Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 7, 1994 TAG: 9405070065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On a night when struggling left-hander Ted Klamm two-hit the rocket-launching Winston-Salem Spirits for seven innings of a 7-4 Carolina League victory, the dismantling had already begun.
Gary Wilson (3-1, 2.31 earned run average), Salem's most effective starter to date, was summoned to the Class AA Carolina Mudcats on Friday, making Klamm's stout start after coming in with an 8.10 ERA all the more welcome.
"Wilson shouldn't have been here anyway," said Dave Rajsich, the Bucs' pitching coach.
Aside from a hit batter after two were out and a subsequent two-run homer by Amador Arias - the swatting Spirits' 55th homer in 29 games - Klamm owned the enemy. He also owned the outside portion of the plate.
"He pitched outside all night long and our guys continued to try to pull the ball," said Mark Berry, Winston-Salem's manager. "I didn't say a word to see if they'd adjust, because that is what this game is all about. They absolutely didn't do it.
"But I'm not taking anything away from their pitcher, because he did a great job."
Klamm dismissed 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. During that stretch, he also collected six of his eight strikeouts.
"I'd really rather get them out on groundballs, because I'm not a power pitcher," he said. "But they're an aggressive team and they went up there swinging."
Another of Klamm's merits was no walks.
"Unbelievable," said catcher Jason Kendall. "He just pitched a great game.
"That's his best outing so far," said Trent Jewett, the Bucs' manager. "He doesn't hit that guy in the foot and I might have been listening to our fans yelling at me for taking him out of the game after the seventh with a two-hit shutout."
It got a little dicey for Salem in the ninth inning, with the Bucs ahead 7-2, when third baseman Jay Cranford's two throwing errors led to a couple of Spirits runs. But stopper Marc Pisciotta relieved Matt Ruebel, who had pitched well, to nail down the game and his seventh save.
Cranford has 13 errors to lead the team.
"Cranford will be fine," Jewett said. "He's the least of my worries."
Chance Sanford's two-run single highlighted a three-run, five-hit fifth. Daryl Ratliff banged a run-scoring double and Jeff Conger an RBI triple as the Bucs plated three more in the sixth.
Ratliff went 3-for-3 with two runs scored while batting in the ninth slot for the first time.
"I hate it," Ratliff said of his new assignment. "I've always batted either No. 1 or 2 in the lineup. When Trent told me he was moving me down there, I just said, `Damn.'"
Jewett had his reasons, particularly Ratliff's development as a switch-hitter.
"I don't know how long he'll be down there," the manager said. "It's tough putting a guy who hit .285 at AA last year in the nine hole. But I want him to see some more fastballs. It's tough trying to learn to switch-hit."
\ BUCSHOTS: Cranford went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, raising his average eight points to .273. "I don't care if he makes 80 errors," Jewett said. "He's staying in there. He's hitting and doing it in the toughest part of the order [either third or fourth]." . . . Despite a 12-17 record, the Bucs moved into sole possession of third place in the Southern Division, two games behind the Spirits.
by CNB