Tuesday, August 10, 1999

REDS 4, PIRATES 2

Neagle throws another beauty

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

[casey]
Sean Casey waits for a pickoff throw as Adrian Brown dives back safely.
(AP photo)
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        PITTSBURGH — That 20-game winner the Reds acquired before the trading deadline certainly has helped them.

        Cincinnati's sudden lucky charm, of course, is Denny Neagle, whose shoulder problems fade more steadily with each start. Neagle won his third outing in a row since returning from the disabled list one day before the July 31 deadline, allowing only one hit in seven innings Monday night to subdue the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 at Three Rivers Stadium.

        The Reds (65-45) climbed 20 games over .500 for the first time this season, having failed to reach that level on three previous occasions. The Reds cut the Houston Astros' lead in the National League Central Division to two games.

        Neagle (3-3) no-hit the Pirates for four innings and lapsed only when Warren Morris launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The left-hander proceeded to retire the next nine hitters, though he was removed after walking Adrian Brown to open the eighth inning.

[neagle]
Denny Neagle makes a pitch.
(AP photo)
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        Scott Williamson relieved Neagle and notched his 16th save, matching Danny Graves' team-high total, as the Reds improved to 3-1 on this trip and 32-10 overall on the road.

        Neagle's earned run average is 5.73 over, but just 2.41 since his latest comeback. He has allowed 10 hits in 18ö innings during this stretch, displaying the form that enabled him to win 52 games from 1996-98.

        Pirates starter Todd Ritchie (10-8) also pitched effec tively, yielding seven hits and all of Cincinnati's runs in eight innings. The first run he surrendered was unearned, putting the Reds ahead immediately.

        Mike Cameron opened the game by doubling to right. He scored when shortstop Abraham Nunez threw wildly on one hop past first baseman Kevin Young after fielding Dmitri Young's grounder.

        Nothing of consequence happened until the fifth, when the Reds added three runs but nearly lost Reese, their valuable second baseman.

        After Aaron Boone's leadoff bloop double, Reese was again hit in the left hand by Ritchie's 1-1 pitch — the same area where Los Angeles pitcher Ismael Valdes hit him on July 26, causing him to miss nine starts. Reese stayed in the game, though he was clearly in pain as he stood on first base.

        Neagle's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners before Cameron stroked a 1-0 pitch into center field, scoring Boone and Reese. Cameron moved to third on Brian Giles' errant throw and scored on Young's single.

        An uncharacteristic defensive mixup between Reeese and first baseman Sean Casey helped the Pirates halve the lead in the bottom of the inning.

        Ed Sprague led off by lifting a pop-up toward the infield's right side. Reese and Casey converged to make the simple play, which Casey obviously assumed his partner would complete. But Reese, thinking the same thing, retreated from the ball, leaving Casey to watch the ball bounce off the artificial turf about a foot from him. The official scorer charged Casey with a two-base error.

        Morris, a genuine Rookie of the Year candidate, then drove Neagle's 1-0 pitch off the right-field auxiliary scoreboard for his 11th home run.

        Morris has hit safely in nine consecutive starts and is batting .352 (31-for-88) in his last 27 games.

       


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