Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510090136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
The Atlanta Braves, still trying to become baseball's best, are back in the NL championship series for the fourth straight time.
Fred McGriff homered twice and drove in five runs as Atlanta overcame another shaky playoff performance by Greg Maddux to beat the Colorado Rockies 10-4 Saturday night and win the best-of-five series 3-1.
McGriff, battling a 3-for-14 slump, put the Braves ahead 4-3 with a two-run homer in the third, then added a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth.
Atlanta opens the championship series at Cincinnati on Tuesday night, sending Tom Glavine against the Reds' Pete Schourek. The Braves lost in the World Series in 1991 and 1992, then were eliminated by Philadelphia in the 1993 NL playoffs.
Maddux, whose regular-season record in three years with Atlanta is 55-18, hasn't been nearly as good in the postseason. He got the victory Saturday night despite giving up 10 hits and two homers in seven innings, improving his playoff record to 2-2 with a 6.62 ERA in six starts.
The Rockies, who made the playoffs in just their third year of existence, again couldn't overcome their shaky pitching.
Dante Bichette's three-run homer in the third inning gave Bret Saberhagen a 3-0 lead, but the two-time Cy Young Award winner couldn't hold it for even a half-inning.
Marquis Grissom, who had five hits, and Mark Lemke singled in the bottom of the third and Chipper Jones drove them in with a double past left fielder Bichette, who tried to make a diving catch. McGriff then hit a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence.
The Braves stretched their lead to 6-3 in the fourth. Ryan Klesko singled, Charlie O'Brien walked and Rafael Belliard was safe on a fielder's choice when second baseman Eric Young fielded his grounder and outran O'Brien to the bag. Young tried to turn a double play but threw wide of first, allowing Klesko to score and Belliard to reach second. Belliard later scored on Grissom's double.
Saberhagen, bothered by a sore right shoulder, gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings.
McGriff's fifth-inning homer made it 7-3 and Maddux, 19-2 in the regular season with a 1.63 ERA, gave up a solo homer in the sixth to Vinny Castilla, his third of the series.
Maddux struck out seven and walked none before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
The Braves added three runs in the sixth with another two-out rally. Maddux singled, Grissom followed with his fourth hit of the game and Lemke hit an RBI double down the right-field line. After Jones was walked intentionally to load the bases, McGriff greeted reliever Mike Munoz with a two-run single to right.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB