ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Even if these Durham Bulls aren't exactly the sequel to ``Bull Durham,'' they still could be called Durham Bulls II.
Stripped of their four best players almost immediately after winning the first-half championship of the Carolina League's Southern Division, these Bulls were expected to muddle through the remainder of the season before taking on the eventual second-half champion in the first round of the playoffs.
But after Tuesday's 8-5 victory over the Salem Avalanche at Memorial Baseball Stadium, these remade, new-look Bulls were only four games behind first-place Kinston in a division that's up for grabs. (Box score in Scoreboard. B2).
Winning the second-half crown ``would mean a lot,'' said Durham manager Randy Ingle. ``It's not the end of the world if we don't, because we're in the playoffs anyway, but it would mean something to the rest of the players who have been with us all year and to the players sent to us from above and below.''
That would include the likes of Raymond Nunez and Miquel Correa, guys who have been above the Class A level before only to be sent back once prospects like Andruw Jones, Ron Wright and Wes Helms were ready to be promoted.
Most folks know about Jones, possibly a repeat winner of Baseball America's minor league player of the year award. After torching Class AA Greenville (S.C.) and ransacking Triple-A Richmond in just two weeks there, he was called up by the Atlanta Braves and is sinking his spikes into the right-field grass of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.
The contributions of those guys (Wright's 20 home runs still lead the Carolina League even though he was called up two months ago) and staff ace Damian Moss are sorely missed, but their loss has been salved by Nunez, Correa and a flame-throwing bullpen.
Salem (22-32) was singed by those parties Tuesday. Nunez had three doubles and knocked in three runs, Correa walked three times, stole two bases and scored twice, and relievers Eric Olszewski and Kerry Ligtenberg combined for six strikeouts in three hitless innings.
Durham (28-28), which won its season-high fifth in a row, jumped to a 6-0 lead before Salem scored five in a fifth inning highlighted by Nate Holdren's grand slam, his 15th homer of the season and first slam.
The Avalanche had a chance to do more damage trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, but Elvis Pena struck out after fouling a two-strike bunt attempt with runners on first and second, Kyle Houser went down swinging against Olszewski as Pookie Jones and Garrett Neubart executed a double-steal. Holdren slapped a grounder up the middle that was backhanded by second baseman Mike Eaglin, whose throw in the dirt was scooped by Nunez at first to end the threat.
In the third, Salem manager Bill McGuire had been ejected for arguing with umpire Chris Boberg about Pookie Jones' sliding attempt in left that was ruled a trap. Coach Joe Marchese called the shots after that.
``We played our way back, but didn't execute when we needed to,'' said Marchese. ``Not to point fingers, but we didn't get the bunt down. Just didn't get it done.''
Left-hander Derrin Ebert (12-8) got the victory just one day shy of his 20th birthday and Ligtenberg got his 19th save, his fifth in a week. Luther Hackman (5-7), just three starts removed from a no-hitter, surrendered six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Durham gained its lead with three runs in the second and three more in the fourth. Mike Mahoney had a two-run double and Eaglin tripled him home to make it 3-0 in the second. Two innings later, Luis Brito singled in a run and Nunez doubled for the second time to drive in two more to make it 6-0.
``In his past, he could juice the fastball, but the breaking ball gave him trouble,'' Ingle said of Nunez. ``Now, he's a tough out.''
SNOWBALLS: When asked if he was surprised that Jones had made it all the way to the bigs just two months removed from his stint in Durham, Ingle said, ``Surprised, not shocked. Knowing his ability and the tools he has, seeing him putting it together ... there's really no stopping him. I'm very, very happy for him. It shows these guys [still with the Bulls], `We played beside him a couple of months ago, maybe we can make it, too. It might not be as quick as happened to him, but it can happen to us, too.' '' ... The Avalanche needs to draw 1,783 fans tonight to break the Salem season attendance record of 153,575 set by the Salem Buccaneers in 1994. This will be the 11th season out of 12 a Salem team has broken the existing attendance record.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Philip Holman. Salem's Pookie Jones is forced out atby CNBsecond base in the fifth inning as Durham second baseman Mike Eaglin
throws to first. Garrett Neubart beat the throw to foil the
attempted double play Tuesday night during the Avalanche's 8-5 loss.
color.