Monday, September 27, 1999REDS NOTEBOOK
High pitch has Larkin steamed
A tense moment occurred in Sunday's 11th inning when St. Louis reliever Rick Croushore hit Barry Larkin on the left shoulder with his first pitch to the Reds shortstop.
Larkin glared at Croushore and walked slowly to first base, gripping his bat with his left hand and walking inside the baseline.
“The ball was at my head,” Larkin said later. “Yeah, I was upset.”
Told that he had carried his bat a long way and appeared poised to defend himself, Larkin replied, “Yes, I did. Yes, I was.”
When Croushore hit Larkin, the score was tied 4-4, with runners on first and second and one out. Left-hander Mike Mohler was warming up in St. Louis' bullpen, preparing to face left-handed Sean Casey, Cincinnati's on-deck hitter.
It wasn't an obvious situation in which a batter would be hit. But it also was a situation in which to bypass Larkin.
Asked if he thought he was intentionally hit, Larkin said, “Ask them (the Cardinals). I don't think anybody intended to throw the ball at my head, but the ball was at my head.”
Home-run saga
Mike Cameron's 20th home run, a three-run shot in the seventh inning, gave the Reds four players with 20 homers or more for the first time since 1987, when Eric Davis (37), Dave Parker (26), Kal Daniels (26) and Nick Esasky (22) did it. that year.Then, Pokey Reese's game-winning homer made him the 10th Red to reach double figures in homers, the first time in franchise history that has been achieved.
Crowd count
Sunday's paid attendance of 43,613 brought the Reds tantalizingly close to the 2 million level for the season.Including tickets previously sold for today's Cinergy Field finale, the Reds are about 800 short of 2 million, which they haven't reached since 1993.
Approximately 7,000 “walk-up” admissions boosted Sunday's crowd. So did two people who bought 1,574 tickets as collectibles immediately after Mark McGwire belted his 60th homer of the season in the eighth.
Home fires
Though it took more than half the season, the Reds have established a home-field advantage.They've won 19 of their last 27 games at Cinergy, entering today's regular-season home finale, including eight of the last 10. With a 44-36 home record, the Reds are eight games over .500 at Cinergy for the first time since the end of the 1996 season, when they finished 46-35 at home.
Wish for Williamson
Shoulder tendinitis and a cut middle fingerhave limited reliever Scott Williamson to six appearances this month. Most of them have been rocky, since he has compiled a 6.23 ERA with eight hits and nine walks allowed in 8ö innings in that span.But Sunday's effort appeared to be a step forward for Williamson, who struck out three in two innings. The lone hit he allowed, Edgar Renteria's RBI double, was more well-placed than scorched.
Bottenfield out
Another good omen for the Reds: St. Louis has scratched ace right-hander Kent Bottenfield (18-7) from his start in today's series finale. Bottenfield, who has complained of fatigue in his last several starts, will be replaced by right-hander Garrett Stephenson (6-2).Up next
Ron Villone (9-7) will try to become the fourth Reds pitcher to win 10 or more games. Cincinnati is 12-9 in Villone's 21 starts since he left the bullpen.
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