European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes october 25, 1991 a Page 28 braves pull even Smith keeps capitalizing on chances a1 Lan a apr of All the i prob Ables that keep happening to the Atlanta braves the most improbable May be Lonnie Smiths doing. Smith the Only person to play in four world series with four different teams even have been in the lineup for game 4 wednesday night. The Minnesota twins were pitching right hander Kevin Tapani and the righty hitting Smith had played most of the year Only against lefties. So who hit the Home run off right handed reliever Carl Willis in the seventh to tie the Smith game 2-2 and give the braves a Chance to win it 3-2 in the Bottom of the ninth Smith of course. A everybody knows lies in his fourth world series and he a not going to worry about pressure a said teammate Ron Gant. A if it Wasny to for him we would t be Here now with the series and if it weren to for Otis Nixon Smith have been playing. Smith Plato Ned in left Field with Nixon a switch hitter who played against right handed pitchers but Smith took Over full time when Nixon was suspended for drug use on sept. 16. Smith who hit a Home run in tuesday nights 5-4, 12-inning Victory Wasny to sure wednesday nights would make it out of the Park. A i thought i hit it hard enough to get out but 1 Wasny to sure until 1 saw it go Over the Fence a he said of the 397-foot drive to the deepest part of left Center. Smith could easily have been the Goat. Earlier in the game he was involved in a Bas running Blunder when he hesitated at second to see if Center fielder Kirby Puckett would catch Terry Pendleton a double and was thrown out at the plate in a jarring collision with Catcher Brian Harper. A i think that a the first Lime in be collided like that at the plate in my career. I Haven to had a lot of collisions a Smith said. A the mistake was made when Terry hit the Ball. I thought Kirby was going to catch it so 1 got a few Steps Down the line. When i saw it drop in i knew 1 had to kick in the Speed. I came around third and about hallway 1 saw Brian catch the Ball. I go around him and 1 could t go under him because he was by Ben Walker Atlanta apr finally Brian Harper missed a tag and the Atlanta braves were Safe at Home a again. For the second time in less than 24 hours the braves barely Slid past the Minnesota twins this time 3-2 on Pinch hitter Jerry Willard a sacrifice Fly in the ninth inning wednesday night evening the world series at two games apiece. A it s better for the players to win the close ones but it s better for the coaches and the manager to have some blowouts once in a while a braves manager Bobby Cox said. No such Luck in this one especially the Way Harper Hung in to tag out two runners at the plate in the fifth inning. Until the Bottom of the ninth the Only Way the braves could reach the plate was on Home runs by Terry Pendleton and Lonnie Smith. Then tied 2-2, game 3 hero Mark Lemke tripled to the base of the Wall in Lett Center Field and after an intentional walk Willard hit a High Fly Ball that pushed Back drawn in right fielder Shane Mack. The Ball seemed to blow Back toward the infield giving Mack a running Start to make a stong throw. Harper took the toss just up the third base line and nicked Lemke with his Elbow but just missed him with the Glove. A i took my time tagging up. I did no to get a real Good jump because i wanted to make sure i did no to leave Early a Lemke said. A i saw him get the Ball and we touched shoulders but he never touched me with the Glove. A i knew he was a Little upset but i saw a Safe and i Wasny to going to stick around a he said. A i got out of Harper vehemently disagreed with plate Umpire Terry tata and Flung his Mitt and mask. A whether i missed or whether i had the Glove on him i done to know to be honest a Harper said. A but in be never had a Call when i had that much Contact with my body and did no to get an several twins surrounded the umpires but Minnesota manager Tom Kelly did not Rush onto the Field to protest. A the was Safe at Home a Kelly said. A Harper turned to tag and swiped him and missed. Two great games and we came out of it bad. tata and Cox saw the play the same Way. Quot he hit him with his left Elbow but that was the Only Contact a tata said. A Lemke got around him and got the plate with his hand. Harper never touched him with the Glove. There was no doubt in my mind that he was Cox said he saw it clearly on a clubhouse to after the game. A i watched the reply or and he was Safe a Cox said. A there s no doubt about the play was even closer than the one that ended game 3 at 12 42 . Wednesday. Lemke s two out single in the 12th inning scored David Justice for that Victory. This time Lemke singled doubled and tripled. The twins after winning the first two games at the metronome did not win with Jack Morris on the Mound. Even though he out pitched John Smoltz neither got a decision As Minnesota fell to 0s in series Road games. Mike Stanton was the Winner this time and Mark Guthrie took the loss. Guthrie gave up Lemke s triple and after Jeff Blauser was intentionally walked Steve world series game 4 Atlanta a Mark Lemke scoots by Catcher Brian Harper with winning run in ninth. Bedrosian relieved to face Willard. Willard 31, has played for 14 teams in five organizations in 12 years. He split time Between the majors and minors this season and did not know he had made the postseason roster As a backup Catcher until 15 minutes before the braves left for Pittsburgh and the no playoffs. So with just one swing Willard became a world series hero for now and forever. And because of his Fly Ball the braves Are All even but also aware have to win at the metronome. A i done to think the Park is a big Factor in determining wins and losses a Smoltz said. Quot basically All it Means is that you Bat last. That a the Best because of it the braves have won two games despite leading for just six of the 39 series innings. The braves butchered a Bunch of chances in the fifth inning when Harper helped turn a double a single and a walk into two outs. Smith led Oil with a Sharp single stole second and Pendleton lined a 3-t pitch that carried Over Center fielder Kirby Puckett s head. Smith returned to second to tag up thinking the Ball might be caught Quot then took Oil As third base coach Jim Wil Olaf will return Page 25 Liams frantically waved him Home. Puckett made a fast relay to second baseman Chuck Knoblauch who turned around and seemed startled that Smith instead of scoring was Only Halfway to the plate. Knoblauch double clutched and bounced his throw Home and it still beat Smith by a wide margin. Smith tried to run through Harper and planted a pair of forearms in his Chest that sent the Catcher Bowling Over backwards but the Ball stayed in the Mitt. Mike Pagliarulo put the twins ahead with a Solo Home run in the top of the seventh and Smith tied it at 2-2 in the Bottom half with a Solo shot. Pagliarulo hit Minnesota a seventh Homer of the series and those have accounted for 11 of the twins 14 runs. Smith brought the braves a tie when he homered Over the Center Field Fence with two outs off Carl Willis Atlanta a fourth Home run of the series. Spoils College football scores schedules a Page 22 world series Box score Page 23 Clemson defense will prevail a Page 24 Angels Winfield parting company a Page 27 a
