THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 1995 TAG: 9509070588
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
Photos
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Rey Ordonez, the defensive hero of Tuesday night's Tides win, makes a
chance in the field look easy in Wednesday's win.
Alex Ochoa, whose two-out single drove in the Tides' first run,
receives congratulations. The run was all the Tides would need in a
5-0 win at Harbor Park.
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Phil Stidham headed the wrong way back in July, when he carted an ERA near 5.00 down to Double-A. Less than two weeks later, the red-headed righthander returned to the Norfolk Tides and became a new man, one who Wednesday pitched the Tides to within one game of winning the International League's West Division playoffs.
Stidham's three-hitter over seven innings continued the Tides' outstanding pitching in the first-round, five-game series and paced a 5-0 victory over the Richmond Braves, punctuated by Aaron Ledesma's three-run home run in the seventh.
The victory gave the Tides a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 tonight at Harbor Park. Eric Ludwick of the Tides will oppose Tom Harrison at 7:15 p.m.
A single in the first and two in the fourth were all Richmond managed against Stidham, who combined with Pete Walker and Brent Knackert on the Tides' second consecutive four-hitter. Stidham, though he admitted being winded by the fifth, retired 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced.
Single runs in the third and fifth against loser Terrell Wade, both on rallies sparked by leadoff man Ricky Otero, gave Stidham his cushion until Ledesma blasted his first home run this season off Kevin Lomon.
In the third Otero singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Alex Ochoa. Then in the fifth, Otero's double and an error by third baseman Mike Sharperson, one of three by the Braves, preceded Otero's steal of third and Ledesma's first hit, an RBI single.
Otero finished 2 for 5 with two stolen bases and Ledesma, the cleanup man despite his lack of power, was 2 for 3 with four RBIs. It also gave Ledesma five hits in his last six at-bats. ``I bat him fourth because I think he's an outstanding RBI man,'' Tides manager Toby Harrah said of Ledesma. ``He's a very good clutch hitter.''
Stidham has come up big, as well, over the second half of the season to give wings to what was a disappointing year. The 26-year-old claimed off waivers from the Detroit organization in April, made 24 appearances in relief with the Tides before being shipped to Double-A.
After he returned, Stidham made a spot start on Aug. 4, the first of his five-year career, and found new life. In six starts, Stidham went 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA.
``When they sent me down, I was pretty much at the lowest point of my career ever,'' Stidham said.
``When I came back up I started pitching pretty well. I don't know if it was a test or what, but it seemed to get my career back on track.'' by CNB