Tuesday, April 06, 1999

No relief in sight in opener

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Pitches up, walks plague bullpen

BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        The Reds' closer by committee did the two things you don't want relievers to do in Monday's 11-8 loss the San Francisco Giants: Walk batters and get the ball up.

        Walks lead to jams. Pitches up lead to home runs. That's what fueled San Francisco's comeback.

        John Hudek got a couple of pitches up in the seventh inning. The first one Jeff Kent hit for a single to right. Then he fell behind Ellis Burks 2-0 before getting another pitch up. Burks tattooed it to straight- away center for a two-run home run.

        “You can't get the ball up,” Hudek said, “especially coming out of spring training. Guys are looking for pitches up that they can hack at.”

        In the eighth, Hudek walked the leadoff man Rich Aurilia. That was it for him. The Reds brought in Gabe White to face pinch-hitter F.P. Santangelo.

        Santangelo also worked a walk. White struck out Marvin Bernard. That brought Charlie Hayes to the plate.

        “I didn't have very good command,” White said.

        White put a 1-1 pitch in a spot where Hayes could lash it for a three-run homer.

        What had been a two-run Reds lead was now a three-run deficit, thanks to two Giant home runs.

        “It's very frustrating,” White said, “to let the team down after they came back like that.”

        White and Danny Graves are sharing the closer role for the Reds. Hudek, who has 29 career saves (most of any Red), will also be used in that role.

        But Monday it was less-proven relievers who pitched the best. Lefty Dennys Reyes went 2ô innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

        Rookie right-hander Scott Williamson pitched a scoreless ninth in his major-league debut.

        “It was good to get the monkey off my back,” Williamson said. “I wasn't that nervous. Stan Belinda talked to me and eased my mind. But the adrenaline was still flowing.”

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