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Posted: Friday October 08, 1999 11:38 PM
HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The postseason dreams of the Houston Astros may have been snared in the webbing of Walt Weiss' glove.
The veteran shortstop made a spectacular stab to preserve a tie in the bottom of the 10th inning and Brian Jordan slapped a two-run double in the top of the 12th as the Atlanta Braves pushed the Astros to the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series with a 5-3 victory.
The Astros were on the verge of a 2-1 series lead in the bottom of the 10th as they loaded the bases with none out against Russ Springer. Jeff Bagwell drew a leadoff walk, Ken Caminiti singled and Stan Javier reached on a bunt single when Springer and first baseman Ryan Klesko miscommunicated.
Braves manager Bobby Cox, who brought Game One starter Greg Maddux out of the bullpen three innings earlier, summoned hard-throwing closer John Rocker. With the infield in, Carl Everett topped a weak ground ball to first and Klesko threw home for an easy forceout.
Tony Eusebio took a strike before lashing a one-hop shot up the middle that seemed destined to be the game-winning single. But the 35-year-old Weiss ranged left, stopped the ball and quickly fired to catcher Eddie Perez for another forceout.
"It was just a reaction play," Weiss said. "The ball was to my left, I just stabbed at the ball with my glove. He hit the ball so hard it knocked my glove off. The ball didn't go that far away, I just got the ball and threw home and Eddie made a great play to touch the plate. It was all instinct."
"I got exactly the pitch I wanted, it was a curveball," Eusebio said. "It short-hopped him and when I saw him laying on the ground, I thought, 'Oh my gosh.' I don't know how he made that play. I did everything I wanted to do on that play."
Rocker finished the inning by striking out Ricky Gutierrez. He survived a walk in the 11th before Jordan, who slugged a three-run homer in the sixth, came through again in the 12th.
"I saw (San Diego Padres closer) Trevor Hoffman come into a bases-loaded, no-out situation against us earlier this year and he got out of there with two strikeouts and a popout, so I knew it was possible," Rocker said.
Otis Nixon and Bret Boone had consecutive one-out singles in the 12th against Jay Powell (0-1), the Astros' fourth pitcher, before Chipper Jones advanced the runners with a groundout.
Jordan fell behind 1-2 before slicing an outside fastball down the right-field line to plate both runners.
"I thought they were going to walk me," said Jordan, who is 6-for-12 with seven of Atlanta's 11 RBI in the series. "Once they threw the first strike, I changed my approach. After that, I was looking for a pitch to drive and fortunately, I got it just inside the right-field line."
Astros manager Larry Dierker opted to keep closer Billy Wagner, who pitched the ninth inning of Game One in the bullpen. The hard-throwing lefthander has been battling tendinitis in his pitching elbow but Dierker said before the game everyone was available in the bullpen.
"I don't know why, but I'm so happy I didn't see him," Jordan said of facing Wagner.
Dierker defended his strategy not to walk Jordan and face Andruw Jones with the bases loaded.
"To be honest, I never thought of that. I really wish that he would've hit a home run instead," he said. "What are you going to do? If you load the bases, then a walk would force in a run.
I want to make the guy hit a real tough pitch. With the bases loaded, I don't want to have someone throw one down the middle to Andruw Jones. Jordan stuck the bat out and the ball went down the line. What can you do?" Kevin Millwood, who threw a one-hitter to win Game Two, tossed a perfect 12th for his first save since pitching for Double-A Durham in 1996.
"I knew there was a chance I'd pitch if something crazy happened," he said. "I'd only thrown 105 pitches on Wednesday and when I threw on the side earlier today, I felt pretty good.
Bobby asked me if he could use me for an inning if he had to, and I said I could go."
The Braves, who improved to 14-2 all-time since the introduction of the Division Series in 1995, can eliminate Houston on Saturday at the Astrodome.
The Astros scored two runs in the first and had Braves starter Tom Glavine on the ropes. Craig Biggio singled and took second on a groundout. Bagwell was hit by a pitch before Caminiti singled in Biggio. With two out, Everett and Eusebio walked, forcing home Bagwell. But Gutierrez, who is 0-for-10 in the series, lined to right field.
Atlanta scrambled to take the lead in the sixth with a two-out rally against starter Mike Hampton. Boone singled and took second on a wild pitch. Chipper Jones walked before Jordan hammered the next pitch well into the left-field seats.
Houston tied it in the seventh. With one out, pinch-hitter Russ Johnson doubled off Terry Mulholland. Maddux entered and pinch-runner Glen Barker stole third. Biggio walked despite appearing unable to check his swing on a full-count pitch.
Mike Remlinger replaced Maddux and surrendered an RBI single to pinch-hitter Bill Spiers. Bagwell was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Remlinger fanned Caminiti and got Matt Mieske on a flyout to end the inning.
The Astros stranded 12 runners, leaving the bases loaded in the first, seventh and the fateful 10th.
"It wasn't just the 10th inning, we had a million opportunities," Dierker said. "You can't keep going out there and not score any runs inning after inning after inning. How many innings went by when we had to score only one run? It was pretty weak."
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