Saturday, March 25, 2000
Reds play like it's fall
Exhibition comebacks mean something
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SARASOTA, Fla. — Games won mean nothing during exhibition season. Habits formed usually carry more impact. Lately, the Reds have done a lot of both, enabling them to build momentum as the April 3 season opener against Milwaukee approaches.
They secured their third consecutive come-from-behind victory Friday, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on pinch-hitter Kimera Bartee's ninth-inning single that scored Benito Santiago with one out.
It's important to keep in mind that the game's decisive circumstances are unlikely to be duplicated in the regular season. Bartee has the misfortune of being the sixth-best outfielder on a team that will keep five. Though Bartee has no minor-league options remaining, the Reds can outright him to Triple-A Louisville if he clears waivers.
But the Reds rebounded not once, but twice, erasing Toronto's 3-2 lead by scoring in the sixth and seventh innings. Ken Griffey Jr. and Aaron Boone, who are more likely to be central to Cincinnati's success, drove in those runs. Though Scott Williamson blew a save opportunity by yielding a ninth-inning run, the Reds won by following the same script they hope to use over and over this summer: Stay close through six innings, rely on the bullpen to stifle opponents, then overpower them with Griffey & Co.
“You want to see that down here,” General Manager Jim Bowden said. “We're going to expect that all season long. This type of team should be able to do it. We have the bullpen, the bench and the offense to do that.”
Left fielder Dmitri Young said that the Reds can benefit from these rallies despite the irrelevance of Grapefruit League results.
“Just like spring training means getting ready for the season, come-from-behind victories like that also mean get ting ready for the season,” Young said. “The last few days we've found ourselves behind in the latter part of the game, and it seems like our concentration level goes up a couple of notches instead of faltering. That, right there, is the sign of a great team. If we go into the season and find ourselves behind, it won't matter if it's against the Braves, Astros or Brewers.”
As was the case last year, when the Reds won 45 games after falling behind, early deficits have failed to intimidate them. Pittsburgh scored three runs in Thursday's first inning; Cincinnati responded with two. Friday, the Reds matched Toronto with two runs.
Said Young, “It was 0-0 at the end of the first. All right, cool. Every time they get the lead, we look at it like, OK, we have to go get these runs.”
For a dress rehearsal, Friday's game was more realistic than most. Unlike earlier in the exhibition season, when reliev ers were assigned specific innings, the members of the Reds' bullpen didn't know whether or when they'd pitch against Toronto — just like a regular-season game.
“I'd kind of rather it be that way,” said closer Danny Graves, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning. “It works out better. It helps not knowing. You're getting ready like you would in the season. You're firing away. You don't just sit there and say, "Well, I'm going to have the eighth inning today, so I'll take my time.'”
If Bowden is correct, the Reds can't afford any delays in starting to win. He believes the National League Central Division will be extremely competitive among St.Louis, Houston, Pittsburgh and the Reds.
“On paper, any one of the four can win this thing,” Bowden said. “Whoever stays the healthiest and gets the best pitching is probably going to be playing in October.”
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