Blue Jays Don't Get Calls, But Get Victory -- Umpire Misses Play At Plate By A Hand

ATLANTA - On a wild night in Georgia, some wild plays nearly cost the Toronto Blue Jays Game 2 of the World Series.

Roberto Alomar's hand, umpire Mike Reilly's eyes and Dave Justice's back were involved before Ed Sprague's bat settled Toronto's 5-4 victory over Atlanta last night.

In the fourth inning, Alomar was called out at home when he tried to score on a pitch that eluded Damon Berryhill. The catcher threw to pitcher John Smoltz, covering the plate, and Reilly called Alomar out even though his hand clearly crossed the plate before Smoltz tagged him.

In the second, the Braves picked up a run after shortstop Manuel Lee's throw to third baseman Kelly Gruber hit Justice, who was running to third, in the back. Justice later scored the game's first run on a wild pitch.

"That's all in the game of baseball," said Toronto's Derek Bell, who walked before Sprague's ninth-inning, pinch-hit homer. "Everything goes the other way. You say, `How are we going to get out of this?'

"Then, bam, we hit the home run and take the lead."

Alomar and Toronto Manager Cito Gaston argued the call at the plate with Reilly.

"One call can blow the game and we are lucky that we came away with the win," Alomar said. "I know Cito told him he blew the call.

"I just told him, `This is the World Series. Any run, any at-bat is important.' "

"In my judgment, Smoltz made the tag and he was out," Reilly said. "That's all there was to it."

If Reilly made a mistake, he wasn't the only one.

Atlanta's Smoltz threw two wild pitches, and first baseman Sid Bream made a bad relay that helped Toronto score in the fifth.

Toronto starter David Cone had one wild pitch, and catcher Pat Borders threw the ball into center field trying to stop Deion Sanders from stealing, allowing Sanders to take third in the two-run fifth.

NOTES BLUE JAY PITCHERS WALK ON WILD SIDE -- ATLANTA - Toronto pitcher David Cone's five walks in 4 1/3 innings last night gave Toronto starters 10 walks in 10 1/3 innings in Games 1 and 2. Jack Morris walked five Saturday night.

To make matters worse, relief pitcher Tom Henke hit Atlanta's Lonnie Smith and then, in a 10-pitch battle, walked Deion Sanders in the ninth inning last night.

"I wasn't worried out there and I wasn't having trouble," Henke said. "I was just boosting the (TV) ratings. Hey, I got three outs. That's all that matters."

Cone was more happy with his hitting - he was 2-for-2 - than his pitching.

"I didn't pitch well," he said. "This is not what I envisioned. I put too much pressure on myself."

-- Although there has been speculation that Atlanta would use four starters, Manager Bobby Cox said he will bring Game 1 winner Tom Glavine back on three days' rest in Game 4 Wednesday.

-- Jose Guzman, who will start Game 3 for Toronto, has a training routine that includes running stairs in the stadium between starts.

Is he superstitious? "No. I'm a hard worker."

-- Toronto General Manager Pat Gillick said he will retire after the 1994 season, when he is 57.

"I've just seen guys stay too long," said Gillick. "I don't want to be one of those guys who hang around too long."

-- When Toronto's Todd Stottlemyre pitched in Game 1, it marked the second time a father-son combination had pitched in World Series games. Stottlemyre's father, Mel Stottlemyre, pitched in several World Series with the Yankees. The other combination was Jim Bagby Sr., for Cleveland in 1920, and Jim Bagby Jr., for the Boston Red Sox in 1946.

- TIMES NEWS SERVICES