 The Pirates were in the NLCS for the third year in a row after losing to the eventual World Series champion Cincinnati Reds in 1990 and the Braves in 1991.It was also the third of four straight NLCS appearances by either the Pirates or their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.The Pirates lost slugging right fielder Bobby Bonilla to free agency after the 1991 season, replacing him with speedster Alex Cole.