G. Vaughn's Blasts Stun Cubs

After the fireworks smoke from Greg Vaughn's two homers had cleared, the Chicago Cubs found themselves with a second chance and a tough choice.

With the game on the line, the Cubs had to decide whether to pitch to Barry Larkin, who had beaten them with a ninth-inning double two days earlier.

Mark Lewis followed with a tiebreaking double as the Cincinnati Reds scored three times in the seventh inning for an 8-5 victory Sunday that turned on manager Jim Riggleman's most important move.

"What looks like an obvious situation isn't so obvious," Riggleman said. "You get burned either way."

Vaughn burned the Cubs early by hitting homers in each of his first two at-bats for a 4-1 lead. Chicago tied it at 5 as streaking Tyler Houston drove in three runs with a pair of singles.

That put the game on course to be decided by one move.

Terry Adams (0-1) relieved in the seventh, his first appearance since being disabled by a sprained elbow. He walked Dmitri Young to open the inning, then got a pair of strikeouts.

After pinch runner Michael Tucker stole second on Myers' second pitch to Larkin, the Cubs had to decide whether to walk Larkin with first base open and Lewis on deck.

In the series opener, Rod Beck had pitched to Larkin with runners on second and third. Larkin pulled a double inside third base for a 3-2 win.

As he stretched on deck, Lewis thought along with Riggleman and reached the same conclusion.

"I wouldn't want to face Barry in that situation, either," Lewis said. "I'd have done the same thing."

In one sense, it unfolded the way Riggleman had wished. He hoped his reliever would get Lewis to chase something out of the strike zone. Unfortunately for Chicago, Lewis' protective swing at a 1-2 pitch produced an opposite-field double.

"It was up and in. He fought it off and hit it down the right-field line," Adams said. "I'm not sure he knows where he hit it or how. He put a swing on it and it found a place to sit."

Brian Johnson followed with a run-soring single, his third hit of the game, for the final margin.

Scott Williamson (3-1) pitched out of a threat in the seventh to get the win, and Danny Graves got three outs for his fifth save in seven chances.

Vaughn, in a 5-for-40 slump, homered into the second deck in left field in each of his first two at-bats to extend a brief power surge. He homered and flied out to the wall in his last two at-bats Saturday, then hit homers that went 436 and 415 feet in his first two plate appearances Sunday.

Vaughn, who hit 50 homers last season for San Diego, is hitting only .204 this season. He has seven homers, but only 14 other hits.

"It feels good to hit home runs, but you have to be able to keep the ball in the park and still get some hits," Vaughn said. "It seems like the only time I get hits is when I hit it out. It's what you do between home runs that's important."

Both of his homers Sunday came off Scott Sanders, a teammate in San Diego last season. Sanders also gave up a homer to Johnson as he lasted a season-low three-plus innings.

"He's a great hitter and a streaky hitter," Sanders said of Vaughn. "I knew he was the key. I knew I had to get him out. He got me two times."

The Cubs caught up as Reds starter Jason Bere had another poor start and Houston remained on a tear.

Houston had a run-scoring single in the fourth that Young misplayed in right, allowing two runs to score on the play, and tied the game 5-all in the sixth with a two-run single off Scott Sullivan.

Houston went 2-for-3, leaving him on an 11-for-21 hitting tear.

Bere allowed five runs four earned four hits and four walks in five-plus innings, pushing his ERA to 6.53.

Notes: Henry Rodriguez was back in left field for the Cubs, a day after he had to come out of a game after landing hard while trying to make a diving catch. He went 1-for-4. ... Kevin Tapani will keep pitching despite a cracked bone in his left wrist. He was hit by Eddie Taubensee's liner just above the heel of his glove on Friday. ... Glenallen Hill became the ninth Cub to go on the disabled list Sunday. He's got a strained hamstring. Bo Porter was called up from Triple-A Iowa. ... Reese had three hits, extending his hitting streak to a season-high seven games (11-for-24). ... It was the 23rd two-homer game of Vaughn's career. He has never hit three in a game.

©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed