European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 b the stars and stripes tuesday october 15, 1991national league playoffs Lavalliere s hit pulls bucs even by Ben Walker Atlanta apr after Midnight came to Georgia Mike Lavalliere Rode to the Rescue of the Pittsburgh pirates. Lavalliere a Pinch single with two outs in the 10th inning drove Home the go ahead run sunday night and the pirates finally won in Atlanta beating the braves 3-2 and tying the no playoffs at two games each. A the Odds Are a lot better at 2-2 than if we trailed 3-1,�?� Lavalliere said. A but this team does no to think like that. We have the Best record in baseball so we weren to still it did t look Good after Atlanta got the crazed crowd of 51,109 chanting chopping and cheering with two Quick runs in the first inning. From there though pirate pitchers quieted the braves bats while the Pittsburgh hitters silenced the fans. Then 21 minutes after the stroke of Midnight Laval Lierck delivered the stroke to ensure the pirates that the series will return to Pittsburgh. A the Way 1 look at it we have been through a whole lot of games and in be had six years of experience and had All practice and training spot a Lavalliere said. Andy Van Slyck Drew a four pitch walk As the first Batter facing reliever Kent Mercker in the 10th and stole second with two outs. Steve Buechele who already had three hits walked. Mark Wohlers relieved and Lavalliere baited for Don Slaught. A Smerk Wasny to throwing the Ball Well a Brave manager Bobby Cox said. A i thought a fresh Arm would be Cox however did not want to go to Alejandro Pena the braves Best reliever for More than a month a the had pitched two innings last night and we were Only going to use him if we were ahead Quot Cox said. Lavalliere was witless in three tries As a Pinch hitter this season and it did no to look Good for him when he fell behind 02 in the count. Heathen lifted a Fly Ball into the stadiums ample foul territory Down the left Field line that fell beyond the reach of two braves. On the next pitch Lavalliere singled sharply to Center Field just the pirates second hit in their last 22 at bats with runners in scoring position. Van Slyke breezed Home and Buechele was thrown Van Slyke kinds of batting for that kind of out at the plate trying to follow him. A i knew i was facing a hard thrower and i was looking for a Ball in the zone 1 could handle a Lavalliere said. A i just tried to stay focused during the game in Case i could help the Wohlers gave up the game Winner on a fastball the Only thing he threw. A i was going to go with my Best pitch. I got beat earlier this year with my second Best pitch and i Wasny to going to let that happen a Wohlers said. �?o1 was trying to throw up and away and i got it Low and Stan Belinda held on for two innings for the Victory. He retired Pinch hitter Jerry Willard with a runner on second to end the ninth and watched Lonnie Smith and Ron Gant Fly out to the warning track in the 10th. The pirates baseball a Best Road team this season were 0-7 in Atlanta this year. Now even they were to Send Zane Smith against Tom Glavine in mondays game 5. Pittsburgh Ace Doug Drabek still unable to pitch because of a hamstring injury is scheduled for game 6 in Pittsburgh. A a in a not a big momentum Guy a pirate manager Jim Leyland said. A i think momentum ends with your next Days the fans meanwhile began chanting even earlier louder and More often than they did saturday and As they had All during the stretch again seemed to inspire their team from the Start. The braves for the 10th time in the last 15 Home games scored in the first inning. In their last 15 Road games they scored Only twice in their first at Bat. This time Smith hit Randy Tomlin a second pitch to deep right Center Field and the Ball bounced Over the Fence for a double Smiths first playoff hit in 11 at bats. Terry Pendleton followed with a Fly Ball to right Field that Bobby Bonilla caught and he unleashed a Strong throw to third. Smith dived in just ahead of the tag although Leyland went out to argue with Umpire Doug Harvey. With the infield playing in at the Corners and Back up the Middle Ron Gantus grounder to shortstop scored Smith. The braves did no to Stop there As consecutive singles by David Justice Brian Hunter and Greg Olson made it 2 -0. Olson whose two run Homer capped a four run first inning saturday also made Atlanta 7 for 15 with runners in scoring position and two outs. The burst also forced Leyland to get Pitcher Bob walk warming up in the first inning for the second straight Day. The pirates bounced Back in the second inning when Bonilla Drew a Lead off walk from Charlie Leibrandt and Buechele and Slaught hit one out singles for a run. Justice one of the stars in the series so far made a bad decision that Cost Atlan Mike Lavalliere connects for his game winning rib single sunday off Mark Wohler. To the tying run in the fifth. With two outs Gary Redus singled sharply and Jay Bell sent a Bloop single to right Field. Justice had no Chance for Redus at third base but threw the Ball anyway. And As always appears to happen in these cases the mistake was compounded when the throw went wild and Redus scored. A the Ball skidded on the grass a Cox said. A otherwise it would be been Tomlin settled Down after stranding four runners in the first two innings. He allowed Only one More hit and left after six innings. Buechele went 3 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice and tied the playoff record held by Many with five straight hits. Pittsburgh a Barry Bonds meanwhile was 1 for 5, making him 3 for 16 in the series and witless in 10 at bats with runners on base. Bonds Bonilla and Van Slyke combined Are witless in their last 20 tries with runners on base. A a it a Nice to be Back even a Leyland said. A and now it boils Down to a two of three opportunities late walks do in braves by Tom salad1no Atlanta apr not breaking the game wide open in the first inning Hurt the Atlanta braves. The walks they allowed a the 10th killed them. A the key to the game was walking those Guys in the last inning not the first inning a braves manager Bobby Cox said after Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 3-2 in 10 innings sunday night tying the no playoffs at 2-2. A a a Mike Lavalliere a game winning hit came off Rookie right hander Mark Wohlers on an 0-2 fastball. That was after Kent Mercker walked Andy Van Slyke to open the inning then walked Steve Buechele with two outs. But it never would have come Down to those walks if the braves had come through earlier. After Ron Gantus rib ground out and Greg Olson a run scoring single off Randy Tomlin Atlanta had runners on second and third in the first inning. But Mark Lomke ended the inning by bouncing to shortstop. A we got two runs in the first inning. I la take that any Day Quot Cox said. A we could have broken it open then but there were two outs and you Eanet get a hit every time. We just did no to do at the time also did no to think that was the key. A it looked like were were going to get something going but we stopped at he said. A we could t get anything going after that. Actually we did no to have a whole lot of opportunities after the first inning. Hopefully we could have broken it open but it just did no to happen a he said. A it was Early and i did no to think it was a key but right now it looks that Wohlers said the 0-2 fastball to Lavalliere did t w ind up where he wanted it. A i was trying to throw it up and away Quot he said a instead 1 got it Low and Wohlers has been clocked in the High 90s with his fastball and that s what he stayed with. Quot basically i threw him fastballs in and out Quot the 2"l-year-old said Quot of did no to want to get beat by my second the braves might have won the game had it not been for an unearned run in the fifth. Right fielder David Justice threw wildly to third base on a Bloop single by Jay Bell trying to get Gary Redus. The throw got past third baseman Terry Pendleton allowing Redus to score the tying run. Quot it would have held up a Cox said of the 2-1 Lead. But he defended Justice s throw although it was apparent he had no Chance of catching Redus. A the grass was wet and the Ball just skidded Quot Cox said. Quot those things happen Quot said Lemke who was covering second on the play. Quot Dave wanted to take a shot at throwing him out. It s up to his judgment. He s supposed to throw to the cutoff Man who cuts it off or lets it
