Sunday, September 05, 1999

REDS 22, PHILLIES 3

Nine homers set NL record

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

[boone]
Aaron Boone, left, is congratulated by Eddie Taubensee after Boone hit a three-run homer.
(AP photos)
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        PHILADELPHIA — The Reds' pursuit of a postseason berth competed for attention with a rush for the record books Saturday night.

        Cincinnati's established National League and franchise records by blasting nine home runs in a 22-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Eight different Reds homered, exceeding the major-league mark by one.

        The Toronto Blue Jays own the majors' single-game record of 10 homers, which they hit on Sept. 14, 1987, against Baltimore.

        “It was fun to see everybody smiling and joking, having a good time swinging the bat and good things happening,” said center fielder Jeffrey Hammonds, who hit the longest homer of the night, an upper-deck shot to left field estimated at 435 feet to lead off the fourth inning. “Those are the games that you cherish.”

[young]
Dmitri Young is congratulated by Ron Oester after hitting a homer.
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        Besides Hammonds, Aaron Boone, Dmitri Young, Eddie Taubensee (twice), Greg Vaughn, Pokey Reese, Brian Johnson and Mark Lewis homered to contribute to the onslaught. The Reds homered in every inning but the first, when Reese opened the game by flying out to the warning track, and the ninth.

        “It felt like they were swinging aluminum bats,” said

        Phillies starter Paul Byrd (14-8), who allowed the first three homers in 3ö innings. “It was out of hand. It was like slow-pitch softball. It felt like if anybody made a mistake, they hit it in the 500 level (lower portion of the upper deck).”

        Homers by Taubensee and Vaughn fed the Reds' season-high nine runs in the fifth inning, which assured that they would end their three-game losing streak. They still trail first-place Houston by 2 games in the NL Central.

        “That'll be a start, hopefully,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said.

[larkin]
Barry Larkin jumps out of the way as Rob Ducey breaks up a potential double play.
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        For what it's worth, the Reds also set new highs for runs and homers by an opponent at Veterans Stadium, which opened in 1971. San Francisco held both marks, scoring 17 runs on July 14, 1991, and homering five times on Aug. 18, 1995.

        Barry Larkin and Sean Casey were the only starting position players without homers, and Casey still had two hits. Taubensee's four hits, matching a career high, led the Reds' 19-hit onslaught that conjured memories of their 24-12 shellacking of the Colorado Rockies on May 19.

        “Everybody looked like they were locked in,” said Lewis, whose three-run homer in the eighth inning concluded the power parade. For that distinction, Lewis' bat and the home-run ball were quickly secured to be sent to baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

[reds]
Stan Belinda is congratulated by teammates after their victory.
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        The previous NL mark of eight homers in a game was reached four different times, including the Reds on Aug. 15, 1956, against Milwaukee. The old major-league record of seven different players homering was achieved three times, most recently by Oakland on June 27, 1996.

        This support was more than enough for Pete Harnisch (14-8), who gained his 100th career victory in his third try. Harnisch allowed three runs, only one earned, while surrendering eight hits in six innings.

        “There were some years I could have pitched better and won a lot more games,” said Harnisch, who is 100-92 for his career. “I feel this could have come quicker. But I was on some teams that didn't win a whole lot of games. You kind of wonder sometimes if you'll get to anything like that. It's a minor milestone on the broad scheme of things, but personally, I'm very proud.”

[harnisch]
Pete Harnisch throws a pitch.
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        Maybe the players-only meeting before the game motivated the Reds. It probably didn't hurt. Vaughn, Larkin and left-hander Denny Neagle, three of the team's most experienced veterans, stepped forward to stress a simple message to their teammates: Enjoy yourselves. Relax.

        “It was very productive,” Taubensee said.

        “They more or less said to play the game and have fun with it, and whatever happens, happens,” Hammonds said.


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