THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 19, 1994 TAG: 9407190478
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Had Norfolk Tides righthander Doug Linton been ripped early and removed Monday night, it wouldn't have been a surprise. Jettisoned by the New York Mets four days ago, Linton was dealing with that disappointment, the rust of nine days between competitive appearances and, by his count, no outings longer than two innings for at least a month.
Turns out he was ripped in the first four innings, which is why it was stunning that Linton carried a no-hitter into the seventh against the Columbus Clippers at Harbor Park. Despite more than few deep flies and line drives, Columbus could manage only one baserunner - Don Sparks was hit by a pitch in the first - against the fifth-year Triple-A veteran.
When Chito Martinez became baserunner No. 2, however, he didn't stop running until he had toured the diamond. His opposite-field home run to left led off the seventh and wrecked Linton's no-hit bid.
The Clippers got nothing else against Linton and Jonathan Hurst, though, and the Tides posted a 4-1 victory, their eighth in their last 11 games. It was the Tides' first one-hitter since May 14 of last season, when Bobby Jones and Paul Gibson combined on the feat against Syracuse.
``I really didn't feel that good early in the game,'' said Linton, a 26-year-old Californian who was bidding for his first professional no-hitter. He had hoped to go just five innings, but because of a low pitch count as the game progressed, Linton was going to get the chance to go all the way, manager Bobby Valentine said.
``I was getting a lot of balls up and getting a lot of fly balls,'' Linton said. ``Usually with me, my problems happen early in the game. I'll settle in and my ball will start to sink.''
Martinez drilled line drives to the warning track his first two times up, but flawless jumps by centerfielder Tito Navarro and rightfielder Jeromy Burnitz turned them into outs. Navarro also pulled in a shot by Robert Eenhoorn at the track, and Burnitz had to charge to catch a low liner by Sparks.
Finally, Martinez rendered an 0-2 curveball uncatchable for his sixth home run, and the suspense was over.
Linton second-guessed himself later for shaking off catcher Joe Kmak twice at 0-2, throwing curves when Kmak first asked for fastballs. Martinez fouled off the first and blasted the second.
``Being an 0-2 pitch, it was a bad pitch. It was a strike,'' said Linton, who was 6-2 with a 4.70 earned-run average, mostly in relief, in New York. ``I should've bounced it in the dirt or something. It was my fault. Kmak wanted a fastball and I shook him off.''
The Tides (47-49) had extended their lead to 4-0 in the sixth on Shawn Hare's two-run double off Ron Frazier. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
IAN MARTIN/Staff
Doug Linton lost his no-hit bid when Chito Martinez led off the
seventh with a home run.
by CNB