Atlanta Braves (0-0) at Arizona Diamondbacks (0-0),
4:20 p.m.
Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Probable Pitchers
Atlanta - Greg Maddux Record: 0-0 ERA: 3.00
Arizona - Randy Johnson Record: 0-1 ERA: 3.38
(Sports Network) - A total of seven Cy Young Awards will be on display this
afternoon at Bank One Ballpark when Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves
open their best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the
Arizona Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson.
The Braves, owners of the worst record of the eight playoff teams this season,
are in the Championship Series for the ninth time in 10 years after sweeping the
Houston Astros in a best-of-five NL Division Series.
Their opponent, the Diamondbacks, defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in five
thrilling games for their first-ever postseason series win to advance to the NLCS
for the first time in the franchise's four-year existence.
Arizona needed every inning of every game to move on, beating the Cardinals by
a 2-1 score on Sunday at Bank One Ballpark. It reached the playoffs by virtue of
winning the National League West, while the Braves won their unprecedented
10th consecutive division crown, outdistancing the surprising Phillies by two
games.
Johnson, who is a strong candidate to win his fourth Cy Young Award and third
in a row after going a career-best 21-6 during the season with a whopping 372
strikeouts and a major league-leading 2.49 earned run average, takes the mound
in front of the home faithful today.
The "Big Unit" has some demons to exorcise after losing his seventh straight
postseason decision in Game 2 of the NLDS. The hard-throwing lefthander was
outpitched by Woody Williams in a 4-1 loss, permitting three runs on six hits
over eight innings. He walked two, fanned nine and allowed a two-run homer to
Albert Pujols in the top of a shaky first inning.
"I would much rather have the expectations put on me, and have them put on
me by my teammates and myself because those are the only two elements that
really matter," said Johnson. "My teammates are counting on me. I count on
going out there and pitching a good game." Johnson's seven consecutive losses
in the playoffs is a major league record.
He has not appeared in the Championship Series since 1995, when he went 0-1
for the Seattle Mariners with a 2.35 ERA, spanning a pair of starts. For his
career, Johnson is 2-7 in the postseason.
He faced the Braves once during the regular season and was tagged with the
loss, surrendering three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning 12 over
eight innings. Lifetime, Johnson is 3-4 versus Atlanta with a 5.17 ERA.
Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has given Johnson trouble in his career,
batting .429 with six home runs in 21 at-bats. Still and all, the 1999 NL Most
Valuable Player knows facing Johnson is no easy task.
"I never look forward to facing Randy Johnson," said Jones, who hit .444 with a
pair of homers and five RBI versus Houston in the Division Series. " I like guys
that I can walk into the batter's box and feel comfortable." Maddux started
Game 1 against the Astros and did not factor into the decision after surrendering
three runs -- two earned -- on four hits in six frames. He struggled at the end of
the regular season, dropping his last four decisions to lose 11 games for the first
time since 1996.
After suffering a hyperextended elbow on September 22, the four-time Cy Young
Award winner lost back-to-back starts to finish 3-6 in his final 12 starts of the
year. The crafty righthander faced the Diamondbacks twice this season and was
tagged with the loss both times, allowing a total of 13 runs on 21 hits over 11
2/3 innings.
Lifetime, Maddux is 1-4 versus Arizona, including 0-3 with a 6.50 earned run
average at Bank One Ballpark. On April 26 in Phoenix, he yielded seven runs on
nine hits over 5 2/3 frames in a 13-6 loss.
For all of his success and accolades throughout his career, Maddux is only
10-11 lifetime in the postseason. He has appeared in 13 NLCS games -- 12 as a
starter -- and is 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA. Monday, the 35-year-old hurler tried to
explain why his career record in the playoffs is under .500 "Probably the biggest
thing is I don't get to face the last-place teams," said Maddux, who went 17-11
with a 3.05 ERA during the season. "You don't get away with the mistakes in
the postseason that you get away with during the season." While the Braves are
ecstatic that their sweep of Houston enables them to start the NLCS with a
fresh pitching staff, there is some concern surrounding the effect it will have at
the plate.
