Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 27, 1994 TAG: 9408300022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: SPORTS EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Matt Ryan, about 10 days into his on-the job-training as the Salem Buccaneers short man out of the bullpen, had a little slip in a save situation Friday night. As a circus act, this was a thriller, as the hero had to snatch the wire as he fell past. But he hung on.
After yielding three base hits to the Lynchburg Red Sox, including Pat Murphy's run-scoring double that made it a one-run game in the top of the ninth inning at Municipal Field, Ryan induced a game-ending double play to preserve a 5-4 Carolina League victory.
"That's called making it tight," said Ryan, who has been with the Bucs since July 1 after being summoned from Augusta.
Tight it was after two of the first three batters he faced in the ninth stroked ground-ball hits to make it a one-run ballgame. Salem manager Trent Jewett elected to walk J.J. Johnson with one out to face left-handed hitting Ryan McGuire.
McGuire then hit into the double play, shortstop Lou Collier turning it nicely.
"He made a great play," Ryan said. "I got into that situation because that's my style of pitching, getting ground balls.
"But the last three games, I've been struggling. I try to get the ground ball and if they get a base hit out of it, then they've gotten the best of me."
Kinston had gotten the best of Ryan earlier this week in a 5-2 victory. Ryan gave up three runs (two earned) after going in with the score tied 2-2 in the ninth.
"That game was really the only time he's had anything hit hard," Jewett said. "He isn't struggling. ... He's quality. He'll be fine. He can roll those ground balls all day long."
The blows that won it for Salem on Friday were assuredly not ground balls. Danny Clyburn and Mitch House smoked home runs - Clyburn's 21st and House's sixth - to spark a three-run fourth inning that gave the Bucs a 4-2 lead. House's shot was worth two runs.
"That's the first time my parents have seen me hit one here," he said.
House's parents live in Dante, a good three-hour drive from Salem, and they've seen him a number of times this year.
"I've been working on some things lately because I've been struggling," he said. "It's been a long year, and I needed to get back to the things I'd been doing in spring training."
House ended the evening by going 3-for-3.
"House had an outstanding night with the bat," Jewett said. "But he hasn't been aggressive enough. He's a home run hitter, and a guy like that can't be hanging around waiting for a walk."
Clyburn and Marcus Hanel pulled what has become a rare trick for the Bucs of late: Both produced key hits after two were out. Hanel's double brought home the first run of the game in the second and Clyburn added what would be some needed padding in the fifth.
Lynchburg starter Scott Bakkum and successor Chad Hale, who pitched the last two innings, faced the minimum over the final three innings.
"We finally got some two -out hits and that was the difference in the game," Jewett said.
BUCSHOTS: Pittsburgh Pirates farm director Chet Montgomery and organizational infield instructor Rocky Bridges are in town for the final homestand at Municipal Field. ... Jon Farrell extended a 10-game hitting streak and is now 18 for his last 32 (.562). ... Clyburn was in a 3-for-21 slump coming in.
by CNB