Sunday, August 9, 1998

BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Starter Dennis Reyes won his second consecutive game for the Reds. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Cincinnati's version of "Fernandomania," bobbed and weaved through a command performance Saturday night before a delighted 23,906 at Cinergy Field watching him for the first time.

Dennis Reyes, a 21-year-old Mexican left-hander, three-hit the Milwaukee Brewers over the first 6 1/3 innings to pick up his second victory in as many starts with the Reds. He was called up eight days ago from the minor leagues.

The Fernando Valenzuela clone survived five walks and a two-hit first inning to throw 104 pitches and fan four before tipping his cap to a standing ovation in a 4-0 victory.

"It was a beautiful game. They played great defense," Reyes said of his fielders, who turned two double plays and cut down a run at the plate. "How many plays saved the game? I was excited."

Eddie Taubensee is safe at home ahead of the tag by the Brewers' Mike Matheny. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Dimitri Young took a bow as well, putting the Reds on the board with a solo homer off Brewers starter and loser Steve Woodard (9-6) leading off the second. Young drove in the final run in the third when he nudged home Barry Larking from third base with a groundout to first base.

But it was Young's much-maligned glove that bailed Reyes out of the first inning. With one out, Mark Loretta singled to left, and Jeff Cirillo stroked a double near the left-field line. Young ran the ball down and threw a strike to the cut-off man, Larkin, and Larkin gunned Loretta at the plate.

Those were the last Brewer hits off Reyes until Cirillo led off the seventh blooping a fast ball into shallow center.

"They were looking for the breaking ball, they were staying back on the breaking ball. They got the two hits off breaking balls in the first inning," Reyes said. "I went with more fastballs after that, tried to mix it up more."

Reyes, 0-4 with the Dodgers before coming over to the Reds in the Jeff Shaw deal July 4, thanked manager Jack McKeon for showing more confidence in him than the Dodgers.

He also could thank John Hudek, who celebrated his 32nd birthday by extracting Reyes from a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. Hudek battled pinch-hitter Bob Hamelin on a 3-2 count with a couple of foul balls before getting a fly ball to left.

Hudek, in turn, got bailed out by center fielder Pat Watkins in the eighth inning. Watkins, inserted into the game for defense, ran down a two-out, two men-on shot by John Jaha in the right-center gap.

Gabe White then worked a perfect ninth as the Reds secured their first back-to-back shutouts since May 25-27, 1992 in New York, in games started by Chris Hammond and Tim Belcher.