Friday, April 30, 1999

REDS 7, PHILLIES 3

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Motivation works for Lewis, Bere

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sean Casey is greeted by Eddie Taubensee after scoring in the first. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        PHILADELPHIA — The Reds' 7-3 decision Thursday over the Philadelphia Phillies wasn't nearly so thrilling as their 12-8 comeback the night before. But it was just as important.

        Without this victory, Wednesday's stirring triumph would have been nullified.

        With this victory, the Reds finally gained a shred of momentum.

        They have won two games in a row, marking the first time since April 11-12 that they have achieved this modest feat. Having spent nine of the previous 11 days alone in last place in the National League Central, Cincinnati (9-11) climbed into a fourth-place tie with Pittsburgh, three games behind division leader St. Louis.

Jason Bere had a shutout through five. | ZOOM |

        Reds starter Jason Bere (2-0) blanked Philadelphia for five innings before being lifted with one out in the sixth. Charged with the Phillies' first two runs, the right-hander allowed four hits while walking three and striking out five.

        “This team is too good to be where we are,” said third baseman Mark Lewis, who led Cincinnati's 13-hit barrage by going 4-for-4. He and his teammates victimized Phillies starter Carlton Loewer (1-2), who was scored upon in each of the first three innings while allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings. Four of the runs Loewer yielded came with two outs.

        Loewer's primary tormentor was Sean Casey, who doubled and tripled in his first two at-bats while driving in a run and scoring twice.

        If there was a subplot to this game for Cincinnati, it was motivation. The twin subjects were Lewis and Bere.

Michael Tucker breaks up a potential double play. | ZOOM |

        Lewis' fifth career four-hit game — his first since Aug.1, 1996 for Detroit against the Angels — improved his series total to 7-for-11. It meant sweet revenge for the Hamilton native, who was cast aside by the Phillies after spending last year as their everyday second baseman.

        “There's no question I was trying hard,” said Lewis, who lifted his batting average to .393.

        The season ended on a particularly galling note for Lewis, who was benched for a doubleheader at Florida on the final day. Since Lewis was earning $1,500 per plate appearance through a clause in his contract, his inactivity cost him $12,000, by conservative estimate.

        “It's something I'll never forget,” said Lewis, who may have contradicted himself by adding: “It's over. It's in the past. Hopefully it's something that can motivate me from here on out.”

        If nothing else, Lewis has assured himself of a place in the lineup in the near future, along with Michael Tucker, who has replaced Dmitri Young in right field. That combination, along with shortstop Barry Larkin (2-for-5, two RBI) hitting fifth, has helped the Reds win three of the four games in which manager Jack McKeon has used it.

        “That lineup is producing, so why not stay with it?” McKeon said.

        McKeon may not have felt like staying with Bere, who allowed two baserunners in each of the first two innings and went to three-ball counts on 10 of the 23 hitters he faced.

        “For a while there, I thought he was going to drive me to drink,” McKeon said. “You're playing with fire when you get behind everybody.”

        But with the specter of Brett Tomko's demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis looming over him, Bere survived. “It might have helped,” McKeon said.

        Bere wouldn't say directly that Tomko's misfortune influenced him. But the right-hander also was aware of his own shortcomings, having lasted past the sixth inning in only one of his previous four starts while compiling a 6.89 ERA.

        “I guess I would be the culprit for criticism,” Bere said. “... I think anybody's vulnerable at any time to anything — to something like (Tomko's demotion), to injury. I know I haven't thrown the way I'm capable of throwing or want to throw. ... As far as the message, I think we've all been around long enough to know what we need to do. It's just a matter of getting it done.”

        Bere did just that, retiring nine out of 10 batters he faced from the third through the fifth inning.

        “Tonight wasn't a breeze by any means,” he said. “I basically had to battle in every inning. The battling is eventually going to pay off. I'll hit a stretch where I won't have to battle.”

       

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Tomko demoted to Indianapolis