Sunday, May 23, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
Avery back after blister
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Steve Avery (2-3, 2.56 ERA) will make his first appearance since May 11 when he starts today's series finale against San Diego's Matt Clement (0-4, 4.58).
A blister on Avery's left middle finger caused him to leave his last outing, a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee, after only five innings. It was the first time Avery had missed a start due to a blister.
Since blanking the Padres here June 7, 1993, Avery has gone 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA in three appearances at Qualcomm Stadium.
Clement, ranked as San Diego's top prospect entering this season, has never faced the Reds.
Lineup card
Manager Jack McKeon didn't alter the personnel he used in Saturday night's starting lineup against the San Diego Padres, though he adjusted the batting order.
Pokey Reese, who had three hits in three of his last four games, was elevated to second from eighth for the first time this season. Barry Larkin, who had batted second in 23 of his first 38 starts, hit fifth, a spot he occupied in 14 previous games. Larkin had been productive in that position, batting .333 (17-for-51) with 11 RBI.
Jeffrey Hammonds hit seventh, the first time this year a starting right fielder had hit anywhere below fifth. With a left-hander, Heath Murray, starting for San Diego, left-handed batter Eddie Taubensee moved to eighth, the first time he had hit that low.
If you missed it
McKeon was somewhat critical of Friday night's starter, Tomko, who was pitching when former Red Eric Owens stole home in the third inning of the Padres' 5-4 victory.
“You can't go to sleep out there,” McKeon said, referring to Tomko. “He played with (Owens), so he ought to know the guy.”
McKeon added: “That didn't lose the game. But it was a big run.”
Tomko suffered a mild sprain of his right ankle when he threw the pitch on which Owens stole home.
“I saw him out of the corner of my eye and tried to speed things up a little bit,” Tomko said. “I kind of rolled my ankle and heard a little pop.”
The right-hander insisted that he didn't drastically change his pitching pattern from last Sunday, when he blanked San Diego for 8ö innings in a 3-0 victory.
“They made adjustments,” he said of the Padres, “and they hit some pretty good pitches.”
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