ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996 TAG: 9608050134
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Chandler Martin's best days were in Asheville, and now he's hoping he can rise from the ashes in Salem.
While the Salem Avalanche appeared to slumber through most of its 6-5 loss to the Kinston Indians on Friday night before 3,540 spectators at Memorial Stadium, Martin's nightmare continued with a sixth defeat in as many decisions with Salem.
It's been all-or-nothing for Martin (0-6), a right-hander who was 9-0 with the South Atlantic League's Asheville (N.C.) Tourists and 1-0 in a brief stint with the Class AA New Haven (Conn.) Ravens.
``I keep telling myself I'll get one eventually,'' said Martin, who gave up six runs (three earned) in 5 1/3 innings.
``In Asheville, I could get away with throwing the ball down the middle of the plate and not get hurt. Here, if I do that, I get in trouble quick.''
The alternative to throwing the ball over the plate has hurt him worse, though. An inability to throw strikes consistently has plagued Martin while with the Avalanche. He walked four Friday, the fifth straight start in which he has walked at least three batters.
``I've experienced control problems I didn't have in Asheville,'' said Martin. ``I'm not throwing strikes.''
Still, Salem (14-24) nearly bailed out Martin with a rally from a 6-0 deficit. The Avalanche posted a four-spot in the seventh, then added a run in the ninth on a double by Pookie Jones, who was left standing 90 feet away from tying the game when Kinston closer Rafael Mesa fanned Garrett Neubart to end it and earn his 13th save.
``We made things happen,'' said Avalanche manager Bill McGuire. ``The first six innings, we were lackadaisical. We did nothing.''
That could have resulted from a baseball marathon Thursday, when the Avalanche played a rare tripleheader at Frederick, Md. After playing 221/3 innings and losing two of three games, the team endured a five-hour bus ride home.
``That's not an excuse,'' said McGuire. ``The teams that eliminate every element - rain, cold, bus rides - those are the teams that win.''
Kinston stayed close to the top of the Carolina League's Southern Division with the win. Noe Najera (9-2) got the win despite laboring through a six-walk effort through five innings.
Jones and Nate Holdren had two hits for Salem and Will Scalzitti had a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh.
The game appeared to be over after the top half of the second inning, when Kinston (19-19) scored five times. The last three were unearned after Guillermo Mercedes' potential third-out grounder was booted by Holdren at first. Two runs scored on that play to make it 4-0, then Ray Harvey followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
Harvey had two hits and two RBI for Kinston.
SNOWBALLS: Salem right-handed pitchers Doug Walls and Zack Sawyer underwent season-ending shoulder surgeries earlier this week. It was the second such operation for Walls, who had surgery for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder last year. ... Injuries and call-ups have left the Avalanche with only 12 position players. Currently, Jones, Neubart and Chad Gambill are the only outfielders on the active roster. ... The new souvenir shop, which had been under construction since early in the season, opened Friday night. The team's offices will also be housed in the 4,000 square-feet building. ... The Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium hot tub has gone international. A television crew from Japan was in the ballpark Friday to tape a segment on the bubbling pool of publicity, which has now been featured on ABC and CBS morning programs, the Washington Post and the Boston Globe.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Salem's Blake Barthol scores on a Pookie Jonesby CNBtriple in the ninth as Kinston's Robin Harriss chases down the throw
at Salem Memorial Stadium on Friday night. The Indians won 6-5.