berryhill and Greg Olson isn't even in the same solar system
Edge: Phillies (big)

First Base - John Kruk vs Fred McGriff
John Kruk may not look like an athlete, but he most assuredly does play like a ballplayer. His solid .316 batting average and an OBP a tad higher than McGriff, but the Crime Dog has hit 2.5 times as many bombs as the "looks like a slow pitch softball player" who fears Randy Johnson has (37-14). And McGriff is smooth in the field at first while Kruk plays defense about as he looks. And that favors Atlanta.
Edge: Braves

Second Base - Mickey Morandini vs Mark Lemke
These guys are pretty much the same player, .250 average batters with low home run totals. Lemke is the better fielder and that puts him over the top.
Edge: Braves

Shortstop - Kevin Stocker vs Jeff Blauser/Rafael Belliard
Rookie Stocker had a solid half season in the big leagues while Blauser finally broke through last year as the full-time starter. Blauser's bat has never been the issue, his fielding has always been the concern. But he has improved on defense and leaves game late for "Pac Man" Belliard to scoop up everything near him flawlessly. If Stocker was a veteran, he'd own this category, but he has yet to be seen by teams a second time after they've adjusted.
Edge: Braves

Third Base - Dave Hollins vs Terry Pendleton
These guys are almost mirror images of each other offensively. Hollins hit one point higher with one more homer, but he also played his home games on turf. Hollins also walks a lot more, but he strikes out a little more. Offensively, they're even. Defensively, though, it's no contest. Pendleton has won three Gold Gloves for his defense and two of those were on the hard turf in St Louis. Pendleton turned 33 this year and has lost a step and needs to lose a few pounds, but it's Hollins who gets pulled late for a defensive replacement. And Pendleton has played in four World Series and many pressure pennant race games; Hollins hasn't.
Edge: Braves

Right Field - Jim Eisenreich vs David Justice
Jim Eisenreich has a .318 batting average in 362 at bats this year. And despite that good number, this one isn't even close. Justice is going to strike out more, but he has 33 more homers than the courageous Eisenreich, who is best-known for his battle with Tourette's syndrome. Eisenreich is better defensively, but how often does the defense of the right fielder matter? Even if it does, it doesn't make up for the Grand Canyon between their offensive numbers.
Edge: Braves (huge)

Center Field - Lenny Dykstra vs Otis Nixon
Otis Nixon is a solid and speedy presence in the Atlanta outfield and he has, from time to time, been the catalyst of the team, able to reach base and make things happen on the basepaths. He's also made a catch or two for the all-time highlight reel. But Lenny Dykstra is a solid .300 hitter with base stealing capability who seems like a throwback, and he's come up big in the postseason before (the walkoff in Game Three of the 1986 NLCS). Nixon is a good player but past his prime. Dykstra is a very good player in his prime.
Edge: Phillies

Left Field - Milt Thompson vs Ron Gant
Gant missed by four steals having his third 30-30 season. How rare? Only Mickey Mantle and Bobby Bonds have pulled it off previously. Gant and Thompson were teammates in the minors years ago when Gant was an infielder, and now he largely has the job Thompson had before he was traded to the Phillies in 1985. Thompson was traded to St Louis and came back. He's a good player, but he's not Ron Gant nor does he have his post-season experience.
Edge: Braves

Starting Staff
If you thought some of the other comparison were mismatches, you haven't seen anything yet. The Atlanta Braves go with a four-man rotation consisting of two Cy Young winners and the last two NLCS MVPs, and on any one day, any one of their starters might be either the best pitcher on the staff and sometimes the best in baseball. The Braves will alternate lefty and righty each day so the Phillies won't be able to get too comfortable. Philadelphia's best pitcher - and that's far from certain - would be a fifth starter at best on Atlanta. And one can argue over which starter actually is the best. Is it Curt Schilling (16-7, 4.02 ERA)? What about Tommy Green (16-4, 3.42)? Or could it possibly be Terry Mulholland (12-9, 3.25)? When it comes to postseason experience, it will be hard to beat Danny Jackson, who already has been an important starter on two World Series winners (1985 Royals, 1990 Reds). But it should hardly matter. Philadelphia's pitchers have high ERAs, and Atlanta has a powerful offense. Greene's stellar record has to be viewed in light of the fact he's been given some of the best run support in baseball this year for a starting pitcher.
Edge: Braves (huge)

