Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 18, 1993 TAG: 9307180204
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The same had been true earlier in the home dugout at Municipal Field. Bucs manager Scott Little's disposition had taken a decided turn for the worse.
The trigger for his ire was the play of his team in a 10-5 Carolina League loss to the Winston-Salem Spirits.
"We didn't deserve to win that game the way we played, no way," he said. "We didn't make the pitches to get out of innings; we didn't make the plays; it's that simple."
Earlier in the year, he might have been inclined to shrug off the base-running gaffes, the three errors, the slipshod approach on the mound, the surrender of 16 hits, with the "these are just young guys, you expect to see this kind of stuff in Class A ball" throwaway line.
No more.
"I'm tired of making excuses for this team at this point in the season," he said. "It's time we started playing baseball or we're going to be a [uncomplimentary adjective] team."
He continued.
"The base-running was horrendous," he said. "We had about three or four base-running blunders."
Then on to the pitching of Esteban Loaiza, who gave up 11 hits and six runs (four earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
"He did not get people out with savvy and knowing how to pitch," Little said. "He got them out because he has a great arm. When he made a mistake, they were all over it."
That wasn't the last word on Loaiza.
"He needs to take a more professional approach to the game," said pitching coach Dave Rasjich, from whom sharp words on his charges are almost unknown.
Mark Mesewicz relieved with the score 5-2 and pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings as the Bucs closed to 5-4 with a three-run seventh highlighted by Chance Sanford's ninth home run, a two-run shot.
But Sean Evans, the next man out of the bullpen, fell apart in the ninth, giving up four runs and four hits, including Chad Mottola's three-run homer. Salem went peacefully in the last at-bat.
Mottola and Bubba Smith combined for two home runs, a single, a double, a triple and seven runs batted in.
"I changed my hands on the bat again," Mottola said. "I've changed them around all over the place in the last three weeks trying to get comfortable. Hopefully this will work."
Smith needed an unsatisfactory question from a reporter to inspire him after he returned from Class AA after a trade to the league he clubbed into submission with 33 home runs last year.
"Guy asked me after I hadn't been back long if I was going to be satisfied with being what he called `a 10th-inning single hitter.' That was when I only had one homer in 70 at-bats. That kind of [ticked] me off," Smith said. "Since then, I decided to go for the power and not worry about the average. But they've both come."
Including 15 home runs in his next 110 at-bats and a batting average that has risen to .311 (56-for-180).
"I don't like to look bad up there," he said.
\ BUCSHOTS: All was not entirely bleak for the Bucs. Catcher Angelo Encarnacion returned from the disabled list to tag out a man at the plate, throw out a would-be thief of second, catch a man in a rundown play and deliver an RBI single. He did commit one of the base-running gaffes that likely cost the Bucs a run. . . . Pitcher Marc Pisciotta, who replaces promoted bullpen ace Jeff McCurry, will join the Bucs in Kinston today. "He'll be given the opportunity to close," Little said. . . . Jon Farrell did not play and is listed as day to day with bronchitis.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB