ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 7, 1997 TAG: 9704070150
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN THE ROANOKE TIMES
The Avalanche is 0-3 after a season-opening sweep by Durham.
The Salem Avalanche did exactly as its manager, Bill ``Moose'' McGuire, wished in the first inning. Unfortunately, it didn't do it again.
The Durham Bulls completed a season-opening sweep of the Avalanche on Sunday, edging Salem by one run, 4-3, for the second day in a row.
Salem's first four batters reached base, and it had four hits in the first inning. The second batter, David Feuerstein, hit an RBI double that scored Garrett Neubart from first base. Although the Avalanche was already down 2-0, it was the kind of play that makes baseball purists proud and baseball managers more proud. Neubart was running on the play and Feuerstein got his bat on the ball, an apparently perfect hit-and-run.
``It ended up looking like a hit-and-run, but it was just a coincidence,'' Feuerstein said . ``I was just trying to protect him with two strikes.''
A little good fortune like that helps when there was no situational hitting the day before. But the Avalanche (0-3) was good fortune-less, and worse yet, hitless, for the rest of the game.
As it turned out, a great outing by Mike Vavrek was spoiled. Vavrek had been scheduled to start the game, but because of rainy weather and the necessity of big-leaguer Curtis Leskanic getting an inning of live work, Vavrek was told an hour before the game he would come on in the second inning.
Leskanic is down from parent Colorado to make sure his surgically-repaired right shoulder is ready for the season. Although he said he felt no pain in his one inning of work Sunday, Bulls batters stung him for three first-inning hits and two runs.
``That's just the way it is when you're a reliever, you have great stuff one day and the next day you don't,'' said Leskanic, who will be ready to pitch for the Rockies on Wednesday if he has a pain-free outing tonight. ``I'm not worried about how hard I'm throwing. When you put fifty thousand people in the stands, it's amazing how a fastball can go from 93 to 97 [miles per hour].''
Salem went from two runs down to one run ahead, 3-2, in the bottom of the first, as Chad Gambill and Clint Bryant drove in runs. Vavrek held the lead through the five innings he pitched. The left-hander faced 17 batters, struck out four and gave up just two hits.
Bulls starter Kevin McGlinchy kept pace with Vavrek from the second inning on, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters he faced. Durham reliever Roger Blanco got the victory despite a rough seventh inning in which his 95-mph fastball hit two batters, including a shot in he side of Neubart's head that left the leadoff man stunned and lying on his back in the batter's box. Neubart said he was fine, just a little shocked.
Durham won the game in the eighth. McGuire pulled Vavrek's replacement, Sean Murphy, after he put men on first and second base with one out. On the next pitch, however, new pitcher Bobby Bevel put a fastball low in the strike zone that was sent skidding down the first base line by Bulls designated hitter Gabe Whatley.
The ball was ruled fair and Whatley was left with a two-run double that put Durham ahead 4-3.
The Avalanche had a chance to win in the bottom of the eighth. Bulls pitchers Charlie Cruz and Ken Giard walked the bases loaded with two out. As has been the story so far this season, however, Salem couldn't get a hit when it needed it most. NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY THE ROANOKE TIMES. Curtis Leskanic followsby CNBthrough after delivering a pitch for the Avalanche.