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 Bochy is blowing this call Sports Illustrated baseball writer Jeff Pearlman reports on Game 4 of the NLCS
Posted: Monday October 12, 1998 05:27 PM San Diego's Bruce Bochy has blatantly outmanaged Atlanta's Bobby Cox through the first four contests of the NLCS. From starting little-known left fielder John Vander Wal in Game 3 to having closer Trevor Hoffman pitch two innings in Game 1, things have—99% of the time—worked out for the Padres. San Diego GM Kevin Towers calls Bochy a baseball genius. Players love his reliance on hunches. No doubt—the man has skills. That all said, Bochy is sticking with Andy Ashby—as opposed to Kevin Brown—to start Monday's Game 5. This is a BIG mistake. "It's Andy's turn," Bochy said following his team's crushing 8-3 Sunday night setback. "He's a big reason we're in this situation, and he's pitching on his normal days' rest." Now is not the time for Bochy—a notoriously nice fellow—to be nice. Atlanta is on a roll. The Braves pounded San Diego's once-invincible bullpen, and Andres Galarraga, the key to any offensive success, suddenly went large. His seventh-inning grand slam off Dan Miceli put the Padres away. His glove, finally, was golden. Atlanta starts John Smoltz, the winningest pitcher in playoff history, against Ashby. Smoltz was nasty in Game 1 (7 innings, 2 earned runs), and should be nasty again. Ashby is sometimes good, sometimes O.K., sometimes surprisingly bad. Brown, on the other hand, is a given. Even on three days rest, he will go seven innings, allow a run or two and strike out eight. With the home crowd rocking and the juices pumping, that would probably be enough for a win. But if the Padres have to return to Atlanta, they will not—can not—win this series. And Bochy the genius will suddenly look like Bochy the dope.
We remember: Immediately before Game 1 in Atlanta, Braves catcher Javy Lopez stood by the first-base line, explaining which club would advance to the Series. "The team with the least amount of errors," Lopez said. "That's what it always comes down to—mistakes. Remember my saying this. O.K.?" O.K. Lopez was right. Sunday night in San Diego, leftfielder Ruben Rivera's seventh-inning bobble allowed Andruw Jones to score the go-ahead run. That was set up by Randy Myers's wild pitch, which sent Jones to second. Atlanta, meanwhile, played goof-free ball.
Hairy situation: After Atlanta ousted the Cubs from Division Series play, Braves rookie closer Kerry Ligtenberg told of the deal he made with penmate Dennis Martinez. If Atlanta made the World Series, Ligtenberg would shave off his George Foster-esque lambchop sideburn. Yesterday, however, Ligtenberg entered the ninth inning with a clean, baby-butt-raw face. This is the same man who changes wrist rubberbands for luck, and wears T-shirts according to losing streaks. With the Braves dropping three straight, it was time to drop the hair.
Name game: Throughout the San Diego clubhouse, players refuse to call catcher Jim Leyritz "Jim" or "Jimmy" or "James" or "Jim Bob". Instead, it's "Junior." "As in Mr. October Jr.," says third baseman Ken Caminiti. "In the playoffs, he's as clutch as Reggie."
Not so Chipper: He may not rival Albert Belle, but Chipper Jones' three-game disappearing streak is getting annoying. Jones, the team's best talker, has avoided the postgame press ever since the first loss in Atlanta. For a guy who takes winning so well, this says a lot.
Celebs spotted at the games in San Diego: John Lithgow, Charles Barkley and Rudy Giuliani. The New York City mayor, a man who regularly deflects stories about his higher-than-Jerry Garcia ego, made members of the media wait 10 extra minutes for an elevator after Game 2, while he took his time mugging and strolling along (for the record, I didn't vote for him).
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