1990 National League Championship Series

Infobox LCS


year = 1990
champion = Cincinnati Reds (4)
champion_manager = Lou Piniella
champion_games = 91-71, .562, GA: 5
runnerup = Pittsburgh Pirates (2)
runnerup_manager = Jim Leyland
runnerup_games = 95-67, .586, GA: 4
date = October 4–October 12
MVP = Rob Dibble and Randy Myers (Cincinnati)
television = CBS
announcers = Jack Buck and Tim McCarver
radio_network = CBS Radio
umpires = Harry Wendelstedt, John McSherry, Paul Runge, Dutch Rennert, Jerry Crawford, Gerry DavisThe by|1990 National League Championship Series was played between the Cincinnati Reds (91-71) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (95-67), with the Reds coming out on top in the series 4-2. The Reds went on to sweep the Oakland Athletics in the World Series in four games.

ummary

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati wins the series, 4-2

Game summaries

Game 1

Thursday, October 4, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioLinescore
Road=Pittsburgh|RoadAbr=PIT
R1=0|R2=0|R3=1|R4=2|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=4|RH=7|RE=1
Home=Cincinnati|HomeAbr=CIN
H1=3|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=3|HH=5|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Bob Walk (1-0)|LP=Norm Charlton (0-1)|SV=Ted Power (1)
RoadHR=Sid Bream (1)|HomeHR=|

Bob Walk was the starting pitcher for Pittsburgh and José Rijo was on the mound for the Reds. The Reds had two doubles in the bottom half of the first inning and scored three runs. This would prove to be the only runs they could bring across the plate for the entire game. For Pittsburgh, Sid Bream would hit a two run home run in the fourth inning, helping his team to a 4-3 win. Key Pirate play to seal game was throwing out pinch-runner Bill Bates, the trailing runner at the back end of a double steal in the ninth inning to get the second out. Pittsburgh took the series lead, one game to none.

Game 2

Friday, October 5, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioLinescore
Road=Pittsburgh|RoadAbr=PIT
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=1|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=6|RE=0
Home=Cincinnati|HomeAbr=CIN
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=1|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=2|HH=5|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Tom Browning (1-0)|LP=Doug Drabek (0-1)|SV=Randy Myers (1)
RoadHR=Jose Lind (1)|HomeHR=|

Doug Drabek, the National League Cy Young Award winner for 1990 took the mound against Tom Browning for a weekday afternoon game two. Cincinnati again scored in the first inning when Barry Larkin walked, stole second, went to third on a hard single by Herm Winningham and scored on a single by Paul O'Neill. The Pirates tied it in the fifth when Jose Lind, better known for his defense, hit a solo homer.

The Pirates appeared ready to take the lead in the sixth when Andy Van Slyke singled and went to second on a single by Bobby Bonilla. With two on and nobody out, Pirates slugger Barry Bonds came up with a chance for a big inning. Bonds popped out to deep right, and Van Slyke attempted to advance. But Paul O'Neill threw a perfect strike to Chris Sabo who tagged Van Slyke for a 9-5 double play.

The Reds regained the lead in the sixth when Winningham reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on O'Neill's double to make it 2-1. Drabek went the distance but got the loss. Browning got the win and Randy Myers got the save. The win tied the series at one win apiece.

Game 3

Monday, October 8, 1990 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Cincinnati|RoadAbr=CIN
R1=0|R2=2|R3=0|R4=0|R5=3|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|RR=6|RH=13|RE=1
Home=Pittsburgh|HomeAbr=PIT
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=2|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=0|HR=3|HH=8|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Danny Jackson (1-0)|LP=Zane Smith (0-1)|SV=Randy Myers (2)
RoadHR=Mariano Duncan (1), Billy Hatcher (1)|HomeHR=|

This was a weekday afternoon game, and for the first time in history, there were two scheduled off days between games. This set-up seemed to help Pittsburgh as it would allow them to have Drabek for game seven if necessary. Danny Jackson squared off against Zane Smith. But it was Mariano Duncan who stole the show.

In the second, Joe Oliver singled and Billy Hatcher homered to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. The Pirates tied it in the fourth when Jay Bell doubled, Andy Van Slyke singled to score Bell, and Van Slyke scored on Carmelo Martínez's double. In the fifth, Billy Hatcher doubled, Larkin singled, and Duncan hit a three-run homer to give the Reds a 5-2 lead. In the eighth, the Pirates got a run back when Barry Bonds singled, went to second on a walk, and scored on Mariano Duncan's throwing error to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the eighth, the Reds got the run back when Oliver singled and Billy Bates ran for him. Bates eventually scored on a Larkin single. The game ended with a Reds victory, 6-3, to take a two games to one lead in the NLCS. Duncan drove in four of Cincinnati's six runs.

Game 4

Tuesday, October 9, 1990 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Cincinnati|RoadAbr=CIN
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=2|R5=0|R6=0|R7=2|R8=0|R9=1|RR=5|RH=10|RE=1
Home=Pittsburgh|HomeAbr=PIT
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=0|HR=3|HH=8|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Jose Rijo (1-0)|LP=Bob Walk (1-1)|SV=Rob Dibble (1)
RoadHR=Paul O'Neill (1), Chris Sabo (1)|HomeHR=Jay Bell (1)|

Game 5

Wednesday, October 10, 1990 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Cincinnati|RoadAbr=CIN
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=2|RH=7|RE=0
Home=Pittsburgh|HomeAbr=PIT
H1=2|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=3|HH=6|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Doug Drabek (1-1)|LP=Tom Browning (1-1)|SV=Bob Patterson (1)|

The Pirates jumped out to an early 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first, and although they never relinquished the lead, they did need one more run in the fourth to win it. Game ended when Joe Oliver hit into a one out bases loaded double play, started by fill-in third baseman Bobby Bonilla. Final score: 3-2. Series score: 3-2 Reds.

Game 6

Friday, October 12, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioLinescore
Road=Pittsburgh|RoadAbr=PIT
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=1|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=1|RE=3
Home=Cincinnati|HomeAbr=CIN
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=X|HR=2|HH=9|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Norm Charlton (1-1)|LP=Zane Smith (0-2)|SV=Randy Myers (3)|

This game was famous for Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland starting a set up man, Ted Power, in order to keep the Reds from employing their successful platoon. Power pitched 2 1/3 innings prior to giving way to lefty Zane Smith in the third inning. The strategy worked in that it held the Reds to only two runs. The game winning RBI was hit by Luis Quinones of the Reds in the seventh. The close, defensive game ended with a 2-1 score, accentuated by an over-the-fence catch by right fielder Glenn Braggs, robbing Carmelo Martínez of a 2-run homer, to preserve the win in the ninth. Reds win series, 4-2.

Composite Box

1990 NLCS (4-2): Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh PiratesLinescore
Road=Cincinnati Reds
R1=6|R2=2|R3=0|R4=2|R5=4|R6=0|R7=3|R8=1|R9=2|RR=20|RH=49|RE=2
Home=Pittsburgh Pirates
H1=3|H2=0|H3=1|H4=6|H5=2|H6=0|H7=1|H8=2|H9=0|HR=15|HH=36|HE=5Total Attendance: 307,739 Average Attendance: 51,290|

Quotes of the Series

Notes