Tuesday, September 21, 1999

REDS 12, PADRES 1

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Reds slug way back into race

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Greg Vaughn hits his 41st home run of the season. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

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        SAN DIEGO — Though Brian Johnson seldom plays, the backup catcher's awareness of what he and his Reds teammates face in the season's final two weeks remained sharp.

        “All the cliches come into effect, how it's never over until it's over,” said Johnson, who played for San Francisco last year when the Giants overcame a five-game deficit in their last 10 games to force a playoff for the National League's wild-card berth. “So it's always interesting, no matter what happens. That's what makes baseball special.”

        In that vein, Monday was a very special evening for the Reds, who gained ground on their immediate rivals for a postseason berth by thrashing the San Diego Padres, 12-1, at Qualcomm Stadium.

        Eddie Taubensee matched his career best by going 4-for-4 with three runs scored, Michael Tucker drove in three runs and Denny Neagle limited San Diego to two hits in eight innings as the Reds (89-62) trimmed their Central Division deficit to 2 1/2 games behind first-place Houston, an 11-5 loser at Pittsburgh. Cincinnati shaved a half-game off New York's lead in the wild-card standings and now trails the Mets by 3 1/2 games.

Barry Larkin is congratulated by Aaron Boone and Ken Griffey after scoring on a double by Sean Casey. | ZOOM |

        “That puts us within reach,” manager Jack McKeon said after Cincinnati notched only its third victory in seven games. “We still have to do our job. If we don't do our job, we won't be there. But I think we will be.”

        Neagle (8-5) became the first Red to win five consecutive starts since Dave Burba finished the 1997 season with a similar streak. The left-hander is 8-2 with a 3.42 ERA since leaving his second stint on the disabled list, giving him a measure of satisfaction.

        But Neagle won't call the year truly complete unless the Reds reach the playoffs.

        “I'll still feel good about what I've been able to accomplish, but I really feel like the exclamation point on my season will be to get these guys to the postseason. That's what it's all about,” said Neagle, who walked three and struck out six. “We say it over and over again, but I got a taste of it my last couple of years in Atlanta, and I know how much fun it is to play in the postseason.

Denny Neagle pitched eight innings, allowing only one run and two hits. | ZOOM |

        The only mildly negative development for the Reds was shortstop Barry Larkin's departure after seven innings with a sore left elbow, an injury that was not considered serious. McKeon said Larkin would almost surely be in tonight's lineup.

        The ingredients for a very big fall were in place for the Reds.

        Having lost their last two series, they turned their attention to the Padres, who played the spoiler's role admirably by winning their previous two series against Atlanta and San Francisco.

        San Diego's starting lineup included former Reds Reggie Sanders and Eric Owens, as well as starting pitcher Buddy Carlyle, an ex-Cincinnati farmhand who was traded last year for failed pitching prospect Marc Kroon.

        But Reds domination, not Padres revenge, unfolded as the theme at Qualcomm Stadium, where the paid crowd of 12,837 was actually much larger due to the presence of thousands capitalizing on Unused Ticket Night.

Eddie Taubensee is congratulated by Mike Cameron after scoring. | ZOOM |

        It certainly wasn't Unused Bat Night for the Reds. They amassed 15 hits off Carlyle (1-3), who allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, and three Padres relievers.

        “I don't think we were ever short on confidence,” Reds left fielder Greg Vaughn said. “We have too many guys with big hearts to let the confidence slip away.”

        Cincinnati made the game a rout with eight runs in the eighth inning, an outburst that featured Tucker's two-run triple and Vaughn's three-run homer, his first longball against his ex-teammates. Vaughn has 12 homers in September, two short of Frank Robinson's one-month club record set in August, 1962. Vaughn hiked his season total to 41, the fifth-highest single-season total in franchise history.

        The Reds initially trailed 1-0 when Sanders blasted a first-inning homer, the 150th of his career.

        But Neagle bounced back nicely against Sanders in their next confrontation, striking him out with two on and two out in the third inning.

        Taubensee tied the score in the top of the second inning with his 20th homer of the season, a shot to right-center field. Taubensee became the third Red to hit at least 20 homers, joining Vaughn and Sean Casey (23).

        “He has been one of our most underrated guys,” McKeon said of Taubensee, who also ranks third on the team with 79 RBI.

        Casey's first extra-base hit in 36 at-bats gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the third inning. He doubled to drive in Larkin, who drew one of his four walks.

        The Reds added a pair of runs in the fourth. Dmitri Young doubled leading off before Taubensee smashed a grounder off third baseman Phil Nevin's foot. The ball caromed into left-center field, enabling Young to score and Taubensee to reach second with what was scored a double. Taubensee reached third on the play when Sanders picked up the ball and fired it past second base.

        Tucker interrupted a 1-for-30 skid by singling to center field, scoring Taubensee.

        San Diego's Tony Gwynn achieved another milestone by singling in the third inning. It was his 3,054th career hit, sending the eight-time batting champion past Hall of Famer Rod Carew into 18th place on the all-time list. The next player ahead of Gwynn is Cap Anson (3,081).

       

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