Sunday, July 11, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
Larkin gets 1st rest of season
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CLEVELAND — Shortstop Barry Larkin did not start Saturday's 11-10 loss to the Cleveland Indians because of fatigue. It was the first game this year he didn't start.
Manager Jack McKeon told Larkin on Friday that he would not play Saturday. Larkin resisted, but only slightly.
As Larkin related, “I said, "What?' He said, "Don't talk me out of this.' I said, "OK.'”
Larkin added, “I'm all right with it. I need it. I'm tired.”
“He's aching,” McKeon said. “He needs a day.”
Another factor is Larkin's participation in Tuesday's All-Star Game at Boston as the NL's starting shortstop. Unlike most players, he won't get a three-day break.
“I'd like to do this more often in the second half (of the season),” McKeon said.
In Larkin's absence, second baseman Pokey Reese moved to shortstop, and Chris Stynes played second.
Volcanic Villone
Ron Villone was noticeably upset when Scott Sullivan relieved him with two outs in the fifth inning, a pair of Indians on base and Cincinnati leading 9-5.
One more out, and Villone would have qualified for the victory. Instead, he left the game and kicked a case of fielders' sunglasses three times before sitting down.
But Villone didn't criticize McKeon or pitching coach Don Gullett.
“I was upset because I came out,” Villone admitted. “And I was upset because I was having a bad inning. That's the way it goes sometimes. Scott came in and did a good job.”
After winning his previous three starts and allowing just two runs on eight hits in 22 innings in that span, Villone allowed Cleveland five runs and nine hits.
The left-hander denied that he was overly keyed up to face the team that released him at the end of spring training.
“That had nothing to do with how I performed today,” he said.
Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said Villone threw well.
“I was impressed with a some breaking balls he threw for outs at 3-2 or 2-0,” Hargrove said. “We didn't want to lose Ronnie, but we had a decision to make. It's worked out well for him. Ronnie is one of the good guys. You want him to do well ... when he's not pitching against you.”
By the numbers
The Reds drew a season-high 10 walks, exceeding the nine they amassed May 19 at Colorado. Mike Cameron walked twice and every other hitter in the lineup walked once.
• Cameron stole three bases, the most by a Red since Deion Sanders tied the club mark of four on April14, 1997. Cameron matched his single-game best while increasing his season total to a career-high 28, one more than he had last year with the Chicago White Sox. Before Saturday, he had gone 15 games without stealing a base.
• Reese's two-run double in the fifth inning gave him a career-high 27 RBI, exceeding the 26 he had in 1997.
• Rookie catcher Jason LaRue collected his first major-league RBI on a double past third base in the third inning.
• Michael Tucker's RBI single, also in the third inning, ended a personal 0-for-18 skid.
• Saturday's crowd of 43,127 was Cleveland's 339th straight sellout.
Up next
Brett Tomko, who has enjoyed success against American League teams, will start today's series finale for the Reds against Indians right-hander Jaret Wright.
Tomko (3-5, 5.40) is 7-0 in his career against AL clubs, including a 4-1 victory at Cleveland on June 16, 1997, in which he pitched 7ô shutout innings.
Wright (7-5, 6.10) didn't face the Reds in last month's series but worked eight innings in a 10-1 victory at Cincinnati on June6, 1998.
Reds Stories
Reds page
