THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 12, 1994 TAG: 9407120453
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOE SEIL, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ROCHESTER, N.Y. LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
The Norfolk Tides entered the All-Star break on a down note Monday night, losing to the Rochester Red Wings, 6-2, at Silver Stadium.
The Tides, who had a difficult time solving Red Wings starting pitcher Kevin McGehee, finished the season's first half with a 44-48 record, in fourth place in the International League's Western Division. They are closer to last than first, 10 games behind first-place Charlotte and two ahead of last-place Toledo.
``It's been OK,'' manager Bobby Valentine said of the season's first half. ``I wish we could have won a few more games, but I think the younger players finally have their feet on the ground.''
Monday's main stumbling block was the pitching of McGehee, the International League earned-run average champ in 1993. After opening the season 0-5 with a 6.70 ERA in his first eight appearances, McGehee has rebounded to win four of his last five starts.
He attributed his early season woes to a strained elbow suffered in spring training. He missed the last three weeks of spring training and the first two weeks of the IL season.
``I have no excuses,'' he said of his struggles, ``but when I got here, it was like spring training for me. The hitters were way ahead of me, and I didn't have quality stuff.''
That began to change about a month ago when McGehee began showing flashes of his '93 form, which included a 2.96 ERA and a five-game stint in Baltimore. That success extended into Monday night, when he scattered eight hits over 8 2/3 innings, walked one and struck out four.
Fourteen of his outs came on ground balls. He needed last-out relief help from ex-Tide Tom Wegmann, who recorded his fifth save.
``I was spotting my fastball the best I have all year,'' said McGehee, who improved to 5-7. ``I didn't have many strikeouts, but I made good pitches.''
Rochester (41-48), in third place in the IL East, scored once in the third inning, twice in the fourth and three times in the fifth off Tides starter Kevin Morton (3-8). Wings third baseman Brad Tyler had a single and double and three RBIs.
Tito Navarro had two hits for the Tides, while Aaron Ledesma and Butch Huskey drove in a run apiece.
The Tides will return to action Friday at Richmond. by CNB