THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9406230523
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM LEO, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940623 LENGTH: SYRACUSE, N.Y.
In Jacome's only other appearance against Syracuse, he allowed seven hits in nine innings and beat the Chiefs, 5-1, on April 22 in Norfolk.
{REST} ``I was going mostly with fastballs and changeups,'' said Jacome, who improved to 7-4 with a 2.64 earned-run average. ``I was just throwing breaking balls to throw them off a little bit and let them know that I wasn't going to throw all straight stuff.''
Jacome struck out six and walked four, one intentionally.
``Just looking at him, Jason looks very small and not that strong,'' Tides pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. ``So his appearance might give some hitters a false reading.
``There's some sneakiness to his fastball and Jason made the Syracuse hitters aware from the start that he could get them out with his fastball.''
Syracuse first baseman Ray Giannelli said even late in the game, he was fooled by Jacome's fastball when he got jammed and managed to bloop an opposite-field single to left.
``He kind of short arms the ball and it gets on you quicker than you think,'' Giannelli said. ``I'd seen him all day, but he still was able to get inside and jam me in the ninth inning. He pitched a great game.''
The only offense the Chiefs were able to muster came in the third inning when shortstop Alex Gonzalez belted a three-run home run.
After that, only three Syracuse runners reached second base. Jacome also was able to end Robert Perez's 22-game hitting streak, which set a Syracuse franchise record.
Perez grounded out to second in the first, bounced out to third in the third, was intentionally walked in the sixth and lined out to second base in the eighth.
``When he has trouble early, that's usually his last trouble of the game,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``He's some kind of competitor.''
Jim Vatcher's home run gave the Tides a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Tito Navarro tripled in the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Omar Garcia.
Norfolk added two runs in the seventh when reliever Les Lancaster walked Joe Kmak with the bases loaded. Quilvio Veras followed with a sacrifice fly.
Garcia added an RBI-single in the eighth against reliever Aaron Small.
Cross (8-6) was the losing pitcher, which snapped his five-game winning streak. by CNB