Rivera plays key role in Game 1 win

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Posted: Thursday October 08, 1998 02:26 AM

Playing with passion: Rivera's aggressive baserunning helped the Padres take a 2-1 lead AP

ATLANTA (AP) -- Until Wednesday night, Ruben Rivera was best known as Tony Gwynn's late-inning replacement and one of the guys who joined the San Diego Padres in the Hideki Irabu deal.

Then the light-hitting rookie used some brazen baserunning to manufacture a key run in the Padres' 3-2, 10-inning win over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of the NL championship series.

Yes, it was Ken Caminiti's homer off Kerry Ligtenberg that won it. But the Padres wouldn't have gotten to extra innings without Rivera.

The 24-year-old outfielder was playing only because Greg Vaughn strained his left quadriceps in the fifth inning. Rivera, who hit just .209 in the regular season with 52 strikeouts, got his first playoff hit in seven at-bats when he doubled with the score 1-all. The leadoff drive in the eighth chased 17-game winner John Smoltz.

Ken Caminiti lifted a fly ball off John Rocker to center field, and Rivera slid into third base headfirst, just as a great throw from Andruw Jones arrived. Rivera probably would have been out had Chipper Jones held the tag, but he didn't. Rivera even overslid, but got back safely.

Padres division series hero Jim Leyritz hit a chopper that reliever Dennis Martinez fielded, but his soft throw to first tailed away from Andres Galarraga, and the first baseman came off the bag.

Rivera hesitated, took a step back toward third, then broke for home, sliding across headfirst as Galarraga's throw skipped away from catcher Javy Lopez.

Galarraga was hit with a fielding error and throwing error on the play.

Rivera wowed with his defense in spring training, then was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 16 when James Mouton went on the disabled list.

Rivera, a first cousin of New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, was acquired in the six-player trade that sent Irabu to the Yankees on April 22, 1997. The Padres had obtained Irabu's rights from his Japanese team, Chiba Lotte, but Irabu refused to negotiate with the Padres.

So Irabu fulfilled his wish to be a Yankee and Rivera joined the Padres. During trade talks with Seattle this summer, the Mariners wanted Rivera in a proposed deal for Randy Johnson that also would have involved San Diego pitcher Joey Hamilton, but the Padres wouldn't part with the prized outfielder.

Rivera often comes in late in games for Gwynn, who has been bothered by injuries this year. He's also made 44 starts in the outfield.

Vaughn, who hit a club-record 50 homers this season, pulled up between first and second after right fielder Michael Tucker made a spectacular catch of his fly ball just before running into the wall in right.

Vaughn apparently hurt himself running after Tucker's double to left in the third. The ball bounced off the wall and Vaughn bobbled it before throwing it in.  

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