"Idle time in the playoffs is the worst thing to do," said Jones. "All you do is sit
home and get jittery and anxious to play. Having three days off for us hasn't
been real good in the past. We haven't played good after one day off, much less
three." The Braves were just 1-5 in their first six games following the September
11 tragedies and scored three runs or less in five of those contests. Before the
season was interrupted, they had won five-of-six.
Atlanta is expected to once again be without the services of starting catcher
Javy Lopez, who has been sidelined with a severely sprained left ankle since
September 30. Lopez has been able to swing the bat without much pain, but
crouching behind the plate has posed a problem. Braves manager Bobby Cox
has indicated that he would not put Lopez on the NLCS roster if he's only able
to serve as a pinch-hitter.
"Right now I can't catch the way I catch," said Lopez, who batted .267 with 17
homers and 66 RBI during the regular season. "A series like that you ought to
put out a guy who's completely healthy and can do everything. Pinch-hitting is
one thing, but catching is another. There's only one guy and that's [Paul] Bako.
He's the one that deserves to be out there right now." After serving as Lopez'
caddie during the season and catching only when Maddux was on the hill, Bako
has performed well in Lopez' absence. He is batting .429 (9-for-21) since taking
over and came up big in Game 3 versus Houston with a two-run homer and three
RBI.
"It's not easy to get your timing down hitting every fifth day," said Bako.
"But the last couple of weeks, I've been able to get into a rhythm, knowing I'm
going to get to play." For the Diamondbacks offensively, Steve Finley (.421) is
swinging a hot bat as is Reggie Sanders (.357). However, Matt Williams (.063),
Mark Grace (.214) and Luis Gonzalez each struggled in the series versus St.
Louis, leading to a mere 10 runs in five games.
Gonzalez batted .325 with 57 homers and 142 RBI during the year, but was only
5-for-19 with one homer and one RBI in the NLDS.
Arizona won the season series by a 5-2 margin, including a three-game sweep
at Turner Field. Tom Glavine and John Burkett posted the lone victories for the
Braves.
The Diamondbacks were 48-33 during the regular season at home, while Atlanta
finished 48-33 as the guest -- second only to Houston's 49 road wins in the
Senior Circuit.
October 16, 2001, at 10:23 AM ET
Information provided in cooperation with The Sports Network
4:20 p.m.
Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Probable Pitchers
Atlanta - Greg Maddux Record: 0-0 ERA: 3.00
Arizona - Randy Johnson Record: 0-1 ERA: 3.38
(Sports Network) - A total of seven Cy Young Awards will be on display this
afternoon at Bank One Ballpark when Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves
open their best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the
Arizona Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson.
The Braves, owners of the worst record of the eight playoff teams this season,
are in the Championship Series for the ninth time in 10 years after sweeping the
Houston Astros in a best-of-five NL Division Series.
Their opponent, the Diamondbacks, defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in five
thrilling games for their first-ever postseason series win to advance to the NLCS
for the first time in the franchise's four-year existence.
Arizona needed every inning of every game to move on, beating the Cardinals by
a 2-1 score on Sunday at Bank One Ballpark. It reached the playoffs by virtue of
winning the National League West, while the Braves won their unprecedented
10th consecutive division crown, outdistancing the surprising Phillies by two
games.
Johnson, who is a strong candidate to win his fourth Cy Young Award and third
in a row after going a career-best 21-6 during the season with a whopping 372
strikeouts and a major league-leading 2.49 earned run average, takes the mound
in front of the home faithful today.
The "Big Unit" has some demons to exorcise after losing his seventh straight
postseason decision in Game 2 of the NLDS. The hard-throwing lefthander was
outpitched by Woody Williams in a 4-1 loss, permitting three runs on six hits
over eight innings. He walked two, fanned nine and allowed a two-run homer to
Albert Pujols in the top of a shaky first inning.
"I would much rather have the expectations put on me, and have them put on
me by my teammates and myself because those are the only two elements that
really matter," said Johnson. "My teammates are counting on me. I count on
going out there and pitching a good game." Johnson's seven consecutive losses
in the playoffs is a major league record.
He has not appeared in the Championship Series since 1995, when he went 0-1
for the Seattle Mariners with a 2.35 ERA, spanning a pair of starts. For his
career, Johnson is 2-7 in the postseason.
