Wednesday, May 19, 1999

REDS 5, ROCKIES 3

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Fourth straight win equals .500

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sean Casey hits his game-winning double. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        DENVER — How big was Tuesday night's 5-3 victory for the Reds? Big enough that they reached .500 (18-18) after floundering seemingly all season. Big enough that they survived another ineffective outing by Jason Bere.

        Having extended their season-high winning streak to four games thanks to Sean Casey's tie-breaking, two-run double in the ninth inning, they can consider themselves truly on a roll.

        “Now you start going upward,” said Reds manager Jack McKeon, summarizing the importance of reaching the .500 level.

        “This is huge,” said Casey, whose one-out shot off the left-field wall against Rockies reliever David Wainhouse snapped a 3-3 deadlock. “It seemed like we'd get two or three games away (from .500) and would always lose.”

        The Reds reached .500 for the first time since last May 16 (21-21) after pinch hitter Hal Morris opened the ninth inning by singling off Rockies reliever Curtis Leskanic (0-1). Mike Cameron walked on four pitches, but pinch runner Chris Stynes was trapped off second base after Leskanic's first pitch to Barry Larkin dipped in the dirt yet was quickly retrieved by catcher Henry Blanco.

        That gaffe didn't matter. Wainhouse replaced Leskanic and walked Larkin before yielding Casey's double.

Greg Vaughn flips his bat after fouling a pitch. | ZOOM |

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        Having won nine of their last 13 games after falling five games under .500 (9-14) on May 2, a group effort enabled the Reds to end this climb.

        Casey, who lifted his batting average to .381, was a focal point of postgame praise.

        “He's the kind of guy you hope gets up every inning,” McKeon said. “You know something's going to happen. This guy's for real.”

        There was also Jeffrey Hammonds, whose pinch-hit single in the sixth inning scored Pokey Reese with the run that capped a game-tying three-run rally. Hammonds had only one hit in his previous 20 at-bats. “He needed it,” McKeon said. “I was glad to see that. Maybe that will get him going.”

        Mark Lewis' two-run homer earlier in the sixth off Rockies starter Mark Brownson began Cincinnati's comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

        The bullpen, which began the game with the National League's second-best ERA (3.15), outdid even itself. Scott Sullivan replaced Bere and worked three strong innings, nicked by Todd Helton's homer. After that, Sullivan, Ron Villone and Danny Graves (3-3) retired 12 consecutive Rockies. Graves yielded just two hits in three innings before Scott Williamson pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Don Gullett relieves Jason Bere. | ZOOM |

        The only unfortunate soul in the Reds' clubhouse was Bere, who began the season as Cincinnati's No.3 starter but appears unlikely to start again in the near future.

        Bere lasted only three batters into the second inning after walking three of the first eight Colorado Rockies he faced. The most remarkable aspect of Bere's performance was the fact that he allowed only two runs despite twice loading the bases with nobody out.

        Bere. threw only 18 strikes in 44 pitches. He has failed to work past the sixth inning for six outings in a row as his ERA has climbed to 6.61.

        “It's a mental thing with him,” pitching coach Don Gullett said. “Physically, he has as good of stuff as any of our starters. He has a great changeup and plenty (of velocity on his) fastball. But you get into that rut where you're not throwing strikes ...

        “He's not helping the ball club or himself, because he's not giving himself a chance by throwing the ball over the plate. Nothing personal against him; it's a fact. We've got a couple of guys (Brett Tomko and Steve Parris) taking us deeper into ballgames. So if he gets the opportunity again, whether it's in relief or another spot start somewhere down the road, he has to seize it.”

        Said Bere, confirming Gullett's analysis: “The more I try to throw strikes, the more I think about throwing strikes and the worse off it is. It's a matter of getting out there and breaking through.”

        Bere appears stuck in limbo. He has no minor-league options remaining, so the Reds can't send him to Triple-A Indianapolis unless he clears waivers. Given his $1.2 million salary, no team is likely to claim him.

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