Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 18, 1993 TAG: 9304180174
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FARRELL'S 2 HOMERS LIFT BUCS
Give Salem Buccaneers center fielder Jon Farrell this much: When he hits it, he usually loses it.Farrell ripped a pair of solo home runs that backed a combined three-hitter by Esteban Loaiza and Jeff McCurry as Salem downed Frederick 4-2 at chilly Municipal Field on Saturday night.
Farrell's twin pokes gave him three homers in two nights. So far in the young Carolina League season, the Pittsburgh Pirates' No. 1 selection in the 1991 free-agent draft has seven hits, only three of which have stayed in the ballpark.
"I'm kind of starting to see the ball a little bit better," said Farrell, who had struck out in 10 of 28 at-bats before Saturday. "I haven't been seeing the ball all that well. Now, I'm starting to see it. I don't know. It might not last very long."
It lasted way too long for former major leaguer Stacy Jones. Both of Farrell's left-center field launches - in the sixth and eighth innings - came off the former Baltimore Orioles pitcher, who won't get back within a sniff of Camden Yards performing like he did Saturday.
The Bucs (4-5) raked Jones for four runs and seven hits in only 2 2/3 innings. His errant pickoff throw to first base in the seventh inning allowed Ken Bonifay to score what proved to be the winning run.
Farrell, whose 3-for-4 night raised his batting average from .143 to .219, grinned when asked his hits-to-homers ratio.
"Really, it's just one of those things," he said. "I'm not a home-run hitter. I'm a doubles hitter. But if they carry out, that's fine, too."
Salem manager Scott Little liked what he saw.
"Hopefully, [Farrell] is going to get rolling," Little said. "He does have a pop, doesn't he?
"This should really help his confidence. When he's behind Jon Farell, he's fine. When he's negative on himself, he's going to struggle. Sure, there's pressure on him because he's a No. 1 pick. But this game is hard enough without that."
Loaiza (2-0) made things look easy enough, handcuffing the Keys (5-3) on two hits in seven sparkling innings. Frederick's only run off the right-hander was unearned, coming on a wild pitch in the first.
McCurry came on with a 3-1 lead in the eighth and nailed down his third save.
\ BUCSHOTS: Jones' rough outing cost Frederick starter Brian DuBois - another former major-leaguer - his first win anywhere since 1990. DuBois, who was 3-9 with a 3.82 ERA for the Detroit Tigers in 1989-90, was making only his third regular-season appearance since having surgery on his left elbow in September 1990. . . . Loaiza's strong outing ended an ugly streak by Bucs starters, who had been shelled for 19 runs in their past 24 innings before Saturday. . . . Bonifay delivered a pinch double in the seventh that gave Salem a 2-1 lead. . . . How nippy was it? Both clubs' bullpens resorted to building fires in an effort to stay warm. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL