NLDS: Braves tame Cubbies in 4

NLDS ’84 Chicago Cubs (25-13) vs ’91 Atlanta Braves (21-17)

Game 1 at Chicago (Glavine vs Sutcliffe)

After defeating ’93 Philadelphia in the Wild Card Play-In game, the ’91 Atlanta Braves had the difficult task of trying to defeat the team with the best record in the KOD27 season, the ’84 Chicago Cubs.  Atlanta’s Tom Glavine faced off against Chicago’s Rick Sutcliffe in game 1 and immediately things went bad for the Braves when Glavine had to leave the game in the first inning with an injury.  John Smoltz, who would have started game 2 came on and did an admiral job as he blanked the Cubbies for 6.1 innings.  Not to be outdone Sutcliffe was tossing a gem of his own as he went 6 innings of shutout ball before giving up a run in the 7^th inning on a Terry Pendleton RBI single.  However, in the bottom of the 8^th Chicago sent 7 batters to the plate and scored 4 runs on a Ron Cey 2 RBI double and Keith Moreland 2 run HR to close out the scoring.  Chicago 4  Atlanta 1  (Chicago leads series 1-0)

Game 2 at Chicago (Avery vs Eckersley)

With John Smoltz pitching in game 1 Steve Avery had to move up a day and face the ever tough Dennis Eckersley.  Atlanta again struck first scoring twice in the 4^th inning on a HR by Sid Bream but the lead lasted only to the bottom of the inning when Jody Davis and Larry Bowa got RBI.  In the 5^th Otis Nixon gave the Braves the lead again with a SAC fly but the bottom of the 6^th saw the Cubs take the lead for the first time on a Ron Cey 2 run HR.  Chicago added another run in the 7^th on a Gary Woods PH HR stretching Chicago’s lead to 5-3 entering the 9^th.  Chicago got the first 2 batters out of the inning but Lee Smith walked Bream to extend the inning.  Atlanta took advantage as PH Keith Mitchell launched a ball into the LF stands to tie the game at 5.  The Cubs went down in the bottom of the inning sending the game to extra innings.  The Braves got out of a 1 out 2 runner jam in the 10^th and then in the 11^th Sid Bream hit his 2^nd HR of the game for a 6-5 Atlanta lead and then closed the door on the Cubs in the bottom of the inning.

Atlanta 6   Chicago 5  (Series tied 1-1)

Game 3 at Atlanta (Trout vs Leibrandt)

Charlie Leibrandt had won the Wild Card game and now he too was pitching before he was scheduled facing off against Steve Trout.  Like the first 2 games the teams failed to sore in the first 3 innings and like the first 2 games Atlanta scored first, and often.  Sending 8 men to the plate Atlanta took a 4-0 lead on a 2 run Terry Pendleton single, and RBI single by David Justice and a SAC fly by Ron Gant.  Chicago scored a run in the top of the 6^th on a Ron Cey ground out but that was all the Cubs could muster as Atlanta wins game 3.

Atlanta 4  Chicago 1  (Atlanta leads series 2-1)

Game 4 at Atlanta  (Sanderson vs Glavine)

After tossing only 2/3 of an inning in game 1 Tom Glavine gets the start again to try and close the series out.  Pitching for Chicago is Scott Sanderson.  This time Chicago scores first with a run in the top of the first on a Leon Durham RBI double and again in the second on a Ryan Sandberg RBI ground out for a 2-0 lead.  Atlanta got one back in the bottom of the 3^rd when light hitting bench catcher Francisco Cabrera had a solo HR.  Atlanta took the lead in the 5^th on a two out single driving in 2 runs for an Atlanta 3-2 lead.  Note: Kent Mercker came in to pitch in the 4^th when Glavine had to be removed because of a blister.  When Mercker was due up in the 5^th inning the 9^th position was empty and Otis Nixon was at bat.  After some thinking on Kurt and my part the only fair thing to do was have a RP pinch hit for Nixon and stay in the leadoff spot and at the top of the 6^th put Lonnie Smith in the 9^th position.  In the 7^th Ron Cey once again made his presence felt with an RBI single to tie the game at 3.  Both teams failed to score in the 8^th and Chicago failed in the top of the 9^th.  The Cubs were now trying to send the game into extra innings Warren Brusstar got the first man out before Francisco Cabrera got his 3^rd hit of the game bringing up Lonnie Smith who had come into the game when the game failed to enter Mercker in the 9^th hole.  Smith got in a 0-2 hole but he caught the 3^rd pitch on the sweet part of the bat and sent it over the left center field fence for an Atlanta 5-3 walk-off series winning victory.

Atlanta 5  Chicago 3  (Atlanta wins series 3-1)

--submitted by Erik Nelson--