ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 13, 1996 TAG: 9604150035
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Coincidence or not, both times Doug Million has pitched for the Salem Avalanche this year, his teammates' bats have turned to overcooked pasta.
The Frederick Keys blanked the tenants of Memorial Stadium 4-0 to mark the second time this year the Avalanche has been shut out with Million on the mound.
Not that the left-hander who was the Colorado Rockies' first-round draft choice in 1994 was entirely an innocent victim. A three-run second-inning uprising from the lower third of the Keys' batting order was the primary lethal spike driven into the Salem heart.
An insurance run came in the ninth when Tom D'Aquila punched a run-scoring single up the middle with two outs to plate Tom Russin, who had reached on a leadoff double.
The heroes for Frederick (2-4) were its pitchers. Lean Mississippian Todd Dyess had gone five innings his first outing of the year, giving up five hits and as many runs.
Friday, with 2,158 customers looking on during the first balmy evening of the campaign, the Tulane University right-hander twirled a two-hitter augmented with three strikeouts and three walks.
A potential no-hitter was trashed with one out in the fifth by a Brian Culp single up the middle. Culp subsequently stole second, but there his run died when John Giudice flied out and Chad Gambill struck out.
Gambill had one of only two other hits against Frederick pitching, his coming in the eighth.
"We've had some well-pitched games this year, but until now, one inning has always messed us up,'' Frederick manager Tim Blackwell said.
Dyess required relief help from Radhames Dykhoff in the seventh inning. Dykhoff hurled three shutout innings to earn the Keys' first save of the season.
Dyess doubted he could make it as far as he did.
"I didn't feel well tonight,'' he said. "It was something about being a day behind, I think. We missed a game Tuesday because of snow. But I threw my two-seam fastball for a lot of groundball outs and some popups. Sometimes when you're not feeling your best, you rely more on your location and the movement of the pitch. When you have your good stuff, you may be tempted to overpower people.''
Safe to say that last year at High Desert of the California League, Dyess never saw any ballparks like the one in Salem.
"At High Desert, the balls just flew out of there. Here, they just die. Surprised me. I guess you could say it'a a pitcher-friendly park.
That is, if your name isn't Million.
"Did it to him again,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said.
McGuire used the opportunity to question what he called "the new strike zone.''
"In spring traning, the umpires told us they were going to start calling the strike zone below the knees. Why? If they want to speed up the games, that's a farce. I know plenty of people who love to drink some beer and go to a three-hour game.
"I just feel sorry for some of the marginal players, guys who are fighting for a job. We tell them all their lives to lay off the low pitch; now we're teaching them to swing at a ball in the dirt?
"Our farm director will look at the report of this game and will see a guy had two strikeouts, but he'll never know the ball is out of the strike zone unless I note in there that it was.''
SNOWBALLS: Colorado Rockies second baseman Eric Young, who went 1-for-2 with two walks and a double Friday in his last game in Salem, is through with his rehab assignment here and will join Class AAA Colorado Springs today. Young is expected to be there several games before returning to thr parent club. ... Salem hit into three double plays.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Salem's Eric Young throws to first forby CNBa double play as Frederick's Roy Hodge is out at second during
Friday night's game at Memorial Stadium. color.