June 17, 1995
Atlanta Braves 7 (W: Avery, 2-4)
Colordo Rockies 1 (L: Acevedo, 3-6)
27-20
2nd place
3 games behind
AVERY GETS WIN AS JUSTICE RETURNS; VALENZUELA CAN'T WIN DESPITE 11-RUN LEAD;
CONE LOSES NO-NO IN 9th
Steve Avery, sufferer of a lack of run support in too many games, got all the runs he'd need before he ever took the mound. After even more runs in the second, Avery hit cruise control, and with the game in hand, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox got his bullpen some work as the Braves continued their mastery over the Colorado Rockies with a 7-1 triumph at Coors Field tonight. The win also saw the return to the Atlanta lineup of rightfielder David Justice, who has missed 21 games with a torn ligament in his shoulder. Justice, he of the sweet swing and movie star good looks, went 1-for-4 as he drove in two runs and scored another while striking out three times. The return of Justice also signals the return of recent leadoff batter Brian Kowitz to the minors at Richmond.
In front of over 50,000 fans, the Braves roared out to a quick lead against Colorado starter and losing pitcher Juan Acevedo. After retiring Marquis Grissom, who returned to the leadoff spot, with a pop out to first, Acevedo gave up a single to Jeff Blauser and then walked Chipper Jones before giving up a single to Fred McGriff that scored Blauser for the game's first run. A passed ball by Jorge Brito moved McGriff to second, and Justice signaled his return with a single to center that scored both Jones and McGriff to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead. Justice then moved to second on a Ryan Klesko single and crossed the plate on Ellis Burks's error. Only a double play off the bat of Mark Lemke stalled the Atlanta rally, and Avery took the mound with a 4-0 lead. And though he allowed two baserunners in the first, he navigated the damage with no runs. In the second, Grissom homered, Jones doubled, and McGriff homered, and the Atlanta offense took the rest of the day off with a touchdown lead. A single by Brito and a double by John Vander Wal gave the Rockies a run in the bottom of the second, but it was all they got. Avery hit his stride and retired the last eight batters he faced before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth. The Atlanta relievers went four innings and allowed only three baserunners - to via hit - and closed out the 7-1 win with Mark Wohlers on the mound. Dante Bichette did extend his hitting streak to 23 games.
The combatants combined for eight home runs at Wrigley Field, and the Dodgers got the best of the Cubs by a 5-3 count in homers and a 12-5 count on the scoreboard as Ramon Martinez won his seventh game. Cincinnati blew the three-run lead but a Jeff Branson RBI single in the bottom of the eighth was enough to carry the Reds to a 5-4 win over the Expos as Jeff Brantley got his seventh save of the year. Despite slugging his first MLB home run since 1990, Fernando Valenzuela could not pitch well enough to make five innings despite having an 11-0 lead in the third inning. Granted, his defense let him down with three unearned runs, but Fernando was pulled after giving up 8 runs before reaching the five-inning threshold for the win. San Diego did, however, hold on to beat Pittsburgh by the same 11-8 score on the board when Fernando left the game. Mark Carreon hit a two-run homer that lifted the Giants to a 4-1 win over the Cardinals that gave Jose Bautista his second win of the year. A five-run top of the first was enough run support to carry Doug Drabek to a 7-3 win over prize prospect Bill Pulsipher and the Mets as Craig Biggio homered for the seventh time. The Marlins blew a 4-0 lead in the sixth to lose, 11-4, to the Phillies.
David Cone was two outs from a no-hitter when Benji Gil tagged him for a single during a 4-0 Toronto lead. The Blue Jays then fell apart as an Alex Gonzalez error led to three unearned runs for the Texas Rangers. With the tying run at third and the winning run at bat, Cone struck out Pudge Rodriguez to end the game with a 4-3 Blue Jay win. Five RBIs by Edgar Martinez ended a five-game Seattle losing streak in a 6-4 win over the Twins that lifted Chris Bosio's record to 5-0. Three-run homers by Craig Paquette and Terry Steinbach ended the Royals's seven-game winning streak as Oakland won, 7-5. A Juan Samuel double in the eighth extended Baltimore's losing streak to six games in a 5-3 Detroit win. Cleveland's Herbert Perry hit the first two homers of his young career as Bud Black won a 7-4 decision over Andy Pettite of the Yankees. Rookie Steve Sparks dazzled and came within one out of his first career shutout before giving up a home run to Mo Vaughan. Still, Sparks beat Roger Clemens and the Red Sox, 9-1, for the second win of his young Milwaukee career. And then there was the pair of comebacks that defied logic in California.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the Angels managed to tie the game without so much as a base hit. J.T. Snow was hit by a Rob Dibble pitch and then moved to second thanks to defensive indifference. Jim Edmonds drew a walk that saw Snow take third when ball four was a wild pitch. Scott Radinsky then walked Spike Owen to load the bases and was replaced by Roberto Hernandez, who first hit Garrett Anderson and then walked Gary DeSarcina to tie the game - and get Manager Terry Bevington tossed when he complained. In the 11th, three singles delivered a win to California that even pitcher Mark Langston said was "Unbelievable."
Mitch Williams, best-known for the series ending home run he surrendered in 1993, was released by the Angels and announced his retirement from baseball. Roberto Alomar set an AL record with his 90th consecutive game without an error at second base.
