
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 21, 1994                    TAG: 9406210513 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C4    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY TOM LEO, CORRESPONDENT 
DATELINE: 940621                                 LENGTH: SYRACUSE, N.Y.

TIDES TUMBLE, 2-1 IN 9TH, ON PEREZ'S 2ND HOME RUN

{LEAD} Tying a franchise record with a consecutive-game hitting streak that has reached 21 games apparently wasn't enough for Robert Perez.

Perez, who singled to left in the first inning, homered in the seventh and again in the bottom of the ninth to give the Syracuse Chiefs a 2-1 victory Monday night over the Norfolk Tides at MacArthur Stadium.

{REST} Perez, who led off the ninth inning, drilled a 1-0 changeup from Eric Hillman (1-1) far over the leftfield fence to improve Syracuse's record to 32-36. The Tides fell to 31-40.

It was the first time Perez has hit two home runs in the same game. He said he went to the plate in the ninth inning thinking home run.

``I was waiting for that pitch in that situation,'' Perez said. ``When he threw me a changeup on the first pitch, I thought he was going to throw me another one. He did. I hit it.''

Hillman, who allowed seven hits in eight-plus innings, declined to comment, as did Tides manager Bobby Valentine. Hillman struck out five and walked none.

It's been quite a stretch for Perez, who's improved his batting average more than 40 points to .307.

Les Lancaster (8-1) earned the victory with one scoreless inning. He was Syracuse's fourth pitcher, following starter Jimmy Rogers and relievers Aaron Small and Anthony Ward. Rogers allowed only four hits and one run in seven innings. The Tides scored in the sixth on Doug Dascenzo's RBI single, which followed an infield single and stolen base by Quilvio Veras.

The Tides had some late opportunities. They had runners on first and third with two outs in the eighth, but Omar Garcia's liner went straight to second baseman Eddie Zosky. Norfolk loaded the bases in the ninth, but Lancaster struck out Jim Vatcher to end the inning.

Perez's hitting streak tied a record set by Tony Fernandez in 1982. Perez didn't make any guarantees, but predicted he'd break the record during today's 12:30 p.m. game. Scheduled starters are left-handers Kevin Morton (3-6, 4.21) for the Tides and Travis Baptist (4-3, 4.41) for the Chiefs.

``Right now is my moment,'' Perez said. ``Everything they throw to me, I hit good. . . . I think I'm going to break the record.''

by CNB