Relief Staff
You look right away and see Mitch Williams has 43 saves, and you figure Atlanta's bullpen doesn't have a closer. But Philly only has 46 total saves - the exact same number as the Braves - and Atlanta has had three different closers this year, guys who held it for awhile and then went off the deep end. Mike Stanton was the closer for the first 1/3 of the season, and he saved 19 contests in Atlanta's first 54 games. But he began blowing saves left and right - six on the year - and he saved his last game at the end of July. Rookie Greg McMichael took over and converted 19 saves in 20 starts with a 2.06 ERA. Despite not having a blazing fastball, he's been good enough. Mark Wohlers again tried - and failed - to secure the relief role, but he's a fireballer. If he ever gets control of the strike zone, he can be a star. Think about it: Mitch Williams blew 7 saves by himself; the Braves blew 12, but their current closer only blew one. Despite his childish antics or perhaps because of them, even the bullpen matchup favors the Braves due to the volatility of Williams. The Braves, after all, have beaten him before.
Edge: Braves (slight)

Bench
So who's coming in? Behind Deion Sanders, who hit a whopping .533 in last year's World Series, there's not much except defensive replacements. Philadelphia has a slugger (Pete Incaviglia) and a solid hitter (Ricky Jordan) and a defense about the same as the one Atlanta would put on in late innings with exception of Belliard.
Edge: Phillies (slight)

Manager: Jim Fregosi vs Bobby Cox
Jim Fregosi won a division title in his first full season as manager of the California Angels (1979). This year - his second full season in Philadelphia - he became the third manager in baseball history to take a team from last to first. Fregosi is a good manager who relates well to his players and while his overall record may not look stellar, he is clearly the kind of manager who can come in and revitalize a team that has talent but needs guidance. The problem for Fregosi is that the guy in the other dugout beat him to the "worst to first" accomplishment and has turned three losers - Atlanta twice and Toronto - into long-term winners by getting the right pieces at the right time. The only thing Bobby Cox is missing on his resume is the World Series ring.
Edge: Braves

SUMMARY
On paper this series is a colossal mismatch. Philadelphia holds exactly one BIG edge over the Braves (Daulton at catcher), and even their other edges are slight at best. The Braves have the better offense (since McGriff came over), the better pitching (by far), and the better defense (by far). Philly's best edge is on the bench and that only comes into play if a game is close late. And yet it cannot be ignored that the Phillies and Braves each won six contests against each other and at different times (pre-McGriff and post-McGriff).

When a team holds an edge at every position, has a better overall pitching staff, better manager, and more postseason experience, that team is probably going to roar through the opponent with the subtlety of a train wreck. And yet you cannot undersell the fact Philly won 97 games this year. At the core, however, this is the same team that finished last in 1992 and added two free agents and had a bunch of career years. Look for Atlanta to make short work of the Phillies, although the heart factor leads me to think this may go six games. The Braves will get their rematch with the Blue Jays, and it will be interesting to see what has changed in the last year.

Prediction: Braves in 6.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 6, 1993
Philadelphia Phillies 4 (Williams, 1-0)
Atlanta Braves 3 (Michael, 0-1)
10 innings
Phillies lead, 1-0

SCHILLING DAZZLES AND BATISTE GOES FROM GOAT TO HERO AS PHILS TAKE GAME 1

You don't give the Atlanta Braves an extra chance. The Phillies did.
But apparently you also don't give Kim Batiste and extra chance. The Braves did, and it cost them.
After making a crucial error that helped the Braves stay alive enough to tie the game, Batiste followed John Kruk's one out double in the 10th with a double of his own that scored Kruk and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as the Phillies edged the Braves, 4-3, to take a 1-0 lead in the NLCS. The game was something of a microcosm of the regular season and yet several things were also new.

Curt Schilling dazzled in his first post-season start, striking out the first five Braves in the lineup well into the second inning and getting two outs in the third while holding a 1-0 lead. Philly's leadoff batter, Lenny Dykstra, found Atlanta starter Steve Avery's pitching more to his liking as he laced a double to start the game, moved to third on a single by Mariano Duncan and then scored on an infield ground out to give Philly the lead. But after Avery got the first Atlanta hit off Schilling with a two-out double of his own, he then tied the game by scoring on Otis Nixon's double. After not being able to solve Schilling the first time through the lineup, the Braves finally began hitting. In the fourth, Ron Gant drew a leadoff walk and raced to third on Fred McGriff's single. Just like that, the powerful Atlanta lineup had runners at the corners with nobody out. The Braves took a 2-1 lead when Gant scored on David Justice's sacrifice fly, but Schilling bore down to retire the next two batters and keep the game close. Avery, who was probably Atlanta's best pitcher into September then gave up a solo shot to Pete Incaviglia that tied the contest at two. And an inning later, the young lefty who wouldn't allow the Pirates to score two years ago made a rare mistake that cost the Braves the lead, but Atlanta was fortunate to be down by only a run.

