ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, May 20, 1996 TAG: 9605200113
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
SALEM COMPLETES a three-game sweep and knocks Durham out of first place with a 5-3 victory.
For three entertaining games during a sweltering weekend, the Salem Avalanche played like it had something to gain and the Durham Bulls played as if they had nothing to lose. So, the Avalanche gained as the Bulls lost.
Salem's 5-3 victory in the final Sunday matinee game of the season completed a three-game game sweep that saw the Avalanche knock Durham from the top of the Carolina League's Southern Division standings.
In three days, Salem (24-19) erased the three-game deficit it faced on Friday and ended Sunday tied with Bulls in second place, a half-game behind Winston-Salem.
``It was a very good weekend,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said.
It was as bad for Durham as it was good for the Avalanche. The Bulls' ballyhooed middle of the order that reads like a Who's Who of Atlanta Braves minor-league prospects failed repeatedly to produce in key situations.
Such was the case again Sunday, as Durham (24-19) left 10 runners stranded, including the potential tying run in the top of the ninth. With runners on second and third, Salem closer Luis Colmenares struck out Andruw Jones, Baseball America's 1995 Minor League Player of the Year, and retired Ron Wright, the Carolina League's leader with 12 home runs, on a fly ball to end the game and pick up his league-leading 11th save.
That was a fitting conclusion to a lost weekend for Durham's big three - Jones, Wright and Wes Helms. The 3-4-5 hitters came into Salem as the league's top three in homers, extra-base hits and slugging percentage and proceeded to go 4-for-34 with one extra-base hit and only two RBI in three games.
``We left so many runners on,'' said Durham manager Randy Ingle, whose club lost its season-high fifth straight game. ``A lot of 'em with less than two outs. Either a ground ball or a ball through the infield could've accounted for four or five runs. We couldn't do it.''
The seventh inning proved pivotal. Durham rallied from a 2-1 deficit with two runs on Anton French's double against Salem reliever Jeff Sobkoviak, but Scott LaRock came in with two on and no outs and got Jones to chase a 3-2 curveball in the dirt and coaxed an inning-ending double-play grounder from Helms after intentionally walking Wright with first base open.
``With these [Durham] guys, you've either got to have a guy who throws over 93 miles per hour or a finesse pitcher,'' said McGuire. ``LaRock finessed the ball and got them to do what he wanted.''
Durham continued to play suicidal ball in the bottom of the inning, as Helms booted John Giudice's grounder at third and let two runs score to make it 4-3. It was Helms' third error of the series. Nate Holdren followed with an RBI single.
Colmenares pitched out of trouble to make a winner out of LaRock (1-1), who tossed two scoreless innings. Durham starter John LeRoy (4-1) suffered his first defeat.
SNOWBALLS: In addition to sunning themselves in the bleachers, stadium patrons had the chance to get a ballpark haircut in the picnic area. Fans plunked down $5 for a trim, with proceeds going to the Leukemia Society of America. Salem players Nate Holdren and John Giudice got their locks shorn atop the Avalanche dugout before the game. ... In Saturday night's 8-5 victory, Giudice and Blake Barthol hit homers in the third inning, the first time the Avalanche has done that since moving to Memorial Stadium. ... Saturday's crowd of 4,277 was Salem's largest this season. Giudice's blast cleared the trees beyond the left field wall and is considered to be the longest homer hit at Memorial. ... The Salem-Lynchburg game that was suspended in the ninth inning on May 5 will be resumed today at 6:05 p.m. in Lynchburg before a regularly scheduled nine-inning game. The game was tied 2-2 when thunderstorms washed out the conclusion.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Durham Bulls catcher Mike Mahoneyby CNBhangs on to the ball after tagging out Mike Higgins at the plate in
the fifth inning. color.