- 1995 National League Championship Series
Infobox LCS
year = 1995
champion =Atlanta Braves (4)
champion_manager =Bobby Cox
champion_games = 90-54, .625, GA: 21
runnerup =Cincinnati Reds (0)
runnerup_manager =Davey Johnson
runnerup_games = 85-59, .590, GA: 9
date =October 10 –October 14
MVP =Mike Devereaux (Atlanta)
television = ABC (Game 1-2)NBC (Game 3-4)
announcers =Al Michaels ,Jim Palmer , andTim McCarver (Game 1-2)Greg Gumbel andJoe Morgan (Game 3-4)
radio_network = CBS Radio
radio_announcers = Jim Hunter andJerry Coleman
umpires =Paul Runge ,Jim Quick ,Dana DeMuth , Gerry Davis,Randy Marsh ,Jerry Crawford
LDS1 =Atlanta Braves overColorado Rockies (3-1)
LDS2 =Cincinnati Reds overLos Angeles Dodgers (3-0)The by|1995National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of baseball's 1995National League playoffs, matched the Eastern Division championAtlanta Braves against the Central Division championCincinnati Reds . The Reds had the home field advantage.The two teams were victorious in the NL Division Series (NLDS), with the Braves defeating the wild card qualifier
Colorado Rockies 3 games to 1, and the Reds defeating the Western Division championLos Angeles Dodgers 3 games to 0. The Braves won the series 4 games to 0 to become the National League champions, and defeated the American League championCleveland Indians in the1995 World Series .This NLCS was notable as it matched up what had been the 2 easternmost teams in the
National League West Division from 1969-1993, both teams having been placed there at the insistence of theNew York Mets andChicago Cubs (the former team wanted the Cubs' rivalsSt. Louis Cardinals , then the dominating power of the NL, in theNational League East Division, and the Cubs wanted in the same division as St. Louis).ummary
Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta wins the series, 4-0
Game summaries
Game 1
Tuesday,
October 10 ,1995 at Riverfront Stadium inCincinnati, Ohio Linescore
Road=Atlanta|RoadAbr=ATL
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|R10=0|R11=1|RR=2|RH=7|RE=0
Home=Cincinnati|HomeAbr=CIN
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|HR=1|HH=8|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Mark Wohlers (1-0)|LP=Mike Jackson (0-1)|SV=Greg McMichael (1)|The opening game of the 1995 NLCS would be well-pitched and decided in extra innings. The only run allowed by
Tom Glavine , who would go seven innings, came on aRon Gant single following aBarry Larkin triple in the fourth.Pete Schourek was lights out the entire game, but allowed the Braves to plate a run in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. In the 11th inning, bench playerMike Devereaux singled inFred McGriff to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. ManagerBobby Cox needed to use three pitchers in the bottom of the inning, butGreg McMichael induced a double play that ended the game.Game 2
Wednesday,
October 11 ,1995 at Riverfront Stadium inCincinnati, Ohio Linescore
Road=Atlanta|RoadAbr=ATL
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|R10=4|RR=6|RH=11|RE=1
Home=Cincinnati|HomeAbr=CIN
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|HR=2|HH=9|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Greg McMichael (1-0)|LP=Mark Portugal (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Javy López (1)|HomeHR=|With
John Smoltz on the mound, the Braves took an early 1-0 lead, then got a second run in the fourth on aMike Devereaux RBI double.Jeff Branson stealing home in the fifth tied the game at 2-2. That score held until the tenth inning, when the Braves scored four runs and took the game. Cincinnati relieverMark Portugal 's wild pitch allowedMark Lemke to scamper home with the go-ahead run.Javy López followed with a three-run blast that blew the game open.Game 3
Friday,
October 13 ,1995 atAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium inAtlanta, Georgia Linescore
Road=Cincinnati|RoadAbr=CIN
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=1|RR=2|RH=8|RE=0
Home=Atlanta|HomeAbr=ATL
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=3|H7=2|H8=0|H9=X|HR=5|HH=12|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Greg Maddux (1-0)|LP=David Wells (0-1)|SV=Mark Wohlers (1)
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Chipper Jones (1),Charlie O'Brien (1)|Greg Maddux went eight innings and only gave up one run in another strong start for an Atlanta starter. LeftyDavid Wells , acquired by Cincinnati in anticipation of facing the predominantly left-handed Braves lineup in the playoffs, matched Maddux with a scoreless first five innings. But, right-handed Atlanta catcherCharlie O'Brien belted a three-run homer in the sixth off Wells. RookieChipper Jones hit a two-run shot in the seventh to make it 5-0 Braves.Mark Wohlers earned the save in the ninth as the Braves held on for a 5-2 victory.Game 4
Saturday,
October 14 ,1995 atAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium inAtlanta, Georgia Linescore
Road=Cincinnati|RoadAbr=CIN
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=3|RE=1
Home=Atlanta|HomeAbr=ATL
H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=5|H8=0|H9=X|HR=6|HH=12|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Steve Avery (1-0)|LP=Pete Schourek (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Mike Devereaux (1)|Steve Avery , who was inconsistent all season, got the start for Atlanta and tossed six scoreless innings.Mark Lemke hit an RBI single in the third to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The game remained close until the seventh, when series MVPMike Devereaux hit a three-run shot in a five-run Atlanta inning. Ahead 6-0,Bobby Cox took no chances and used closerMark Wohlers to finish off the Reds in the 9th. The shutout victory completed a surprisingly easy sweep of Cincinnati and sent the Braves to their third World Series in five years.Composite Box
1995 NLCS (4-0):
Atlanta Braves overCincinnati Reds Linescore
Road=Atlanta Braves
R1=1|R2=0|R3=1|R4=1|R5=0|R6=3|R7=7|R8=0|R9=1|R10=4|R11=1|RR=19|RH=42|RE=3
Home=Cincinnati Reds
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=1|H10=0|H11=0|HR=5|HH=28|HE=2Total Attendance: 188,497 Average Attendance: 47,124|Quotes
Trivia
* The Reds offense only managed to score five runs in four games off Atlanta's pitching staff, even with the fact that the first two contests went to extra-innings.
* This was the only NLCS to end in a 4-game sweep until 2007, when the
Colorado Rockies defeated theArizona Diamondbacks in 4 games.Notes
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