Sunday, September 02, 2001
Process of elimination nearly over
Loss brings Reds closer to division doom
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Reds have been hip to the fact that they wouldn't win the National League Central from early June, but the mathematical possibility of winning always existed.
Now that's running out. Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates before a crowd of 24,308 at Cinergy Field pushed the Reds to the brink of elimination.
The Reds are 25 games out of first place. There are 27 games left. You do the math.
The Reds had their “A” lineup to face a left-hander. Third baseman Aaron Boone returned after 16 days on the disabled list with a fracture to his left wrist.
His return didn't help as Dave Williams, Pittsburgh's 22-year-old rookie left-hander, and three relievers shut out the Reds. It was the sixth time this year the Reds have been shut out.
Williams came in on a six-game losing streak, but he pitched like Sandy Koufax through six innings. He allowed only three hits, walked none and struck out six.
Fortunately for the Reds, their starter, Jose Acevedo, was nearly as good. Acevedo, the 23-year-old rookie right-hander, had one of his best outings of the year. He went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. He walked none and struck out four.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jason Kendall started the rally with an one-out single. He ended up scoring as Kevin Young singled to left. Dmitri Young tried to make a shoestring catch on the play. But the ball went off the end of his glove toward center field.
Shortstop Pokey Reese recovered the ball. But Kendall beat his throw home for the first run. Kevin Young went to second on the throw.
Gary Matthews Jr. then singled to center. Young had to hold at third. But he scored on Pat Meares RBI groundout.
Williams retired the first 11 Reds he faced. Ken Griffey Jr.'s double to left broke the string.
Griffey went to third on Dmitri Young's infield single. But Sean Casey, hitting .370 with runners in scoring position, could not get him home. Casey grounded out to end the inning.
Acevedo was dealing by then. He retired the last 10 batters he faced before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.
Williams didn't last much longer. He allowed an infield single to Griffey to start the seventh. Then after he struck out Dmitri Young, he was gone.
Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon brought on Scott Sauerbeck, the lefty from Northwest High and Miami University, to face Casey. Casey, who was 0-for-11 against Sauerbeck, flied out to deep left-center. Boone walked, but Sauerbeck struck out Wilton Guerrero to end the threat.
The Pirates broke it open with five runs off Jim Brower in the eighth.
ABÜR H BI BB SO Avg.
3 1 0 0 2 0 .267
3 0 0 0 0 1 .281
1 0 0 0 0 0 .203
5 0 1 0 0 1 .301
4 1 1 0 1 0 .312
4 2 1 0 1 1 .268
0 0 0 0 0 0 .218
3 2 2 3 0 0 .233
4 1 2 1 0 0 .236
4 0 1 2 0 1 .213
3 0 0 0 0 1 .115
0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1 0 0 0 0 0 .186
0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
0 0 0 0 0 0 .222
35Ü7 8 6 4 5
ABÜR H BI BB SO Avg.
4 0 0 0 0 0 .224
4 0 0 0 0 1 .271
4 0 2 0 0 1 .291
4 0 2 0 0 1 .309
4 0 0 0 0 2 .323
3 0 0 0 1 1 .294
3 0 0 0 0 2 .303
2 0 0 0 0 0 .241
1 0 0 0 0 0 .297
0 0 0 0 0 0 .254
1 0 0 0 0 1 .120
1 0 0 0 0 0 .286
0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1 0 1 0 0 0 .333
0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
32Ü0 5 0 1 9
Pittsburgh 020Ü000 050—7 8 0
Cincinnati 000Ü000 000—0 5 2
E—DYoung (14), Casey (5). LOB—Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 6. 2B—KYoung (29), Meares (10), Griffey Jr (12), DYoung (26). RBIs—KYoung 3 (58), Matthews Jr. (37), Meares 2 (24). S—Mackowiak.
IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
63 0 0 0 6 77 3.87
0 0 0 1 1 16 5.19
1 0 0 0 0 7 3.51
1 0 0 0 2 12 6.14
IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
6 4 2 1 0 4 81 5.84
3 5 5 3 0 38 3.82
0 0 0 0 0 2 3.66
1 0 0 1 1 21 3.86
IBB—off Brower (BGiles) 1. HBP—by Brower (KYoung). WP—Brower. T—2:38. A—24,308 (39,800).
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Process of elimination nearly over
