1995 National League Championship Series

1995 National League Championship Series
Atlanta Braves 90 - 54 in the NL	4 - 0 Series Summary	Cincinnati Reds 85 - 59 in the NL

1995 MLB Postseason
LG	Division Series	League Champ.	World Series
AL	CLE - BOS	CLE - SEA	ATL - CLE
	SEA - NYY
NL	CIN - LAD	ATL - CIN
	ATL - COL
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The Teams

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves had advanced to the series by winning in their Divisional Series matchup against the Colorado Rockies, 3 games to 1. The team was managed by Bobby Cox.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds had advanced to the series by winning in their Divisional Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to none. The team was managed by Davey Johnson.

Umpires

• Paul Runge, Jim Quick, Dana DeMuth, Gerry Davis, Randy Marsh, Jerry Crawford

The Games

Game 1

October 10, 1995 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH; night game (Attendance: 40,382)	Boxscore
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E Atlanta Braves 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 7 0 Cincinnati Reds 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 Win: Mark Wohlers (1-0) Loss: Mike Jackson (0-1) Save: Greg McMichael (1) Home Runs: none

Game 1 featured Tom Glavine against Pete Schourek with both starters allowing just one run apiece. Cincinnati's run came in the 4th, when shortstop and 1995 National League Most Valuable Player Barry Larkin tripled and former Brave Ron Gant singled on a hit to Jeff Blauser. The Braves' run came in the 9th. Chipper Jones singled, Fred McGriff's single moved Jones to third, and David Justice hit into a fielder's choice to Bret Boone, scoring a run.

Cincinnati reliever Jeff Brantley and Braves relievers Alejandro Pena and Mark Wohlers kept the game scoreless until the 11th. Cincinnati reliever Mike Jackson gave up a single to Mike Devereaux, scoring McGriff from second. Three relievers, Brad Clontz, Steve Avery and Greg McMichael held the Reds off in the bottom of the inning to preserve the lead and the win.

Game 2

October 11, 1995 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH; night game (Attendance: 44,624)	Boxscore
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E Atlanta Braves 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 11 1 Cincinnati Reds 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 1 Win: Greg McMichael (1-0) Loss: Mark Portugal (0-1) Home Runs: ATL - Javy Lopez (1)

Game 2's pitchers were John Smoltz and John Smiley. In the top of the 1st, Marquis Grissom singled, advanced on a Mark Lemke groundout and Jones drove in Grissom with a single for the Braves' first run. Atlanta scored again in the 4th when McGriff doubled, advanced to third on a David Justice fly ball to right and Mike Devereaux hit a double to left, plating Fred McGriff.

Cincinnati knotted the score in the bottom of the 5th with some luck and timely hitting. With one out, Benito Santiago singled on a bunt to third. Bret Boone then hit a comebacker to Smoltz for a single, and Smoltz made an error that allowed Santiago to reach third.

Smiley pitched five innings and allowed two runs. Dave Burba, Mike Jackson and Jeff Brantley held the Braves scoreless. Smoltz pitched seven innings, also allowing two runs and Alejandro Pena and Greg McMichael pitched a scoreless inning each, sending the game into extra innings.

In the 10th, Mark Portugal came in to pitch. Lemke singled to lead off, advanced to second on a Chipper Jones groundout. McGriff was walked intentionally and Justice singled, loading the bases. With Ryan Klesko pinch-hitting for Devereaux, Portugal threw a wild pitch, scoring Lemke. Klesko then popped out, but Javy Lopez homered, giving the Braves some insurance runs. Mark Wohlers pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning to seal the win.

Game 3

October 13, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GA; night game (Attendance: 51,424)	Boxscore
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Cincinnati Reds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 8 0 Atlanta Braves 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 x 5 12 1 Win: Greg Maddux (1-0) Loss: David Wells (0-1) Save: Mark Wohlers (1) Home Runs: ATL - Charlie O'Brien (1), Chipper Jones (1)

Game 3 pitted Greg Maddux against David Wells. For the first five-and-a-half innings, the game was scoreless, the Braves managing six hits, the Reds three. In the bottom of the 6th, Fred McGriff doubled, David Justice flied to right and Mike Devereaux walked, bringing up Maddux's catcher for the game, veteran Charlie O'Brien, who homered to put the Braves up, 3-0.

In the 7th inning, against pitcher Xavier Hernandez, Mark Lemke singled with one out and Chipper Jones homered, expanding the lead to 5-0. In the 8th, the Reds finally got to Maddux. Ron Gant singled with one out, Reggie Sanders singled to Rafael Belliard at shortstop and Hal Morris singled, scoring Gant. In the 9th, the Reds scored again when Jeff Branson doubled, advanced to third on a Eddie Taubensee groundout, and scored on a Thomas Howard sacrifice fly to Marquis Grissom. But Mark Wohlers got Barry Larkin to pop out to Belliard to end the game.

Game 4

October 14, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GA; night game (Attendance: 52,067)	Boxscore
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Cincinnati Reds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 Atlanta Braves 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 x 6 12 1 Win: Steve Avery (1-0) Loss: Pete Schourek (0-1) Home Runs: ATL - Mike Devereaux (1)

Game 4 had Steve Avery face off against Pete Schourek. This game was close going into the bottom of the 7th, the only run in the game coming in the Braves' side of the 3rd, when Rafael Belliard singled, advanced to second on Avery's groundout to Schourek, and scored on Mark Lemke's single to left. Through six innings, Avery allowed just two hits to the Reds, both singles for Benito Santiago and Barry Larkin.

In the 7th, Greg McMichael set down the Reds, and the Braves broke the game wide open, scoring five runs in their half. Marquis Grissom tripled, Chipper Jones walked and Grissom scored on a passed ball. Fred McGriff was walked intentionally, but that backfired when Mike Devereaux hit a three-run homer. Javy Lopez doubled, Ryan Klesko was walked intentionally, Belliard's groundout advanced the runners, and pinch-hitter Luis Polonia singled, scoring Lopez and capping the scoring for Atlanta.

Alejandro Pena and Mark Wohlers completed the shutout for Atlanta, giving them their third pennant in five years.

Series Summary

Game	Score	Date	Ballpark, City	Attendance
1	Braves 2 - 1 Reds (11 innings)	October 10	Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, OH	40,382
2	Braves 6 - 2 Reds (10 innings)	October 11	Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, OH	44,624
3	Reds 2 - 5 Braves	October 13	Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, GA	51,424
4	Reds 0 - 6 Braves	October 14	Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, GA	52,067

The Series MVP was Mike Devereaux of the Braves.

Related Sites

<< 1994 1995 Postseason 1996 >>

NL Division Series (3-1) Braves (NLE) over Rockies (WC) NL Division Series (3-0) Reds (NLC) over Dodgers (NLW)

NL Championship Series (4-0) Braves over Reds

World Series (4-2) Braves over Indians

AL Championship Series (4-2) Indians over Mariners

AL Division Series (3-0) Indians (ALC) over Red Sox (ALE) AL Division Series (3-2) Mariners (ALW) over Yankees (WC)