The 1990 world series game 4 pitted the Reds against the A’s, and it was the Reds that took the lead early. The Reds led 3-0 in the second inning when Chris Sabo hit a solo homer off A’s pitcher Mike Moore. However, the Reds couldn’t hold their lead, as their offense was crippled by injuries.
The Cincinnati Reds, the defending world champions, played the Oakland A’s, who were playing in their first World Series game since 1945. However, the Reds lost the series in four games, and the A’s were victorious. This game is also remembered for Billy Hatcher’s seven consecutive hits. The series was also memorable because this was the second meeting between the two teams. Oakland A’s manager, Lou Piniella, was a longtime friend of Cincinnati Reds manager Tony La Russo. The two players were former teammates in Tampa American Legion Post 248.
The second half featured a dramatic finish. The Cubs scored five runs in the sixth inning, but the Dodgers’ inning featured a six-run eighth inning. Then, in the eighth, Johnson brought in left-hander Roger Moret to finish the game. The winning run was scored by Joe Morgan.
The Dodgers’ victory in the 1990 World Series Game 4 was a big win for the team in the series. They had a lot of pressure on their shoulders after losing two of the first three games. They had to win Game 4 in order to win the series, and they did. The ace pitcher, Ron Guidry, pitched a complete game despite the pressure and had a great performance. He walked four batters, struck out four and gave up just two runs in seven innings. The Dodgers then began to claw back against Guidry’s dominance.
In the game four, the A’s came back to the World Series after a 2-0 deficit in the series. Oakland’s outfielder Joe Ferguson committed a crucial error that allowed Bill North to score and Joe Rudi to score. Oakland’s catcher Bert Campaneris also scored a run. The Dodgers got only one run from Willie Crawford and Bill Buckner in the eighth and ninth innings.
The Reds’ pitching was a big factor in this game. Jose Rijo and Tom Browning both pitched solidly. Jose Rijo, a 25-year-old, topped the league in strikeouts and complete games. In addition to those two, Reggie Cleveland hit a two-run homer to lead the team in the first inning. Pete Rose added an RBI double. During the third inning, he advanced to third on an error by Mike Gallego. Lastly, Paul O’Neill put the ball in play to bring home Hatcher.
In 1990, the Oakland Athletics were the defending World Series champions and two-time American League champions. They were favorites to win the series and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Series games since the New York Yankees in 1976-78. They also had three former AL Rookies-of-the-Year, Jose Canseco, Walt Weiss and Mark McGwire. They also had the batting champion Willie McGee.
