Thursday, October 3 - Tied at top! Glavine wins 20th

Tied at top! Glavine wins 20th

Six-run first lifts Braves 6-3; Padres top L.A.

By I. J. Rosenberg, The Atlanta Constitution

Thursday, October 3, 1991

    Cincinnati - When the Braves left Atlanta last Thursday two games behind first-place Los Angeles, Bobby Cox was asked what it would take on the six-game road trip to gain in the National League West race. "I don't know that we need to win every game," the Braves Manager said, "I do know that we sure can't afford to lose too many more."

    The Braves won them all, moving into a tie with the Dodgers with three games left. Saving their best road swing when it counted the most, the Braves took their sixth straight Wednesday night as lefthander Tom Glavine became the major leagues first 20-game winner of the season with a 6-3 win over Cincinnati before 16,192 at Riverfront Stadium.

    Later Wednesday, L.A. fell to San Diego 9-4, losing sole possession of first place. Afterward, Cox changed his tune dramatically. Sitting in front of a mass of reporters and photographers with an understated smile, he admitted, "Yes, a 5-1 trip would have been a disaster."

    The Braves finished with a 46-35 road record, the second best mark in Atlanta club history, and went 8-1 against the defending World Series Champions in their stadium. The Braves finish the season with a three-game series against last-place Houston beginning on Friday night.

    "I don't know of too many clubs that can go to the Astrodome and win three and then come here and win three," said Cox. "It was some kind of chore." Said center fielder Ron Gant, "We knew what had to be done when we left. I'd have to say that our pitching was the key. They kept us in there."

    Glavine, who had failed to win in his last two starts, became Atlanta's first 20-game winner since Phil Niekro in 1979. He went eight innings and allowed three runs, only two earned, and is a strong favorite to become Atlanta's first Cy Young Award winner. "It's a big accomplishment," he said, "I think it will mean more to me during the winter because there are some other things going on now." Said Cox, "When you get good pitching, you become oh so tough."

    Actually, it was the Braves' offense that gave Glavine (20-11) a cushion. They took a 6-0 lead in the first inning, sending Scott Scudder (6-9) to the showers before the third out of the game. Scudder hit a batter and walked two, including Glavine with the bases loaded. It not only infuriated Reds manager Lou Piniella but brought the wrath of Tommy Lasorda and the Dodgers, who reportedly stormed around the clubhouse before their game with the Padres, cursing the Reds. "We don't have any players," said Piniella, "Tell Lasorda to send me a few of his 40 players and I'll be glad to help him out."

    Still, despite the margin, it appeared that the game might go in the opposite way from the night before, when the Reds took a 6-0 lead in the first and the Braves came back to win 7-6. "When I went out on the mound that was fresh on my mind," said Glavine. As has been his problem lately, Glavine watched his opponents cross the plate in the first, added by a two-out error by third baseman Terry Pendleton that led to two runs.

    The Reds scored one more in the fifth and had a runner at second with one out in the sixth. But buoyed by a defense that turned four double plays, Glavine took command. After the eighth, he was replaced by Alejandro Pena, who picked up his 10th save in 10 opportunities with the Braves.

    Afterward, the Braves rushed the field, but then walked quietly to the clubhouse, realizing there is still a lot left to accomplish. "This should really help us for this weekend , give us some momentum," said Gant. "We know what we have to do against the Astros."

Atlanta Recap:
LoSmith, lf   2 for 3 with 1 r and 2 rbi
Lemke, 2b   0 for 4
Pendleton, 3b   2 for 4 with 1 r and 1 rbi
Justice, rf   1 for 4 with 1 r and 1 rbi
Gant, cf   1 for 4
Bream, 1b   0 for 3 with 1 r
Olsen, c    1 for 4 with 1 r and 1 rbi
Belliard, ss   0 for 3 with 1 r
Glavine, p   0 for 2 with 1 rbi   8 ip, 5 h, 3 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 5 so
Pena, p   1 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 0 so


Cincinnati Recap:
Hatcher, cf   1 for 4 with 1 rbi
Doran, 2b   1 for 2 with 1 r
Larkin, ss   0 for 1
Benavides, ss   1 for 2
Sabo, 3b   1 for 4 with 1 r
CMartinez, 1b   1 for 4 with 2 rbi
CJones, lf   0 for 3
O'Neill, cf   0 for 3
DScott,c   0 for 3
JReed, ph   1 for 1 with 1 r
Davis, ph   0 for 1
Scudder, p   0 for 0   2/3 ip, 3 h, 6 r, 6 er, 3 bb, 1 so
KGross, p   0 for 1   4 1/3 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 1 so
MHill, p   2 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 0 so
Power, p   2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 2 so

Atlanta ....... 600 000 000 - 6
Cincinnati ... 200 010 000 - 3

Errors: Pendleton (24), Olsen (4)
Double Plays: Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 2
Left on base: Atlanta 5, Cincinnati 3
Doubles: Justice (25), Gant (34), JReed (15)
Triples: Pendleton (8)
Stolen bases: LoSmith (9), Benavides (1)
Hit by pitch: by Scudder (LoSmith), by Power (LoSmith)
Passed ball: DScott

Time: 2:37
Attendance: 16,192