NLCS - ' 56 Cincinnati Reds triumph over the ' 54 Braves in the NLCS 4 - 1

Crosley Field was known as a great hitter's park and the first two games of the series certainly gave credence to that reputation.

Game 1; '54 Braves 14  '56 Reds 10

Game one featured a slugfest as Eddie Mathews and Joe Adcock hit back-to-back homers in the second and third innings to overcome a four run first inning outburst by the Reds to take an early 4 - 0 lead.  Adcock homered again in the 7th, his third of the game as the '54 Braves won the first game of the series 14 - 10.

Chet Nichols got the win in relief to even his record at 4 - 4 and Tom Acker took the loss in relief to go 2 - 2.  Dave Jolly threw a perfect inning in relief to get the save.

Ed Bailey, Wally Post, Ted Kluszewski and Frank Robinson homered for the Reds but it was not enough to overcome the 18 hit attack by the Braves. For Post it was his league-leading 19th blast of the season.

Game 2:  '56 Reds 15  '54 Braves 7

The bats continued hot in the second game of the series as the '56 Reds evened the series with a 15 - 7 win. The Reds tallied 8 runs in the second and struck for four more runs in the fourth.  Braves starter Gene Conley was the victim of the 12 run shellacking and Joe Nuxhall was cruising along until a three run blast by Eddie Mathews capped off a 6 run inning which brought the score to 12 - 7.  However Ed Bailey hit a three run shot in the bottom of the 6th to stretch the lead to 15 - 7,  Hal, Jeffcoat, the only effective pitcher in the game threw two scoreless innings to put the game away for the Reds.  Joe Nuxhall picked up the win despite yielding 7 runs in 7 innings to improve his record to 4 - 2.  In addition to the two Ed Bailey blasts, Gus Bell, ,

Ted Kluszewski and Wally Post homered for the Reds.  For Post it was his 20th of the season.

Game 3:  '56 Reds 8, '54 Braves 6

The series moved to Milwaukee's County Stadium fir the next three games with both staffs looking for a respite from the shelling dished out at Crosley.  Milwaukee ace Warren Spahn took the mound against Art Fowler.

After a scoreless first inning light-hitting shortstop Roy McMillan drove in two runs to give the Reds a 2 - 0 lead, which lasted until the fourth when Eddie Mathews hit a solo shot to bring the Braves to within one run.

But in the top of the fifth Fowler led off the inning with a single and Johnny Temple banged his second hit of the game.  Smoky Burgess followed with a three-run blast to give the Reds a 5 - 1 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth the Braves got to Fowler for 5 runs to take a 6 - 5 lead.  Pafko leadoff the inning with a double and Johnny Logan and Del Crandall singled to make the score 5 - 2.  After a Spahn sacrifice Bruton and O'Connell singled and with two outs Mathews and Adcock singled and the Braves took a 6 - 5 lead.

Hal Jeffcoat came on to start the sixth and held the Braves scoreless for three innings and Gus Bell hit a solo homer to tie the score at 6 all.

The game remained tied until the top of the 11th when pitcher Tom Acker led off the inning with a strikeout (the Reds had no bench players left).  Johnny Temple then doubled for his 5th hit of the game.  After a Burgess lineout Frank Robinson was intentionally walked and the Milwaukee manager brought in left hander Koslo to face Ted Kluszewski who then doubled to drive in two and give the Reds an 8 - 6 win.

Tom Acker shut out the Braves in the bottom of the inning and the Reds took s 2 - 1 lead in the series.

Game 4;  '56 Reds 5   '54 Braves 3

Braves fans hoped to tie the series as Lew Burdette took the mound against Johnny Klippstein who had an ERA entering the game over 6 runs and had been ineffective all season.

It did not take long for hope to turn to consternation as Temple walked to lead off the game and with one out Frank Robinson got an infield single followed by a Kluszewski single and a Bailey sac fly to give the Reds a 2 - 0 lead.

The Reds added to their lead in the third when with two out Robinson walked and went to second on a passed ball.  After an intentional walk to Kluszewski Bailey singled to give the Reds a 3 - 0 lead.

Milwaukee tallied single runs in the fourth and fifth to bring the score to 3 - 2 .  The first run scored on a single by Crandall driving in Logan who had singled earlier and in the fifth a two out Triple by Mathews plated O'Connell.

Ed Bailey homered in the sixth to extend the lead to 4 - 2.  In the seventh the Reds added another run as Thurman singled pinch hitting for Klippstein and scored on a Frank Robinson two out single.  Don Gross with an ERA of 7.05 entered the game and held the Braves scoreless in the 7th and 8th.

In the ninth Logan lead off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Crandall.  Pendleton then pinch hitting for the pitcher doubled but Gross settled down and retired the next two hitters on fly balls to nail down the win for the Reds.

Game 5;  '56 Reds 7    '54 Braves 4

Facing elimination the Braves the Braves sent Gene Conley to the mound to face the Red's ace, Brooks Lawrence ( 8 - 1).

Conley suffered the jitters and walked three batters and hit another leading to an early 3 - 0 lead for the Reds.  The Braves countered with a single run on a leadoff double by Bruton and a two out single by Joe Adcock.

The Reds responded in the top of the second with a solo home run from Gus Bell to again give Cincinnati a three run lead, but Milwaukee fought back in the bottom of the frame with a triple by Pendleton and a single by Bruton to cut the lead to 4 - 2.

Milwaukee tied the game in the bottom of the third on a Pafko triple following a walk to Aaron and single by Adcock but Lawrence induced Charlie White to hit into a double play with runners on first and third.

The game remained tied at four all until Ray Jablonski homered with two out in the sixth to give the Reds the lead, 5 - 4.

Don Gross held the Braves scoreless for the rest of the game and the Reds put the game away with a two-run ninth featuring Kluszewski and Bailey singles and Gross set the Braves down in the ninth.  Lawrence picked up the win with great relief help from Gross and Wilson in relief of Conley took the loss.

The MVP of the series was Ed Bailey who delivered timely hits throughout the series.  In the five games  he batted .500, scored 7 runs, knocked in 11 and hit 5 homers.

--submitted by Jim Clouser--