He faced the Braves once during the regular season and was tagged with the
loss, surrendering three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning 12 over
eight innings. Lifetime, Johnson is 3-4 versus Atlanta with a 5.17 ERA.
Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has given Johnson trouble in his career,
batting .429 with six home runs in 21 at-bats. Still and all, the 1999 NL Most
Valuable Player knows facing Johnson is no easy task.
"I never look forward to facing Randy Johnson," said Jones, who hit .444 with a
pair of homers and five RBI versus Houston in the Division Series. " I like guys
that I can walk into the batter's box and feel comfortable." Maddux started
Game 1 against the Astros and did not factor into the decision after surrendering
three runs -- two earned -- on four hits in six frames. He struggled at the end of
the regular season, dropping his last four decisions to lose 11 games for the first
time since 1996.
After suffering a hyperextended elbow on September 22, the four-time Cy Young
Award winner lost back-to-back starts to finish 3-6 in his final 12 starts of the
year. The crafty righthander faced the Diamondbacks twice this season and was
tagged with the loss both times, allowing a total of 13 runs on 21 hits over 11
2/3 innings.
Lifetime, Maddux is 1-4 versus Arizona, including 0-3 with a 6.50 earned run
average at Bank One Ballpark. On April 26 in Phoenix, he yielded seven runs on
nine hits over 5 2/3 frames in a 13-6 loss.
For all of his success and accolades throughout his career, Maddux is only
10-11 lifetime in the postseason. He has appeared in 13 NLCS games -- 12 as a
starter -- and is 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA. Monday, the 35-year-old hurler tried to
explain why his career record in the playoffs is under .500 "Probably the biggest
thing is I don't get to face the last-place teams," said Maddux, who went 17-11
with a 3.05 ERA during the season. "You don't get away with the mistakes in
the postseason that you get away with during the season." While the Braves are
ecstatic that their sweep of Houston enables them to start the NLCS with a
fresh pitching staff, there is some concern surrounding the effect it will have at
the plate.
"Idle time in the playoffs is the worst thing to do," said Jones. "All you do is sit
home and get jittery and anxious to play. Having three days off for us hasn't
been real good in the past. We haven't played good after one day off, much less
three." The Braves were just 1-5 in their first six games following the September
11 tragedies and scored three runs or less in five of those contests. Before the
season was interrupted, they had won five-of-six.
Atlanta is expected to once again be without the services of starting catcher
Javy Lopez, who has been sidelined with a severely sprained left ankle since
September 30. Lopez has been able to swing the bat without much pain, but
crouching behind the plate has posed a problem. Braves manager Bobby Cox
has indicated that he would not put Lopez on the NLCS roster if he's only able
to serve as a pinch-hitter.
"Right now I can't catch the way I catch," said Lopez, who batted .267 with 17
homers and 66 RBI during the regular season. "A series like that you ought to
put out a guy who's completely healthy and can do everything. Pinch-hitting is
one thing, but catching is another. There's only one guy and that's [Paul] Bako.
He's the one that deserves to be out there right now." After serving as Lopez'
caddie during the season and catching only when Maddux was on the hill, Bako
has performed well in Lopez' absence. He is batting .429 (9-for-21) since taking
over and came up big in Game 3 versus Houston with a two-run homer and three
RBI.
"It's not easy to get your timing down hitting every fifth day," said Bako.
"But the last couple of weeks, I've been able to get into a rhythm, knowing I'm
going to get to play." For the Diamondbacks offensively, Steve Finley (.421) is
swinging a hot bat as is Reggie Sanders (.357). However, Matt Williams (.063),
Mark Grace (.214) and Luis Gonzalez each struggled in the series versus St.
Louis, leading to a mere 10 runs in five games.
Gonzalez batted .325 with 57 homers and 142 RBI during the year, but was only
5-for-19 with one homer and one RBI in the NLDS.
Arizona won the season series by a 5-2 margin, including a three-game sweep
at Turner Field. Tom Glavine and John Burkett posted the lone victories for the
Braves.
The Diamondbacks were 48-33 during the regular season at home, while Atlanta
finished 48-33 as the guest -- second only to Houston's 49 road wins in the
Senior Circuit.
October 16, 2001, at 10:23 AM ET
Information provided in cooperation with The Sports Network