With one out in the sixth, Avery walked the solid hitting Kruk and then gave up a double to Dave Hollins that put two runners in scoring position. With Philly's best slugger, Darren Daulton at the plate, the Braves opted to load the bases with an intentional walk and bring up Incaviglia, who had already homered. Avery quickly got him in the hole, 0-2, and after wasting a ball high, Avery threw a pitch low that bounced into and then away from catcher Damon Berryhill, allowing Kruk to score to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Despite multiple Braves visiting Avery on the mound separately to buy time for a reliever, Avery stayed in the game. He struck out Incaviglia and then walked Wes Chamberlain to load the bases with two outs. He then got rookie Kevin Stocker to fly out to center and while the Braves were disappointed to be trailing, the Phillies had to be disappointing knowing how often the Braves have come from behind to win this year. They made another mistake in the 8th when Milt Thompson was gunned down at home plate trying to extend the lead and instead ended the inning with the Phillies still leading by but a run. Sure enough, the failures shone brightly in the ninth.

After Schilling had dazzled the Braves for eight innings and struck out ten, Philadelphia went with their closer Mitch Williams. That was one of a series of moves both managers made. Thompson, who had run for the slower Incaviglia, stayed in the game and Batiste was called in to replace Hollins, presumably for defensive purposes. Jim Eisenreich was called in to replace Chamberlain, and with all of those moves, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox opted to send up specialist Bill Pecota in place of the slow-footed Berryhill. And Williams, who often needs an introduction to the strike zone, walked Pecota on four pitches, none of them close to the strike zone. Mark Lemke, who hit into 21 double plays (4th in the NL) now came to bat and after working a 1-1 count hit a rally-killing bouncer to Batiste at third. But Batiste threw wildly in his effort to nail Pecota at second, an error that sent him to third and left runners at the corners with nobody out. Rookie Tony Tarasco came on to run in place of Lemke, and the Philly crowd erupted in boos. Francisco Cabrera - yes, that guy - was in the on-deck circle with Lemke at bat, but when he reached with nobody out, Cox reverted to having his excellent bunter, Rafael Belliard, stay in the game. Belliard bunted to first, moving Tarasco to second but Pecota played it safe and remained on third. Otis Nixon bounced a ball to deep short, scoring Pecota, to tie the game. Tarasco held at second with two outs, and Williams then walked Jeff Blauser, bringing Gant to the plate with a chance to put Atlanta ahead. But Williams struck him out, and the Phillies came up with their own chance to win in the bottom of the 9th.

The Braves, like the Phillies, made a series of defensive moves that weakened them offensively. Closer Greg McMichael got through the ninth without problem, and with two outs in the tenth, Atlanta got runners at second and third with Tarasco at the plate in place of Lemke. But the youngster struck out, and the Phillies again took their cuts with a chance to win. After getting Mariano Duncan to ground out, McMichael served up a pitch that Kruk drove almost out of the park, hitting at the base of the right field wall for a double. And up came Batiste with the chance at redemption. Batiste worked a 1-2 count and then hit a shot towards Terry Pendleton at third that just got past him on the bounce and went into left field, Kruk scoring on the play to give the Phillies a 4-3 win. It was the best baseball has to offer: the guy who makes the crucial error comes up and wins the game with the crucial hit.

Philadelphia clearly outplayed Atlanta in game one, and they walked away with a win. Tomorrow night sees Greg Maddux face Tommy Greene.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 7, 1993
Atlanta Braves 14 (W: Maddux, 1-0)
Philadelphia Phillies 3 (L: Greene, 0-1)
Series tied, 1-1

BRAVES LETHAL ATTACK SENDS SERIES BACK TO ATLANTA TIED

This was the Atlanta Braves at their best. And then they are, there is nobody better.

After a regular season that saw him get the worst run support of any of the aces on the Atlanta starting staff, Greg Maddux got handed a room full of gold as the Braves unleashed a 16-hit barrage against Philly starter Tommy Greene and five Phillies relievers that chased 14 runs across the plate thanks to four long balls and drilled Philadelphia, 14-3, in the most lopsided NLCS game since the Cubs blasted the Padres in the opener of the 1984 series. With the huge lead, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox decided to give his bullpen some late inning work and pulled Maddux to save his arm for later in the postseason. Mike Stanton and Mark Wohlers pitched one inning apiece. It was a game that had barely begun when it was so obviously decided quickly.