Atlanta Braves 7 (W: Avery, 2-4)
Colordo Rockies 1 (L: Acevedo, 3-6)
27-20
2nd place
3 games behind
AVERY GETS WIN AS JUSTICE RETURNS; VALENZUELA CAN'T WIN DESPITE 11-RUN LEAD;
CONE LOSES NO-NO IN 9th
Steve Avery, sufferer of a lack of run support in too many games, got all the runs he'd need before he ever took the mound. After even more runs in the second, Avery hit cruise control, and with the game in hand, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox got his bullpen some work as the Braves continued their mastery over the Colorado Rockies with a 7-1 triumph at Coors Field tonight. The win also saw the return to the Atlanta lineup of rightfielder David Justice, who has missed 21 games with a torn ligament in his shoulder. Justice, he of the sweet swing and movie star good looks, went 1-for-4 as he drove in two runs and scored another while striking out three times. The return of Justice also signals the return of recent leadoff batter Brian Kowitz to the minors at Richmond.
In front of over 50,000 fans, the Braves roared out to a quick lead against Colorado starter and losing pitcher Juan Acevedo. After retiring Marquis Grissom, who returned to the leadoff spot, with a pop out to first, Acevedo gave up a single to Jeff Blauser and then walked Chipper Jones before giving up a single to Fred McGriff that scored Blauser for the game's first run. A passed ball by Jorge Brito moved McGriff to second, and Justice signaled his return with a single to center that scored both Jones and McGriff to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead. Justice then moved to second on a Ryan Klesko single and crossed the plate on Ellis Burks's error. Only a double play off the bat of Mark Lemke stalled the Atlanta rally, and Avery took the mound with a 4-0 lead. And though he allowed two baserunners in the first, he navigated the damage with no runs. In the second, Grissom homered, Jones doubled, and McGriff homered, and the Atlanta offense took the rest of the day off with a touchdown lead. A single by Brito and a double by John Vander Wal gave the Rockies a run in the bottom of the second, but it was all they got. Avery hit his stride and retired the last eight batters he faced before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth. The Atlanta relievers went four innings and allowed only three baserunners - to via hit - and closed out the 7-1 win with Mark Wohlers on the mound. Dante Bichette did extend his hitting streak to 23 games.
The combatants combined for eight home runs at Wrigley Field, and the Dodgers got the best of the Cubs by a 5-3 count in homers and a 12-5 count on the scoreboard as Ramon Martinez won his seventh game. Cincinnati blew the three-run lead but a Jeff Branson RBI single in the bottom of the eighth was enough to carry the Reds to a 5-4 win over the Expos as Jeff Brantley got his seventh save of the year. Despite slugging his first MLB home run since 1990, Fernando Valenzuela could not pitch well enough to make five innings despite having an 11-0 lead in the third inning. Granted, his defense let him down with three unearned runs, but Fernando was pulled after giving up 8 runs before reaching the five-inning threshold for the win. San Diego did, however, hold on to beat Pittsburgh by the same 11-8 score on the board when Fernando left the game. Mark Carreon hit a two-run homer that lifted the Giants to a 4-1 win over the Cardinals that gave Jose Bautista his second win of the year. A five-run top of the first was enough run support to carry Doug Drabek to a 7-3 win over prize prospect Bill Pulsipher and the Mets as Craig Biggio homered for the seventh time. The Marlins blew a 4-0 lead in the sixth to lose, 11-4, to the Phillies.
David Cone was two outs from a no-hitter when Benji Gil tagged him for a single during a 4-0 Toronto lead. The Blue Jays then fell apart as an Alex Gonzalez error led to three unearned runs for the Texas Rangers. With the tying run at third and the winning run at bat, Cone struck out Pudge Rodriguez to end the game with a 4-3 Blue Jay win. Five RBIs by Edgar Martinez ended a five-game Seattle losing streak in a 6-4 win over the Twins that lifted Chris Bosio's record to 5-0. Three-run homers by Craig Paquette and Terry Steinbach ended the Royals's seven-game winning streak as Oakland won, 7-5. A Juan Samuel double in the eighth extended Baltimore's losing streak to six games in a 5-3 Detroit win. Cleveland's Herbert Perry hit the first two homers of his young career as Bud Black won a 7-4 decision over Andy Pettite of the Yankees. Rookie Steve Sparks dazzled and came within one out of his first career shutout before giving up a home run to Mo Vaughan. Still, Sparks beat Roger Clemens and the Red Sox, 9-1, for the second win of his young Milwaukee career. And then there was the pair of comebacks that defied logic in California.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the Angels managed to tie the game without so much as a base hit. J.T. Snow was hit by a Rob Dibble pitch and then moved to second thanks to defensive indifference. Jim Edmonds drew a walk that saw Snow take third when ball four was a wild pitch. Scott Radinsky then walked Spike Owen to load the bases and was replaced by Roberto Hernandez, who first hit Garrett Anderson and then walked Gary DeSarcina to tie the game - and get Manager Terry Bevington tossed when he complained. In the 11th, three singles delivered a win to California that even pitcher Mark Langston said was "Unbelievable."
Mitch Williams, best-known for the series ending home run he surrendered in 1993, was released by the Angels and announced his retirement from baseball. Roberto Alomar set an AL record with his 90th consecutive game without an error at second base.