The Atlanta Braves find themselves down, 2-0 in the series, while their lineup has only totaled 5 hits this series. The Phillies' John Kruk has been on fire, batting 6-for-7, with a walk, 3 RBI, 2 runs & a stolen base, while it was Curt Schilling who pitched a Game 1 one-hit gem of a shutout, with 10 strikeouts to boot.
Atlanta will now have to battle back in Games 3 & Game 4 if they want to get back into this series --Thank god! They have Tom Glavine & John Smoltz ready to pitch in these upcoming, must-win outings.
GAME 3
On the mound: Terry Mulholland (Grade B-YZ) for Philadelphia vs Tom Glavine (Grade B) for Atlanta, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.
Top of the 1st: Lenny Dykstra draws a lead-off walk. With one out, John Kruk smacks a single to right center [15-10], steals second. After a Dave Hollins strikeout, Darren Daulton clears the bases with a two-run double [33-0, 51-6].
This game will be about missed dice rolls or calling the wrong plays on the wrong dice rolls, during the bottom of the 2nd, with a runner on 1st, I call on the Braves' pitcher Tom Glavine to sacrifice bunt, which normally is the right call... how was I suppose to know that he would roll an 11-7, which would have been a single, moving the base runner to third -- Instead, it's a sac bunt, moving runner to second with 2 outs.
Top of the 4th: After a one-out single by Darren Daulton (his 2nd hit of the game), Pete Incaviglia gives Philly a huge lead with a two-run shot off of Tom Glavine, making it 4-0, Phillies lead. The Atlanta crowd is dead silent.
Bottom of the 5th: Lead-off double by David Justice [33-4]. The Braves call on their bench in Francisco Cabrera, and flies out to center [34-31, just missed rolling a 33-5, which would have resulted in a two-run homer]. With 2 outs, the Braves call on Sid Bream to pinch-hit for Tom Glavine, with a runner on 3rd, but strikes out. Greg Olson comes into the game to take place for catcher Damon Berryhill, Deion Sanders will take over in center, while the Braves will call on reliever Kent Mercker.
Top of the 6th: Darren Daulton [11-0, 33-1] hits a two-out solo home run off Kent Merker, giving him a single, double & homer in 3 at-bats so far, along with 3 RBI. Phillies extend the lead to 5 runs.
Bottom of the 6th: With a runner on 3rd & 2 outs (Deion Sanders - single), Fred McGriff [rolls a 44-8 vs Grade B-YZ] flies out to right.
Earlier that half-inning, I decided to go for a hit-and-run with Jeff Blauser up & Sanders on 1st, rolling a 31-9, which resulted in a ground out, with the runner advancing to 2nd... versus 31-9 regular result of, infield hit, runner to second.
Bottom of the 7th: Braves catcher Greg Olson hits into inning-ending double play, giving Terry Mulholland 7 shutout innings [Grade Advancement to A-YZ].
Bottom of the 9th: Fred McGriff breaks up Terry Mulholland's shutout bid, with a solo home run to right. The home run was McGriff's 2nd HR of the series.
The Phillies take a strong control of this series, and are on the verge of a sweep. Mulholland is the 2nd Phillies pitcher this series to pitch a complete game. The Braves have only totaled 9 hits, averaging 3 hits per game. John Kruk is batting .727 this series (8-for-11 with 3 RBI, 3 runs & 2 stolen bases. Darren Daulton fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle, while logging 3 RBI & 2 runs.
GAME 4
On the mound: Danny Jackson (Grade C) will pitch for the Phillies in the possible series-clinching win, against John Smoltz (Grade B-X) for Atlanta. We are at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in front of 52,032 fans.
Top of the 2nd: The Phillies start off the inning with back-to-back doubles by Dave Hollins and Darren Daulton (the latter leading to a RBI). With one out, two batters later, Milt Thompson has himself his 1st hit of the series, driving in Daulton, to give Philly, a early 2-0 lead. Kevin Stocker's single, the Phillies' 4th hit of the inning off John Smoltz, plus Mark Lemke's fielding error (on a ball hit by pitcher Danny Jackson) would lead to the bases being loaded. Lenny Dykstra would draw a bases loaded walk. After striking out Mickey Morandini for the 2nd out, Smoltz would allow another bases loaded RBI walk, this time to John Kruk. Dave Hollins would ground out to Smoltz on the mound to stop the bleeding.
Phillies lead 4-0, the Braves in fact have never led at any point in the series up to this point, and are in a big hole right from the start.
Bottom of the 2nd: The Braves had to do something drastic, down 4-0, with bases loaded, thanks to a Terry Pendleton walk, Dave Justice single & Mark Lemke walk. The Braves called on pinch-hitter Bill Pecota to hit for John Smoltz, the team only had one out, but couldn't afford for Smoltz to hit into an inning-ending double play or the Braves coming up with nothing at all. Pecota would come through with a sac fly, cutting the lead down to 3 runs (trailing 4-1).
Smoltz would only pitch 2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 earned runs & two costly walks through 2 innings, while striking out 3 Phillies. The Braves go to Kent Mercker (Grade B*-XW) in hoping to avoid any more runs.
Bottom of the 3rd: Two outs, Fred McGriff hits a ball to shortstop Kevin Stocker, in which he bobbles the grounder, McGriff is safe on the error. Terry Pendleton hits a single to center, while McGriff advances to third. David Justice would make Danny Jackson pay on a mistake pitch, as Justice sends it over the left field fence at Fulton-County, to tie the game up at 4-4.
