Wednesday, July 29, 1998

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sean Casey is greeted by third base coach Harry Dunlop after his HR. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Sean Casey, he of the career-high three RBI and second career home run, put it best.

"You don't see this too much against the Braves," the Reds' rookie first baseman said of their 13-1 table-turning victory Tuesday.

No, you don't -- never, really. Especially when you're the Reds, who had lost all three meetings with powerhouse Atlanta prior to Tuesday night, two of them in blowouts.

A 13-1 pounding of the National League's best team? By one of the National League's worst teams?

It was Atlanta's second-worst loss this season and the Reds' biggest victory.

"We don't know how to act with games like this," Cincinnati manager Jack McKeon joked.

Pete Harnisch had to leave in the third inning with a strained leg muscle. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

It was a good night on the scoreboard, but it came with a price. Reds starter Pete Harnisch had to leave after the third inning with a strain of his right triceps. He's day to day.

But back to the good news. The Reds, dazzled and dazed this year by Braves aces Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, finally found one they could crack in second-year pitcher Kevin Millwood, who gave up five runs in three innings before being yanked.

Cincinnati also discovered why the Braves so desperately need a reliever and will probably trade for a closer before Friday's deadline. The guy who used to do that job, Mark Wohlers, continued his slide. Wohlers was absolutely awful in a mop-up role, walking five and surrendering five runs as the Reds extended a 6-1 lead to 13-1 with seven runs in the eighth inning.

"We've had so many tough games," Casey said, "it was nice to have this one under control."

They did practially all night. Harnisch allowed only one run before he left, and that was all the Braves would get thanks to more impressive work from the Reds bullpen of Scott Sullivan (three scoreless innings), John Hudek (two) and Danny Graves (one).

"You give us a 12-run lead, we can hold it," Sullivan joked.

Dmitri Young scores on a wild pitch. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Meanwhile, the Reds pounded Millwood, who entered Tuesday's game with an 11-5 record but a 4.19 ERA, for four in the second inning and one more in the third.

"As a young guy, he's going to take his lumps," said a young hitter, Casey, who scored the Reds' fifth run with a solo homer to left.

The Reds trailed 1-0 in the second when the deluge started. They loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, then caught a break.

With Eddie Taubensee at the plate, Millwood uncorked a pitch low and outside that bounced in the dirt in front of Braves catcher Javy Lopez and rolled to the backstop, allowing Dmitri Young to race home from third with the Reds' first run, to tie it at 1.

Taubensee then looped a double into the left field corner that bounced off the wall to score Willie Greene. When the inning was over, four runs had scored.

The Reds added two more, and that would have been plenty. But there was another big inning left, courtesy of Wohlers.

He pitched one scoreless inning, but fell apart in the eighth. He walked Taubensee, gave up a single to Pokey Reese, walked Melvin Nieves, then walked Reggie Sanders to bring Taubensee home. A passed ball by catcher Javy Lopez scored Reese, and Barry Larkin walked to load the bases again.

Wohlers then left in favor of Russ Springer. He had better luck finding the plate, but gave up run-scoring singles to Casey (of the two-RBI variety), Chris Stynes and a double Taubensee as the Reds tacked on seven runs.

Wohlers was charged with five of those and five walks in just one-plus inning work.

"I feel for him," Taubensee said. "We all go through obstacles we battle through, but you just hope he gets through it. But when he is off, you want to take advantage of it."