Baseball: Morris endures a change of fortune

JACK MORRIS and Lonnie Smith now both know all about the joy and despair of the World Series. Last year, Smith committed a base-running blunder in game seven that cost Atlanta a chance to win, and Morris went on to wrap up the Series for Minnesota.

On Thursday, in a perfect role reversal, Smith salvaged his reputation and saved the Braves from going home again as World Series losers with a fifth-inning grand slam off Morris to give Atlanta a 7-2 victory and trim the Toronto Blue Jays' lead to 3-2. Morris was booed as he left the game.

Morris wound up with the MVP trophy for winning the 1991 Series. Smith wound up being known as the man who lost it. 'I don't think I will ever get any retribution from that game,' Smith said. 'Some people considered it one of the major blunders in World Series history.'

Now, after beating Morris for the second time in six days, Smith and the Braves get another chance to capture what got away from them last year.

Smith's home-run shot over the right-field wall capped a five-run rally that began after two outs. It came after an intentional walk to David Justice and resulted in an emotional trip around the bases.

Morris struggled from the start, giving up a double to Otis Nixon, who then scored, on the first pitch of the game, and a solo homer to Justice in the fourth.

John Smoltz, again pitching after three days' rest for Atlanta, was also in trouble early, allowing two runs, but kept the Toronto bats quiet after Smith's blow before handing over to Mike Stanton in the seventh inning.

'It's a case of pitching against the same team two years in a row in the Series,' Morris said. 'They've seen me now in five starts. You keep trying, but sometimes the advantage switches sides.'