Monday, April 12, 1999

REDS 4, CARDINALS 2

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Graves closes door on bullpen failures

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Danny Graves got Mark McGwire to pop up for the last out. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        ST. LOUIS — If it wasn't a genuine make-or-break moment for the Reds bullpen, it was close.

        St. Louis Cardinals pinch-hitter Willie McGee had chopped an infield single toward third base in Sunday's ninth inning, bringing Mark McGwire to the plate as the potential tying run with two outs. The 1998 home-run king was facing Reds reliever Danny Graves, whose 36.00 ERA after his first two appearances graphically reflected the woes of Cincinnati's relievers.

        But McGwire popped up a 1-0 pitch to first baseman Hal Morris, ending the Reds' 4-2 victory and, for the moment, quelling the rampant doubts about their bullpen.

        “That's what baseball's all about,” Graves said. “When the game's on the line, that's when you really focus and do your job. It was really exciting.”

McGwire homers off Jason Bere in the first. | ZOOM |

        If the Reds' relievers ultimately become more reliable, this game might be considered the start of their resurgence. Their true ability level won't emerge for weeks, even months. But their shortcomings, which led to Reds defeats in four of their first five games, were temporarily forgotten amid a barrage of sinking fastballs from Graves.

        Graves was as dominant against the Cardinals as he was horrid in his first two outings, defusing a bases-loaded jam for the second day in a row en route to 2ô shutout innings. The right-hander helped the Reds (2-4) win their first series of the season.

        “That had to be a big lift for Danny and the whole bullpen,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “The other guys see now that it's not that tough.”

        Said Graves, who earned his first save: “The first couple of games of the year, your adrenaline's taking over and you really don't know what's going on. But that's over with. We're six games into the season. Now it's time to do our jobs and what we're paid to do.”

Bere went 6 1/3 innings. | ZOOM |

        By his own admission, Graves did his job poorly last week at Cinergy Field against San Francisco. Anointed the co-closer with Gabe White in spring training, he got the loss in the Reds' second game of the year and failed to retire any of the four hitters he faced the next day.

        “After those first two outings, I just really didn't want to be out there. I just felt like I don't deserve to be here,” said Graves, a remarkable admission for a professional.

        He regained some of his equilibrium on Saturday, holding St. Louis scoreless after entering the game with the bases filled in the eighth inning and the Reds already behind for good.

        “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “You've got to understand, that's the best feeling ever. You just think there's no way anybody can hit you when you get out of situations like that.”

Barry Larkin tags out El Marerro trying to steal. | ZOOM |

        Graves' confidence was intact when he relieved Dennys Reyes with Placido Polanco on first base and two outs in Sunday's seventh inning. Reyes, who had replaced starter Jason Bere (1-0), struck out the only batter he faced, J.D. Drew. But McGwire was due up, and McKeon wanted to play the percentages.

        Graves jammed McGwire and broke his bat with a good pitch, but the slugger muscled the ball into center field for a single. Eric Davis then walked on four pitches. But Graves retired Fernando Tatis on a called third strike and breezed through a perfect eighth — the inning in which opponents had scored the winning runs in each Reds defeat.

        “That's over with now. I think we've blown through that one,” McKeon said of the eighth-inning jinx.

        Less than an hour and a half before the game, McKeon took steps toward mending his bullpen by chatting with Graves and White in the outfield. The thrust of McKeon's message was: Be yourselves; be aggressive. We need you. The gist of White's response was, “Just watch us.”

        Graves delivered his answer on the mound.

       

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