Greene, the Philly starter with the best record, took the mound with a 10-0 record at Veterans Stadium this year, but he got quickly into trouble by walking Otis Nixon. A passed ball by catcher Darren Daulton allowed the fleet Nixon to move to second, and he moved to third on Ron Gant's ground out to second. Fred McGriff then signaled his arrival in the NLCS with a monster blast to right field that pushed the Braves quickly in front, 2-0. Maddux quickly got into trouble by putting two runners on in the bottom of the first, but he wriggled free as did Greene, who followed up by allowing no runs. But after Maddux began to cut through the Philly batter order easily, the roof fell in on Philly in the third.

Nixon singled to left but was caught stealing, seemingly letting Greene wriggle free again. But Jeff Blauser drilled a solo shot that made the Atlanta lead 3-0, and all of a sudden, Greene couldn't get anybody out. A double by Gant and a single by McGriff put runners at the corners, and a walk to David Justice loaded the sacks. Terry Pendleton singled to right field, plating two runs and that's when catcher Damon Berryhill came up big yet again. The guy who won Game One of the 1992 World Series with one fantastic swing of the bat that scored all 3 Atlanta runs in a 3-1 win put Game Two of this series away by drilling another three-run bomb that gave Atlanta an 8-0 lead, which with Greg Maddux on the mound was money in the bank. But the reigning Cy Young winner faltered a bit as he gave up a single to John Kruk and then a two-run shot to Dave Hollins. But that would be the entirety of the Philly scoring off of Maddux. Pendleton followed up his two-run single with a solo homer in the fifth, extending the margin to 9-2. And that's where the game remained until the 8th.

David West came on in relief after the three Philadelphia relievers had done well for the most part. Only Bobby Thigpen's surrendering of the Pendleton homer resulted in a run. Still, putting David West on the mound against the Atlanta Braves was debatable in every sense. In the 1991 World Series against these same Braves, West had faced six batters, four of whom he walked. Four runners scored and because West never retired a single hitter, his ERA for the series is listed as "infinity." This time he obtained an actual number, but it wasn't anything to boast. Berryhill struck out leading off the inning, but second baseman Mark Lemke reached when rookie Kevin Stocker misplayed a grounder hit directly to him and dropped it, putting Lemke at first. It wasn't a huge break, with Maddux coming to the plate, but it was enough. Maddux singled past Stocker, putting runners at first and second and then Nixon singled Lemke home with an unearned run to make it a 10-2 game. Blauser singled to load the bases, and Rafael Belliard came on to pinch-run and stay in the game for defense. Gant then cleared the bases in front of him with a three-run double that saw the speedster advance to third on the throw home with the Braves now leading, 13-2. West got out of the jam and all that was left was for the slow-footed replacement Sid Bream to scamper home on a Nixon double to close out the Atlanta scoring. With two outs in the 9th, Lenny Dykstra socked a meaningless solo home run off Mark Wohlers, and the game was on ice one out later, 14-3.

The win sends the series back to Atlanta tied at one game apiece, and a weekend series will be played from Saturday through Monday over the Columbus Day weekend. Tom Glavine will face Terry Mulholland on Saturday, John Smoltz squares off against Danny Jackson on Sunday, and the afternoon contest will pit a Game One rematch of pitchers Steve Avery and Curt Schilling.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

October 9, 1993
Atlanta Braves 9 (W: Glavine, 1-0)
Philadelphia Phillies 4 (L: Mulholland, 0-1)
Braves lead series, 2-1

BRAVES ROUT PHILLIES TO GIVE GLAVINE HIS FIRST PLAYOFF WIN

Over the last three baseball seasons, Tom Glavine has done almost everything. He has led the league in wins all three years, won a Cy Young and been the runner-up to another (and may win another this year), won a World Series game, won a complete game in the opener of the World Series, and started baseball's midsummer classic, the All-Star Game, twice. What Glavine had not done, not until tonight anyway, was win a game in the NLCS playoffs. Four times Glavine had taken the mound, and four times he had left with an "L" next to his name despite pitching well enough in two of those games that he lost by scores of 1-0 and 3-2. But tonight, Glavine finally emerged a winner in the NLCS by scattering five hits and two runs over seven innings while striking out 5 and walking none. He made but one bad pitch, and John Kruk launched it into the seats to extend the Philly lead to 2-0. But the home run seemed to ignite the Braves, who rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of four hits and a crucial fielding error. And then for good measure, the Braves ripped out for more runs against Philly's pedestrian pen on their way to a 9-2 lead that wound up a 9-4 victory that puts Atlanta up, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series.

