1995 Cincinnati Reds: Larkin’s Run

1995 Cincinnati Reds: Larkin’s Run

1995 Cincinnati Reds: Larkin’s Run

The after effects of the 1994 strike-shortened season trickled down into the 1995 regular season for all of Major League Baseball, but 1995 was a year where all clubs got back up on their feet and played baseball again. The Cincinnati Reds were one of the teams that were slow to get out of the gate with a positive vibe, but when they picked up momentum they didn’t let go of it. The Cincinnati Reds went 85-59 in 1995, winning the National League Central division by 9 games over the Houston Astros. The Reds went 12-1 against the Astros in head-to-head play. The Reds went 44-28 at home and 41-31 on the road.

The regular season got off to a rocky start for the Reds as they started with a 6-game losing streak as well as losing 8 of their first 9 games. Along with multiple winning streaks, however, the Reds easily turned things around by going 20-6 in May, 17-11 in June, 16-10 in July and 19-11 in August.

Shortstop Barry Larkin was one of Cincinnati’s leaders on the field of play as he batted .319 with 15 home runs and 66 RBI’s off 158 hits, 29 doubles, 6 triples and an impressive 51 stolen bases. Right fielder Reggie Sanders batted .306 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI’s off 148 hits, 36 doubles, 6 triples and 36 stolen bases. Outfielder Thomas Howard batted .302 with 85 hits, 15 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 113 games. Catcher Benito Santiago batted .286 with 11 home runs, 76 hits and 20 doubles in 81 games. First baseman Hal Morris batted .279 with 11 home runs, 100 hits and 25 doubles.

Left fielder Ron Gant batted .276 with 29 home runs and 88 RBI’s off 113 hits, 19 doubles, 4 triples and 23 stolen bases. Second baseman Bret Boone had 15 home runs and 68 RBI’s off 137 hits and 34 doubles. Third baseman Jeff Branson had 12 home runs, 86 hits and 18 doubles. Catcher Ed Taubensee had 62 hits and 14 doubles in 80 games. In just 33 games center fielder Deion Sanders, nicknamed “Prime Time”, managed to get 16 stolen bases. Pinch hitting corner infielder Lenny Harris, who would go on to be one of the best pinch hitters in baseball history, and center fielder Jerome Walton both had 10 stolen bases.

Starting pitcher Pete Schourek went 18-7 with 160 strikeouts and a 3.22 ERA and recorded 2 complete games. John Smiley went 12-5 with 124 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA, recording 1 complete game. David Wells went 6-5 with a 3.59 ERA and recorded 3 complete games. Mark Portugal went 6-5 with a 3.82 ERA. Jose Rijo went 5-4. Dave Burba went 6-2 with a 3.27 ERA, recording 1 complete game and 1 shutout. Tim Pugh went 6-5 with a 3.84 ERA. Closer Jeff Brantley went 3-2 with 28 saves and a 2.82 ERA. Xavier Hernandez went 7-2 with 3 saves. Michael Jackson went 6-1 with 2 saves and a 2.39 ERA. Hector Carrasco had 5 saves.

The Reds made quick work of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series as Cincinnati swept Los Angeles 3 games to none. In Game 1 on October 13 at Dodger Stadium, the Reds won 7-2. In the top of the 1st inning Hal Morris had a 2-run double to begin the scoring, and then Benito Santiago followed by clubbing a 2-run home run. Santiago returned in the top of the 5th to get a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Branson would follow with a 2-run double. In the bottom of the 5th center fielder Brett Butler got the Dodgers on the board with an RBI single, and in the bottom of the 6th catcher Mike Piazza hit a solo home run. However, Los Angeles wouldn’t develop a rally.

In Game 2 on October 4 the Reds won by the score of 5-4. In the bottom of the 1st inning first baseman Eric Karros got the Dodgers on the board first with an RBI double. In the top of the 4th Reggie Sanders responded by smacking a 2-run home run. In the bottom of the 4th Karros came back to hit a solo home run. In the top of the 9th infielder Mark Lewis hit into a fielder’s choice to score Sanders, and then middle infielder Mariano Duncan followed with an RBI single. Karros would come back again in the bottom of the 9th to smash a 2-run home run, but Los Angeles would fall 1 run short.

Much to the shock of the Dodgers, the Reds would put this series away in Game 3 on October 6 in front of their home crowd at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, crushing the Dodgers 10-1. David Wells held the fort down for Cincinnati as he pitched 6.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 run while recording 8 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 3rd inning Ron Gant started the hitting parade by crushing a 2-run home run. Right Raul Mondesi drove in the only Los Angeles run with an RBI single in the top of the 4th. In the bottom of the 4th Bret Boone hit a solo home run, and in the bottom of the 6th Mark Lewis provided the exclamation point of this rout as he clobbered a grand slam home run. Michael Jackson added to the lead by having a 3-run double in the bottom of the 7th.

Though they would end up getting swept by the eventual World Series Champion Atlanta Braves 4 games to none, the Cincinnati Reds had found a core nucleus of players that could build on for the future. However, as time would play out, 1995 turned out to be the best run that Barry Larkin would have at going after a World Series Championship.