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In the last game of the year, Ellis Valentine, sitting on the bench for the last week, hit a 2-run bases loaded single in the 1st to give us a 2-0 lead. Vaughn touched up Fernandez for a single homer in the bottom half and Palmiero singled in another run in the 5th to tie things up. We look up to the scoreboard and the Reds are down 5-1 in the 5th.
In the 7th, Roberto Kelly hit a triple off Al Leiter to give us a 3-2 lead. Clark followed up with a double and after a Lynn single, it was suddenly 5-2....and the Reds are now down 10-1. If we win, there will be a playoff.
With our closer hurt and bullpen overworked, I but in David Cone in the 8th to go the rest of the way......until Rafael Palmiero hit a 2-run homer and it was 5-4 Dodgers with no outs after a walk to Mike Sharperson, I decided to bring in Chris George, who had a grand total of zero saves to try to force a playoff by getting 3 outs. On his 1st pitch, he inticed Jessie Levis to hit into a 4-6-3 double play and we were 1 out away. After a walk, Dave Martinez grounded to 2nd, and we did it. We made up 5 games in the last 9 games going 7-2 as the Reds went 2-7.
We will throw veteran Kevin Houston 15-12 3.09 ERA against Greg Swindell 14-13 4.18 ERA at home in Dodger Stadium tonite. Still no word on Joe Beckwith's injury, so we will go with Rick Moore if we need a closer
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