Baseball Guru
04-01-2002, 06:35 PM
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
April 1, 2002, 6:05 PM EST
CINCINNATI -- The last season opener at Cinergy Field ended with a joyous huddle by the home team.
Aaron Boone hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs and a pulsating start to their last season at the former Riverfront Stadium.
A 32-year-old ballpark that has been the setting for so many historic moments -- Hank Aaron tying Babe Ruth, Pete Rose smacking hit 4,192 -- got a dramatic start on its last go-round.
Right fielder Juan Encarnacion misjudged a fly ball, helping the Cubs rally for two runs to tie it in the eighth. The crowd of 41,913 and the hard-hatted construction workers building the new ballpark were hugging when the home team pulled it out in the ninth.
Jeff Fassero, who has such good control that he hit only two batters in the last two seasons, plunked three in only 1 2-3 innings to help the Reds pull it out.
The left-hander walked Barry Larkin with one out in the ninth, gave up a single to Ken Griffey Jr., then hit Sean Casey in the helmet, loading the bases. Boone followed with a fly to Sammy Sosa in medium right field, but catcher Robert Machado couldn't come up with the one-hop throw as Larkin scored and the celebration began.
Danny Graves got the win after blowing a save by giving up two unearned runs in the eighth, when Encarnacion misplayed Merchado's fly for a two-base error that started a Cubs comeback.
It was the type of game the Reds almost always lost at Cinergy last season, when they set a franchise record by losing 54 home games. That was part of the fifth 96-loss season in the team's 133-year history.
Fans got their first up-close look at the skeleton of the Reds' next home looming a few feet beyond the left-field wall. The Reds intend to move into Great American Ball Park for 2003.
As the crowd streamed in on a sunny, 57-degree afternoon, the rattle of riveters and the hiss of welders assembling light towers at the new ballpark drowned out the sounds of batting practice.
One worker sat on a barrel and wore a baseball glove on his left hand, ready in case anyone hit a long homer to left. No one came close.
Flashbulbs went off in the stands when Joey Hamilton threw the first pitch -- a called strike to DeShields.
Hamilton, who fidgeted nervously while warming up for his second career opening day start, gave up seven hits, walked five and threw two wild pitches in five innings, but left the game with a 3-2 lead because the Cubs couldn't take advantage of his control problems.
Second baseman Todd Walker, who was hit on the side of the face during batting practice Sunday, doubled twice and hit a tiebreaking solo homer for a 3-2 lead in the fifth off Jon Lieber.
Lieber beat the Reds five times in six starts last season, including a 78-pitch, 1-hit victory last May 24. He needed 78 pitches to get through five innings Monday.
Brady Clark's pinch RBI single off Donovan Osborne put the Reds up 4-2 in the sixth.
Notes:@ LF Moises Alou, who strained his right calf during an exhibition over the weekend, was scratched from the Cubs lineup. He might be ready to play on Wednesday. ... Chris Stynes became the 17th Cub to play third base in the last 29 season openers. He's filling in for the injured Bill Mueller. ... LHP Donovan Osborne, who missed the last two seasons because of shoulder problems, made his first big league appearance since May 6, 1999.
AP Sports Writer
April 1, 2002, 6:05 PM EST
CINCINNATI -- The last season opener at Cinergy Field ended with a joyous huddle by the home team.
Aaron Boone hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs and a pulsating start to their last season at the former Riverfront Stadium.
A 32-year-old ballpark that has been the setting for so many historic moments -- Hank Aaron tying Babe Ruth, Pete Rose smacking hit 4,192 -- got a dramatic start on its last go-round.
Right fielder Juan Encarnacion misjudged a fly ball, helping the Cubs rally for two runs to tie it in the eighth. The crowd of 41,913 and the hard-hatted construction workers building the new ballpark were hugging when the home team pulled it out in the ninth.
Jeff Fassero, who has such good control that he hit only two batters in the last two seasons, plunked three in only 1 2-3 innings to help the Reds pull it out.
The left-hander walked Barry Larkin with one out in the ninth, gave up a single to Ken Griffey Jr., then hit Sean Casey in the helmet, loading the bases. Boone followed with a fly to Sammy Sosa in medium right field, but catcher Robert Machado couldn't come up with the one-hop throw as Larkin scored and the celebration began.
Danny Graves got the win after blowing a save by giving up two unearned runs in the eighth, when Encarnacion misplayed Merchado's fly for a two-base error that started a Cubs comeback.
It was the type of game the Reds almost always lost at Cinergy last season, when they set a franchise record by losing 54 home games. That was part of the fifth 96-loss season in the team's 133-year history.
Fans got their first up-close look at the skeleton of the Reds' next home looming a few feet beyond the left-field wall. The Reds intend to move into Great American Ball Park for 2003.
As the crowd streamed in on a sunny, 57-degree afternoon, the rattle of riveters and the hiss of welders assembling light towers at the new ballpark drowned out the sounds of batting practice.
One worker sat on a barrel and wore a baseball glove on his left hand, ready in case anyone hit a long homer to left. No one came close.
Flashbulbs went off in the stands when Joey Hamilton threw the first pitch -- a called strike to DeShields.
Hamilton, who fidgeted nervously while warming up for his second career opening day start, gave up seven hits, walked five and threw two wild pitches in five innings, but left the game with a 3-2 lead because the Cubs couldn't take advantage of his control problems.
Second baseman Todd Walker, who was hit on the side of the face during batting practice Sunday, doubled twice and hit a tiebreaking solo homer for a 3-2 lead in the fifth off Jon Lieber.
Lieber beat the Reds five times in six starts last season, including a 78-pitch, 1-hit victory last May 24. He needed 78 pitches to get through five innings Monday.
Brady Clark's pinch RBI single off Donovan Osborne put the Reds up 4-2 in the sixth.
Notes:@ LF Moises Alou, who strained his right calf during an exhibition over the weekend, was scratched from the Cubs lineup. He might be ready to play on Wednesday. ... Chris Stynes became the 17th Cub to play third base in the last 29 season openers. He's filling in for the injured Bill Mueller. ... LHP Donovan Osborne, who missed the last two seasons because of shoulder problems, made his first big league appearance since May 6, 1999.