Reds Manage to Win in Desperate Times

Marge Schott has tried a dog, which only seems to bring her luck, mostly bad.

A possible suspension from baseball, after all, seems pretty bad.

She tried a stuffed cow in a red dress, which brought nobody luck.

Tuesday night, she tried a stuffed gorilla and the Reds beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-1, in Cincinnati.

“We will have all kinds of stuff down here in the next week,” Cincinnati outfielder Eric Davis said.

Actually, the search for elusive luck began before the game. The Reds, off to their worst start in 25 years, were summoned to Schott’s office Tuesday and returned with Slugger, a stuffed gorilla wearing a Reds cap.

Slugger immediately became a target, being placed in front of the mound during batting practice, and the first player to hit the stuffed gorilla was pitcher Roger Salkeld. The stuffed gorilla was placed in the Reds’ dugout during the game.

Salkeld (2-1) then gave up five hits over seven innings. Jeff Shaw pitched a perfect eighth, and Jeff Brantley pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

It was the Reds’ fifth victory in 18 games.

“Everybody went up there [to Schott’s office] laughing and came out laughing,” said Barry Larkin, who drove in three runs with a homer and a triple. “So you can interpret that.

“Slugger got us off the mat today. We’ll see how long he keeps us off the mat.”

Schott also banished Elvis.

Broadcaster Marty Brennaman had kept a bust of Elvis Presley and other Elvis memorabilia on display as a diversion in the radio booth.

Schott asked the players if they wanted Elvis gone, and they said he should leave the building. “Elvis is the reason they’re off to their worst start in 25 years,” Brennaman said. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of.”

St. Louis 11, San Diego 5--Gary Gaetti homered with one out in the seventh inning to snap a tie and start a scoring barrage for the Cardinals, who had seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings at San Diego.

Florida 5, Montreal 0--Gary Sheffield hit a 453-foot, two-run homer in the first inning and added RBIs in the third and eighth innings for the Marlins at Miami.

John Burkett (4-6) allowed five hits and struck out seven before leaving after seven innings because of a stiff back.

New York 12, Atlanta 6--Todd Hundley homered and drove in five runs for the Mets, who won in Atlanta against Jason Schmidt (2-2), just back from the minor leagues.

Philadelphia 12, Chicago 3--Gregg Jefferies went four for five in his first game since being injured April 4, and the Phillies also got two three-run home runs from Pete Incaviglia in a victory in Chicago.

Houston 16, Colorado 8--John Cangelosi and Sean Berry each hit three-run homers in the fourth inning in Houston for the Astros, who ended a three-game losing streak.