Monday, May 10, 1999
REDS 8, CUBS 5
Vaughn leads resurgent bats with 2 HR
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
While one marathon came and went Sunday in Cincinnati, another distance race may have truly started.
The Reds' hitters finally began to look ready for the long haul during their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, which concluded with an 8-5 victory before 23,940 Cinergy Field fans.
Cincinnati has won four of its last five series, the exception being last weekend's three-game sweep at Atlanta. Though the sixth-place Reds (13-16) still have far to go before they call themselves genuine contenders in the National League Central Division, the trend has been positive.
Particularly at the plate.
Greg Vaughn slugged two homers; Mark Lewis lined a tie-breaking, two-run double in the seventh inning; and Brian Johnson contributed a homer and an RBI single to accent the Reds' brief but necessary hitting surge.
The Reds batted .339 (37-for-109) for the series, reaching double figures in hits for three consecutive games for the first time this season. Granted, they were facing Cubs pitching, which ranked next-to-last in the league before the game. But it still marked a shift in momentum for the Reds, who have owned the worst batting average in the majors for much of the season.
“When all of us get on the same page swinging the bats, we're going to get rolling,” said Reds first baseman Sean Casey, a rare non-factor in the game with only one hit.
Vaughn's 23rd multiple-homer game drew the most postgame attention. He assumed
the team lead in homers (seven) by going deep for the second day in a row.
“It feels good to finally contribute with the bat,” said Vaughn, who lifted his average to .204. “I told (hitting coach Denis) Menke before the game, "I'm going to see how easily I can hit the ball hard.' I felt like I've been overswinging and my hand's been pulling off and I'm trying to make things happen.”
“The big thing today was Vaughnie, man,” Lewis said.
Vaughn returned Lewis' compliment. He was impressed, but not surprised, that Lewis came through with two outs in the seventh and the score tied 5-5. Lewis batted after reliever Terry Adams (0-1) intentionally walked Barry Larkin following pinch-runner Michael Tucker's steal of second base.
Lewis fouled off Adams' 2-2 pitch, then punched a fastball bearing in on his hands into the right-field corner.
“Lew can play,” Vaughn said. “Once they walked Lark, I (thought), "Heck, it's over,' because Lew's clutch.”
Said Adams, who was somewhat less thrilled, “I'm not sure if (Lewis) knew how he hit it or where he hit it.”
Lewis is hitting .343 (12-for-
35) as a starter and .143 (1-for-8) off the bench. He made solid contact in his three plate appearances before his go-ahead hit, despite not having started in eight days. Reds manager Jack McKeon hinted that Lewis, who started five games in a row from April 27-May 1, might be primed for another spate of playing time at third base ahead of Aaron Boone.
“We're looking for some of fense, and the times we've put him in there, he's provided it,” McKeon said. “We might do what we did last time — let him go until he cools off. Mark's a good player. He does all the little things.”
With Dennys Reyes and Danny Graves (fifth save) blanking the Cubs for the final two innings after Scott Williamson (3-1) pitched the seventh, a two-run lead was enough. But Johnson, who matched a career high with three hits, padded Cincinnati's lead with an RBI single to left that had subtle significance.
“That was the exclamation point,” Casey said. “A two-run lead is way different than three. That's the thing — get a team down, then bury them. We haven't been doing things like that.”
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