High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 1990 National League Championship Series was played between the Cincinnati Reds (91–71) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (95–67), with the Reds coming out on top in the series 4–2. The Reds went on to sweep the Oakland Athletics in the World Series in four games. This was also the only NLCS during the 1990s that did not feature the Atlanta Braves. It was also the first of four straight NLCS series to feature either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Pittsburgh Pirates.