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 NLCS Notebook Face it -- Ligtenberg's new look suits Braves
Posted: Tuesday October 13, 1998 09:11 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- The Braves bullpen has a new look these days, thanks to Kerry Ligtenberg's razor. The rookie reliever who recorded 30 saves this season shaved his trademark sideburns during Atlanta's weekend visit to San Diego for the NL championship series. Ligtenberg said the clipping had nothing to do with superstition or trying to change the Braves' luck. As it turned out, though, Atlanta won two in a row after he shaved, cutting the Padres' lead to 3-2. "There actually was some thinking behind it," he said. "I'm getting married in December and my fiancee was asking if I was going to keep my sideburns or not for the wedding. "I haven't decided that, but I told her I'd shave and get some sun on my face," he said. Should the Braves rally to win the series, though, Ligtenberg might attribute their change in luck to his change in look. "If we win four in a row, I'll take credit," he said. Valiant VaughnGreg Vaughn, out of the Padres' starting lineup since Game 1, is expected to return to left field for Wednesday's Game 6. "I've got the green light," Vaughn said. Vaughn left the opener of the NL championship series against Atlanta last Tuesday after straining his left quadriceps. At the time, San Diego said its 50-homer man probably would be sidelined 3-to-4 days. Vaughn made his first appearance since the injury Monday night in Game 5, striking out on three pitches from Greg Maddux as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. Later, Vaughn said he wanted to start Monday. "I felt I could play, but they wanted to give me one extra day just to be sure. Now, I'm sure," he said. Easy does itA lot of people in San Diego were sure the Padres were going to the World Series when ace Kevin Brown relieved in Game 5. Tony Gwynn, however, was not going to start celebrating early. "I wasn't thinking that because I knew everyone else was, 'Oh, this is a lock now,"' the San Diego outfielder said. "But you have to execute. And we didn't execute." Rocker rocksThe Braves figured lefty John Rocker would help them with his pitching and he did, retiring three straight batters to wind up with the win in Game 5 of the NL championship series. But Atlanta never counted on the rookie reliever making such a contribution with his bat and legs. The Braves led 5-4 in the eighth Monday night when Rocker, hitting for the first time since he played at Class AA Greenville, drew a walk from Padres reliever Donne Wall. Tony Graffanino followed with a double and Rocker showed surprising speed and skill rounding the bases. The former high school football player barreled into San Diego catcher Carlos Hernandez to score, and Graffanino also scored when Hernandez could not handle the relay. "I probably hadn't slid since high school," Rocker said. "That was fun." Around the basesMichael Tucker's home run and two singles gave him five RBIs in Game 5 -- he drove in a total of 10 runs after the All-Star break for the Braves. ... Even though he struck out as a pinch-hitter in Game 5, Atlanta's Greg Colbrunn accomplished a rare feat -- he cracked his bat without hitting the ball. Colbrunn's bat snapped when it smacked into his shoulder on the follow-through. ... Price of Success Dept.: Several thousand tickets for Games 6 and 7 were still available as of Tuesday morning. Among them were seats in the "skyline" sections in the upper deck down the lines at Turner Field. For the NLCS, those tickets cost $45; during the regular season, they go for $1.
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