Top of the 4th: Kevin Stocker leads off the inning with a single off of reliever Kent Mercker, in for his 2nd inning of work. The Phillies call on Kim Batiste to pinch-hit for pitcher Danny Jackson. Batiste flies out, while Dykstra grounding out advanced the base runner to second. Mickey Morandini comes through with an RBI single to give the Phillies, a 5-4 lead, but was then foolish by being picked off first base by Mercker.
Roger Mason (Grade C*-Y) will come in to pitch for the Phillies, for his first action of the series.
Bottom of the 4th: Lead-off single by Mark Lemke. Braves call on Francisco Cabrera to pinch-hit for Mercker, hoping for a two-run blast, but instead he hits into a double play. Cabrera had a 11-5, 33-5 & 66-1 single column card. Otis Nixon hits a single, while Jeff Blauser follows with a single, advancing Nixon to third, Blauser then steals second. Two outs, two balls & two strikes on Ron Gant -- Gant smacks a single to right [55-8], driving in both runners, and giving Atlanta their first lead of the entire series! The Braves keep it coming with a two-run homer by Fred McGriff, his 3rd of the series.
The Phillies will have to go to the pen again, they were hoping Mason would at least go two innings, but he obviously doesn't have his stuff. The Phillies call on Mike Williams to face Terry Pendleton, and gets Pendleton to end the nightmare of an inning for Philadelphia. Braves lead 8-5.
The Braves call on Marvin Freeman (Grade D*-X) to pitch the 5th inning.
Top of the 5th: John Kruk leads the inning off with a double [11-0, 61-6]. Dave Hollins draws a walk. Darren Daulton hits an infield fly, no one advances, one out. Jim Eisenreich hits a single to left, scoring in Kruk, while Hollins advances to third. 1st & 3rd for Milt Thompson, strikes out. Kevin Stocker steps up to the plate with 2 outs, the Braves elect for Freeman to intentionally walking Stocker to face the pitcher.
The Phillies manager Jim Fregosi elects to pinch-hit for the pitcher Mike Williams, calling on Wes Chamberlain; Braves' manager Bobby Cox counters with reliever Jay Howell (Grade A*-YZ) coming in to relieve Freeman. Howell delivers, Chamberlain flies to left for final out of the inning. The Phillies trim Atlanta's lead down to 2 runs though.
Bottom of the 5th: Ben Rivera (Grade C-YW) gets his first appearance of the National League Championship Series, while retiring the side.
Top of the 6th: With Jay Howell still on the mound for the Braves, Lenny Dykstra leads off the inning with a solo home run over the right field fence [22-0, 15-1]. Phillies now trail, 8-7.
Bottom of the 6th: The Braves keep their pitcher Jay Howell in, allowing him to hit. Howell would hit a fly ball to center in which Dykstra must have lost the ball in the lights, as the ball drops, call that an E-8! Otis Nixon does Dykstra a favor though & hits into a double play. Blauser flies out to finish 6th.
Top of the 7th: Reliever Jay Howell, who has had a few two-inning performances during the season will get one more inning of work (if possible) for Atlanta. Howell walks the lead-off hitter Darren Daulton, but gets Jim Eisenreich to strike out & Milt Thompson to ground out. Howell then plunks Kevin Stocker with a pitch. Runners on 1st & 2nd, 2 outs, and down only 8-7, the Phillies will have catcher Todd Pratt pinch-hit for the pitcher Ben Rivera. The Braves will have to stick with Howell, as they don't have too many options and are not sure how long this game could go.
Make or break pitch for Howell, Pratt sends it to left center, it's off the wall, Daulton scores, Ron Gant throws it to home, and Stocker will score! The Phillies have reclaimed the lead, it's now 9-8!
The Braves would get out of eventually, but the damage has been done. The Phillies are 9 outs away from a sweep, and they are now calling on their best bullpen arms. Larry Andersen (Grade B*-XY) will be pitching the during the bottom of the 7th.
Bottom of the 7th: The Braves' Ron Gant leads off with a single to right. Fred McGriff flies out for out number one. Braves call on hit-and-run, and Terry Pendleton executes it perfectly [34-31], advancing Gant to third. David Justice strikes out for the second out. Braves call on pinch-hitter Sid Bream in place of catcher Greg Olson. Sid Bream hits it to center [15-10], drives in Gant, but Pendleton is thrown out at third on the throw from Lenny Dykstra in center. Game tied up at 9-9.
Top of the 8th: With two outs, Darren Daulton puts a scare into Braves reliever Steve Bedrosian (Grade A&C*-YZ) with a double [22-0, 24-6]. Only for Jim Eisenreich to come up empty, by grounding out to short.
Bottom of the 8th: The Phillies go with Larry Andersen another inning, saving David West for later if need be. With one out, the Braves' Rafael Belliard came in to pinch-hit for Bedrosian, and hits a single to right [25-9]. Otis Nixon draws a walk [35-14], runners on 1st & 2nd. Jeff Blauser flies out to center with no runners advancing, two outs. Ron Gant continues to rake in this game, smacking RBI single over second, stealing second, with Nixon on third; Gant has 3 hits & 3 RBI in this one.
The Phillies finally call on reliever David West, who hits a fly out to end the inning.
Top of the 9th: Greg McMichael (Grade A*-X) will try to close things out for Atlanta. With two outs, the Phillies call on Pete Incaviglia (2 HR this series) to hit for the pitcher, but fouls out behind the plate [65-35].
The Braves really had to work hard for this victory, but still need to pull out three straight to win this series. The Braves' bats finally came alive, but most of that may have had a little to do with that there was no pitching on either side in an ugly, see-saw battle in Game 4.
One game at a time.
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