Saturday, August 23, 1997
Reds hit Maddux
but can't beat him

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Eleven hits but nine strikeouts

BY TIM BROWN
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Pokey Reese steals second as Jeff Blauser drops the ball. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

ATLANTA - The Reds have played for most of the past six weeks in pennant races all over America. Not theirs', but pennant races nonetheless. They are in the midst of a wearying stretch of the season in which they'll play two home games in more than three weeks.

They lost a manager and a few pitchers along the way, along with a pretty valuable shortstop. So, the occasional Greg Maddux pops up as a foe, and the Reds appear to be game. Why wouldn't they be?

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Reds 6-2 Friday night at Turner Field, where Maddux won his 10th consecutive decision, but not without considerable effort against the young Reds.

They failed again to produce more than one or two clutch hits, but in seven innings against Maddux (17-3), the Reds had 11 hits and forced Maddux to throw 118 pitches.

"Anytime you get 11 hits off this guy, you gotta beat him," Reds manager Jack McKeon said. "He didn't have his best stuff tonight, but we took too many called third strikes (three in the first inning, five overall)."

Said Maddux: "I threw the ball great until I got two strikes, and then I didn't make good two-strike pitches. But that's one of the luxuries of being ahead in the count. When you're 0-and-1, 0-and-2, 1-and-2, you give up singles instead of doubles."

Indeed, of those season-high 11 hits allowed by Maddux, nine were singles. Maddux also struck out a season-high nine batters.

Chris Stynes was 3-for-3 against Maddux, and Reggie Sanders and Joe Oliver had two hits apiece.

Mike Remlinger consults with Joe Oliver after walking three batters in the first inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Left-hander Mike Remlinger (6-5) lost for the first time this season as a starter, in his fifth start.

He might be darned nasty for most and all but unhittable for a few, but Maddux, the four-time Cy Young Award winner, has had his ordinary moments against the Reds.

Though 182-107 in his career, Maddux took his start Friday night as an 11-11 pitcher in 31 games against the Reds.

In Atlanta, he had a 1-1 record and a 4.33 ERA versus the Reds. He has gained on that lately.

In a sweltering July 27 start in Cincinnati, Maddux allowed a run in six innings and beat Dave Burba, 3-2. He had a 2.40 ERA and a 1-1 record in two 1996 starts.

The planet's most decorated active pitcher, Maddux took another shot at the Reds, found trouble immediately, and then weasled out of tight spots in nearly every inning.

The Braves, batting .217 in August, scored six runs in 5 2/3 innings against Remlinger, five in the fourth and fifth innings. Remlinger walked five batters, for nine in his past 11 2/3 innings. That's too many, and enough to shake the Braves from their slump.

"Square one for me is strike one," Remlinger said. "If you walk people, they're going to score. And if you fall behind, you're going to give up hits."

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