ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 31, 1996 TAG: 9609030146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
THE PIRATES' AFFILIATE is almost playoff-bound after the Carolina League team suffered through several losing seasons in Salem.
Two years after giving up on the possibility of the Pittsburgh Pirates ever fielding another winning team in Salem, local folks may be seeing the Pirates do just that this weekend.
Salem fans also waited for the Pirates to supply a player like Jose Guillen. When they did, it was after the Bucs had been driven unceremoniously from the premises.
Now, it's the Lynchburg Hillcats who are with the Pirates. They also happen to be in first place after Guillen's solo home run in the seventh lifted them to a 4-3 victory over the Salem Avalanche on Friday night. (Box score in Baseball Scoreboard. B4)
With the win in the first game of this six-games-in-four-days season-ending series, Lynchburg (36-29) overtook Wilmington in the Carolina League's Northern Division. The Hillcats now own a half-game lead over the Blue Rocks, a 7-6 loser to Frederick.
``I was thinking the [Lynchburg] team won't go down now,'' said Guillen, ``they'll go up.''
Guillen, who was named the Carolina League's Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, had a hand in just about everything that occurred Thursday. In addition to his homer, he singled in a run and even contributed to Salem's only runs in the third when he dropped two fly balls on the run.
``He's been doing that all year,'' said Lynchburg manager Jeff Banister. ``I was saying to [pitching coach Jim] Bibby, `He's got to make those plays.' Then, he can do what he did tonight with one swing of the bat.''
That swing came against Salem reliever David Lee (0-2) with one out in the seventh when he smashed a tremendous blast over the left-center field wall.
Guillen's homer was his 20th of the season and just his second in the month of August. He was homerless for four weeks before smacking two this week.
``I was just trying to hit the ball,'' said Guillen. ``I was thinking about making contact and getting on base. I've not been hitting real good.''
It was Lynchburg's first win in seven tries at Salem and snapped an eight-game losing streak over two seasons at Memorial Baseball Stadium.
``It was a good time to start,'' said Banister.
For Salem (26-38), the game turned in the sixth, when Avalanche center fielder Gary Gordon attempted to make a shoestring catch of a Sergio Mendez liner with one out and Salem leading 3-2. He gloved the ball and threw to first to try to double off Freddy Garcia, who was running on the play, but base umpire Chris Boberg ruled Gordon trapped the ball.
Salem manager Bill McGuire argued the call, the second time in 10 days he has had such a dispute with Boberg over a trap call.
After the argument, Lee relieved Luther Hackman, who had struck out seven in 51/3 innings, and proceeded to surrender a single to Steve Thobe and hit Ramon Martinez with a pitch to tie the game 3-3.
``Without a doubt, that changed things,'' said McGuire. ``That's the second time in two weeks that umpire's missed a ball caught in the outfield and kept us from getting a double play.''
Lynchburg starter John Dillinger (10-5) and reliever Matt Spade combined on a four-hitter, with Dillinger allowing only three hits and three unearned runs while fanning five in seven innings.
Lynchburg scored twice in the third and Salem answered with three in the bottom half thanks in part to its only three hits off Dillinger and Guillen's errors.
Gordon singled to lead off that inning and Chan Mayber and Kyle Houser followed with identical fly balls to the right-center field gap, both of which were dropped by Guillen on a dead run. Gordon scored on the second error, Tal Light lifted a one-out sacrifice fly to tie it and Chad Gambill singled home Houser to make it 3-2.
That was it, as Salem had just three baserunners the rest of the night.
The two teams play a doubleheader today, which will be followed by another doubleheader Sunday and a single game Monday to conclude a season that could result in Lynchburg making the playoffs.
``I've never been one to like to see other teams celebrating on the field I play on,'' said McGuire. ``I'm not laying down. My team's not laying down.''
SNOWBALLS: Gordon batted .291 with 23 stolen bases in 29 attempts at Chandler, Ariz. Salem leftfielder Mark Hamlin was called up last week from Portland, where he was batting .272 with eight doubles, four homers and 26 RBI in 54 games. Garcia injured his ankle in the sixth and is questionable for today.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB