Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 26, 1995 TAG: 9510260081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CLEVELAND LENGTH: Long
The Braves, with Greg Maddux scheduled to pitch tonight, moved within one victory of the World Series championship that has eluded them, beating the Cleveland Indians 5-2 Wednesday night for a 3-1 lead.
Atlanta, whose postseason history is filled with failure, could not ask for a better position.
``I don't even know where that champagne is, and I don't want to know right now,'' Braves manager Bobby Cox said. ``One more and I'll break it out. Too early.''
Maddux, held back a day to rest, can clinch it tonight in Game 5 against Orel Hershiser. Maddux, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, won the opener with a two-hitter.
Even if they lose, the Braves will head home with two more chances to win. The statistics are on their side, too: Of the 39 teams taking a 3-1 edge in the Series, 33 have won it.
``I've faced more pleasing prospects,'' Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said. ``But there are 26 other teams that wish they were playing tomorrow. We'll show up.''
After sixth-inning home runs by Ryan Klesko and Albert Belle tied the score 1-1, the Braves broke it open with three runs in the seventh. Luis Polonia's go-ahead double chased Cleveland starter Ken Hill, and David Justice hit a two-out, two-run single off Paul Assenmacher.
By then Braves starter Steve Avery was gone, with a win.
Cox had decided to give Avery a chance, knowing it would mean Maddux could pitch only once more. The move was second-guessed by many who believed Cox should give his ace two more starts.
``No matter if I pitched him on one day of rest, I'd read about it,'' Cox said. ``I didn't fret a bit.''
Doubles by Fred McGriff and Javier Lopez in the ninth inning added an insurance run against Alan Embree and sent a few of the 43,578 fans to the exits at somber Jacobs Field.
A day after the Indians rapped 12 hits in a 7-6, 11-inning victory, Avery limited them to three hits over six innings. Greg McMichael followed with two scoreless innings.
Mark Wohlers, whose 22/3-inning stint Tuesday night was his longest of the season, took over in the ninth with a 5-1 lead. He was tagged by Manny Ramirez's leadoff homer and a double by pinch-hitter Paul Sorrento. Cox wasted no time in bringing in Pedro Borbon, who struck out Jim Thome and Sandy Alomar and retired Kenny Lofton on a liner to right for a save in his first appearance in 19 days.
Lofton went 0-for-5 one game after reaching base in all six plate appearances.
Not since the 1991 Series, when the Braves held a 3-2 lead over Minnesota, have they been in such a good spot. That year, they lost the last two games at the Metrodome to the Twins, and Atlanta lost the 1992 Series in six games to Toronto.
Marquis Grissom had three hits for the Braves. He also scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Polonia's double after drawing a one-out walk.
Avery, who earned this start with six shutout innings in the pennant-clinching win over Cincinnati on Oct. 14, managed to avoid trouble despite several well-hit balls early in the game.
After working his way through the lineup the first time and giving up two hits, Avery, 5-2 lifetime in the postseason, went to his changeup more often and did not allow a hit until Belle homered with two outs in the sixth. Belle had not swung all evening, taking seven balls and seven strikes, until lining an opposite-field drive into the Braves bullpen in right field.
Eddie Murray, after thinking he'd hit a double until being told by umpire Joe Brinkman that his grounder down the left-field line was foul, walked on a full count.
Avery then caught his cleats while going into his stretch, stumbled backward off the mound and was called for a balk. He went ahead and intentionally walked Ramirez before striking out Herbert Perry swinging on a nasty, down-and-in slider.
Avery, having thrown 109 pitches, was pulled after preserving the 1-1 tie.
``Steve did an awesome job. He was under lot of pressure. A lot of people were second-guessing Bobby,'' Justice said. ``[Avery] did what we've seen him do a lot of times.''
The Braves came back to break it open, and McMichael relieved to start the bottom of the seventh with a 4-1 lead.
Hill, who got to start because of seven shutout innings against Seattle in Game 4 of the AL playoffs, worked out of jams all evening.
The Braves put a runner in scoring position in four of the first five innings without getting a run. Twice, Hill pitched around McGriff and walked him with a runner on third before retiring Justice.
When they faced each other in the National League, Justice was 1-for-25 (.040) lifetime against Hill. McGriff, meanwhile, was 9-for-33 (.273) with three home runs off Hill.
``I thought they were pitching around Freddie,'' Justice said. ``I had let the team down twice. I was glad to come through at the end.''
Klesko showed that NL designated hitters could be effective, too, when he homered for the second straight night. Klesko, the DH while Polonia played left field, hit a drive into the right-center field stands with one out in the sixth for a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Avery, who led the NL with 13 pickoffs, kept Indians runners close with a couple of different moves. The one time they tried to go on him, Alomar swung through a bad pitch on a hit-and-run, and Alvaro Espinoza stopped short and was trapped between first and second. ... Espinoza and rookie Perry, both righty hitters, started while lefties Thome and Sorrento sat against the left-handed Avery.
by CNB