Lance McAlister

Lance McAlister

Lance McAlister covers everything in Cincinnati sports! Host of sports talk on Cincinnati News Radio 700WLW and ESPN 1530!Full Bio

 

This date 1990: Joe Oliver wins Game 2 1990 World Series for Reds

October 17, 1990

Game 2 World Series: Reds 5 A's 4 (10 innings)

Boxscore HERE

With the score 4-4 in the bottom of the 10th, A's closer Dennis Eckersley entered the game. 

Eckersley had been dominate that season (0.61 ERA in 61 appearances, 73 IN, 41 H, 5 ER, 44 BB, 73 K with 48 saves). Billy Bates, a 5'5 157 pound utilityman, led off the inning for the Reds. 

Bates, acquired along with Glenn Braggs (June 9) in a deal with the Brewers for Ron Robinson and Bob Sebra, had appeared in just eight regular season games for the Reds, going 0 for 5.

Bates chopped an infield single off home plate to start the inning. It was his only World Series at-bat, his only hit as a Red and the final at-bat of his ML career.

Chris Sabo followed with a single to left. Then Oliver hit a grounder that bounced over third base, past Carney Lansford and down the line to drive in Bates with the winning run.

The celebration was on. The series was soon over. The Reds were soon World Champs.

Earlier in the game.......

Starting pitchers: Danny Jackson vs Bob Welch. 

The A's scored in the first inning when Rickey Henderson singled, stole second and later scored on a groundout. The Reds took the lead in the bottom of the first when Barry Larkin doubled and Billy Hatcher drove him in with another double. Hatcher then scored on an Eric Davis groundout.

José Canseco hit a rocket into the right-center field seats to tie the game in the third inning (his only hit of the series/1 for 12 .083).

With the Reds trailing 4-2, Ron Oester's RBI single drove in Joe Oliver in the fourth inning to make it 4-3. It would be the last plate appearance of Oester's career. 

The Reds tied the game in the eighth when Hatcher tripled over a hobbled Canseco (suffering from back spasms) and then scored on a force play.

Lost in the shuffle......

Danny Jackson lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing all four A's runs. The Reds bullpen of Scott Scudder, Jack Armstrong, Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble combined for 7.1 shutout innings.

Times have changed.....

The two teams combined for just 9 strikeouts in 10 innings and 87 plate appearances: Reds 2 (Danny Jackson/Chris Sabo), A's 7. 

The call for Browning....

Tom Browning's wife Debbie went into labor during the game. She left her seat in the fifth inning for the hospital and Browning left with her. As the game went on, the Reds feared extra innings and wanted Browning ready to pitch. Marty Brennaman put out the call on the radio for Browning to return to the ballpark. Tim McCarver passed along the message on the CBS game broadcast in the ninth inning.


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