The game probably should have been more one-sided. The Braves had runners in scoring position three times in the first five innings and failed to net a run. One of those innings saw Fred McGriff lead off with a double before moving to third on a ground out. But David Justice and Damon Berryhill both popped out to the outfield, and McGriff was stranded. Meanwhile, Philly broke on top when Mariano Duncan hit a sinking liner to centerfield on the first pitch of the fourth inning, and Otis Nixon's dive for the ball failed, sending Nixon flat on his belly, the ball on the ground to the wall, and Duncan all the way to third with a leadoff triple. Kruk followed with a towering fly ball to deep right field that reached the wall before Justice but bounced off the bottom, scoring Duncan to break the deadlock and putting the beer swing Kruk at third with nobody out. It was the first time in NLCS history that consecutive triples had ever been hit.

But it was right here where the Braves showed yet again how phenomenal their pitching really is. Glavine got ground outs from Dave Hollins and Darren Daulton and ended the inning by getting a fly out from Pete Incaviglia. After Kruk followed his triple with a home run, the Braves came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth trailing, 2-0, and had but five hits.

Jeff Blauser hit one back to the pitcher, but the ball played Muholland, and Blauser was safe with a leadoff single. When Ron Gant drew a walk to put runners at first and second, the Atlanta crowd finally came into the game. McGriff lined a base hit into centerfield, scoring Blauser to cut the lead to 2-1 and sending Gant to third, leaving runners at the corners with nobody out. Terry Pendleton lined the first pitch he saw into center, tying the game and once again leaving runners at the corners. Four straight Braves had reached base, and the crowd was louder with each pitch. Justice worked a 2-2 count before getting a fastball away, and the young power hitter went with it, an opposite field single that tailed away from Incaviglia for a double and scored both McGriff and Pendleton to give Atlanta their first lead of the afternoon, 4-2. It was the first hit of the series for Justice, and the last pitch of the game for Mulholland, who gave way to Roger Mason. The reliever got Berryhill to hit a sacrifice fly to right, moving Justice to third with one out. Anticipating a suicide squeeze from Mark Lemke, a good bunter and a common tactic from Atlanta, the Phillies moved their infield in to attempt to prevent Justice from scoring. Lemke, however, never made a move towards bunting and after working a full count, Lemke lined a bouncer towards Duncan, who was playing in at second, and the ball played the fielder, leading to a bit of a muff. Duncan recovered and fired home to Daulton, the ball arriving as Justice did but home plate umpire Terry Tata waived Justice safe to give Atlanta a 5-2 lead. Daulton had moved up a step too far for the throw, however, and Duncan was charged with an error on the play. Daulton could have been charged with one as well, but Lemke moved to second in motion when Glavine bounced out. Nixon struck out ending the inning, but the Braves were in command after six. An inning later, the game all but ended.

Larry Andersen replaced Mason on the mound and had to face Blauser leading off his second straight inning. His first pitcher was so low and outside the ball fired off the backstop, suggesting he was nervous. He had reason to be. After the count went full, Blauser decided out of the box to go for a double and was safe. After Gant grounded out to first, McGriff was walked intentionally, bringing Pendleton to the plate. After taking ball one, he scorched a shot between McGriff and second that scored Blauser and gave Pendleton his fifth RBI of the series thus far. The Braves now led, 6-2, and David West, who apparently cannot retire the Braves at all, came on in place of Andersen. West struck out Justice, but then he walked Berryhill, loading the bases with two outs for Lemke. The little post-season wonder drove an outside fastball into the gap in right enter, chasing all three runners home with a double that gave Atlanta an insurmountable 9-2 lead. But with a chance for another run, Cox sent Francisco Cabrera to bat for Glavine, and the lanky catcher struck out to end the inning. Kent Mercker came on to replace Glavine.

Duncan then drilled a Mercker delivery to deep right field, and Justice jumped to catch the ball because he had miscalculated where the wall was. The ball hit the wall and rebounded and moments later, Duncan was on third with his second triple. Kruk grounded out, scoring Duncan, and putting Philadelphia's third run on the board. All 3 Philadelphia runs to this point had been driven in by Kruk. No further damage ensued, and the Braves sent Greg McMichael out to get some work. He got a little more than he bargained for as three straight hitters got two doubles and single off of him to cut the score to 9-4. But Lenny Dykstra struck out and Duncan, with two triples and two runs scored, grounded out to end the game in Atlanta's favor, 9-4.

Tomorrow night gives us a crucial game as John Smoltz, perhaps Atlanta's best post-season pitcher squares off against Danny Jackson, who has come up big in the post-season previously. Philly needs him to do so again as Game Four is about as close to a must-win for the Phillies as is humanly possible.