Sammy slams 56th
Sosa ties Cubs' home run record in 4-2 win over Reds
Posted: Wednesday September 02, 1998 09:36 PM
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Opposites attract: Sosa has hit 18 of his 56 home runs to right field AP |
CHICAGO (AP) -- A picture of Hack Wilson accompanied by his final
interview hangs on the wall next to Sammy Sosa's
locker. It's hard to miss.
"Talent isn't enough," Wilson said. "You need common sense and good
advice."
Sosa used all three Wednesday to tie Wilson's 68-year-old Chicago Cubs record,
hitting his 56th homer but falling three behind Mark McGwire in
a power race that has electrified baseball.
Sosa used common sense to relax following a three-strikeout game Tuesday
night; he heeded the advice of hitting coach Jeff Pentland who made him
concentrate on going to right field.
And then he used his immense talent to hit a pitch from Jason Bere into
the first row of the right field bleachers as the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2
Wednesday to cap a three-game sweep.
The Cubs won the game on Gary Gaetti's
two-run homer in the eighth. But the outcome, as always, was overshadowed
by another historic homer.
"Who had the record? Who?" Sosa joked as his locker was swamped by one
wave of reporters after another.
"I know a little more about Hack because his picture is next to my
locker. He was a great player when he was playing. I am lucky to be there
at the right time. People will now remember two guys, Hack Wilson and
myself. And the season is not over yet."
Unlike Tuesday night, Sosa didn't have to listen to McGwire's
performance. When the St. Louis slugger connected twice against the Marlins
to regain the lead, it was announced over the public address system at
Wrigley Field.
Sosa nearly came out and predicted McGwire would hit Nos. 58 and 59 when
the Cardinals played in Miami on Wednesday night.
"Fifty seven is a lot and everybody knows that. Mark has the possibility
to come back tonight and hit two more. He's playing in Miami don't forget,"
Sosa said.
Wilson, who still has the major league RBIs record with a mind-boggling
190, set what had been the NL record with 56 homers in 1930 before McGwire
connected twice Tuesday night.
Sosa, leading off the bottom of the sixth, hit an 0-1 pitch from Bere
just over the wall. Sosa had gone eight at-bats without a homer before
connecting.
Sosa's homer gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead and charged the crowd. Fans
chanted for a curtain call and as usual he gave them what they wanted.
Red menace: Sosa now has four homers and 11 RBIs in eight games vs. Cincinnati AP | |
The homer was Sosa's 15th to right field this season and this one just
made it.
"Those count, too," Bere said.
"I would have liked to have gotten the ball down but I elevated a little
and he took it the other way. He didn't try to do anything else with it
other than go the other way, and he has enough power that he can hit it out
to all fields."
Earlier in the season, while still with the Chicago White Sox,
Bere surrendered a homer to McGwire in interleague play.
"They've hit a ton between them," he said. "You just hope it's not at a
point in the game that really hurts you."
With runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh, Sosa flied
out to left against John Hudek to
complete a 2-for-4 day that also included a ground out and a bad-hop
single.
The Cubs, 16 games over .500 for the first time since 1989, began the
day one game ahead of the Mets for the NL wild card. They swept the
three-game series from the Reds, all come-from-behind wins.
Glenallen
Hill singled with one out in the eighth off Gabe White (5-5) and then
Gaetti hit a 3-0 pitch into the left-field bleachers for his 14th homer and
third since joining the Cubs on Aug. 19. One out later, Scott Servais
hit his seventh homer to give the Cubs a two-run cushion.
"It's incredible to be able to do what Sammy and Mark are doing," said
Gaetti who played with McGwire and the Cardinals earlier in the season.
"They are kind of feeding off each other. I'm in a unique situation to see
both sides. ... I got to root for Sammy. When he hits home runs, we're
going to win."
Felix
Heredia (2-3), who gave up a two-run double to Dmitri Young
that put the Reds ahead 2-1 in the top of the eighth, got the win. Rod Beck pitched
the ninth for his 42nd save.
Bere gave up one run and five hits in six innings in his return to
Chicago.
Chicago's Steve
Trachsel allowed just four hits in seven shutout innings.
The Reds went ahead in the eighth when Eddie
Taubensee's leadoff fly ball went off Brant Brown's
glove for a double. With one out, Matt Karchner
struck out Reggie
Sanders and walked Barry Larkin
before Young drove a Heredia pitch to right center to make it 2-1.
Notes: Sosa's homer also helped the Cubs set a club record. They
have homered in 15 straight games. ... Bere was 3-7 with the White Sox
before his release July 16. ... Reds first baseman-outfielder Roberto
Petagine was named MVP of the International League for the second
straight season. He batted .331 at Indianapolis with 24 homers and 109 RBIs
before being called up Aug. 12. ... The Reds return to Wrigley Field in two
weeks. ... Hack Wilson hit his final three homers in 1930 at Wrigley Field
against the Reds.
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