Braves Surge Past Indians Late to Take 3-1 Series Lead in 1995 World Series
By Adam Weinrib
Another day, another magical seventh inning for the Atlanta Braves.
And this time around, it might've been the key to avoiding the dreaded "seven" -- a winner-take-all affair when it might take far less slugging than that to secure a championship.
That's where the Braves find themselves now, with one more game left to play in Cleveland and a 3-1 series lead.
Atlanta was victorious after a three-run seventh broke a 1-1 tie, leaving Steve Avery victorious, the third Braves starter to secure a win in this series already (sorry, Smoltzie).
Locked in a scoreless tie in the sixth, unable to solve Ken Hill, Ryan Klesko unloaded for the second straight affair, redefining the term "no-doubter" with this Herculean thunderbolt.
Though Albert Belle's power returned in the bottom of the inning to even things up, Luis Polonia broke the tie once more with a RBI double in the seventh, part of a three-run rally that sealed the game, an eventual 5-2 triumph.
This game was quite representative of the series as a whole -- exemplary starting pitching from the Tomahawk Choppers, a late-inning rally, and more Indians futility when it mattered most. Cleveland went a robust 0-8 with RISP, proving once again they don't have the mettle to translate their record-setting regular season output to the big stage.
Atlanta tries to finish this one off on Thursday night at Jacobs Field. If they're unable to do so, perhaps it would be more satisfying to secure the series at home, anyway.