THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408070247
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
It was a good night to be tall and lean and hurl nasty stuff from the pitcher's mound at Harbor Park. Juan Castillo and Eric Hillman made it seem so, anyway.
Paired against the bats of the Syracuse Chiefs, the International League's best-hitting club, Castillo and Hillman hardly flinched as they led the Norfolk Tides to a sweep of Saturday's doubleheader.
Two weeks after his major-league debut, Castillo, a 6-foot-5 righthander, fired a four-hit, 4-1 victory in his first Triple-A start. Hillman, the 6-10 lefthander who is virtually unbeatable in Triple-A, then stymied the Chiefs on three hits in a 3-2 triumph.
Carlos Delgado produced all of Syracuse's runs with home runs. His seventh-inning shot in the first game ruined Castillo's shutout bid, and his two-run blast in the fourth inning off Hillman cut the Tides' lead to 3-2.
It stayed that way because Hillman allowed only one single the rest of the way. He won his fifth consecutive decision, four on complete games, and moved to 7-1 on the season. Hillman also improved to 10-0 at Harbor Park.
Centerfielder Pat Howell played a big role in both contests. Howell sprinted in, back and across and dived three times to rob Syracuse of hits. He capped the night by sliding to grab Rob Montalvo's sinking line drive an inch off the turf for the final out of the second game with the tying run on first.
``He's the best I've played with,'' Hillman said. ``He's such an exceptional fielder. He doesn't give in at all. He doesn't give when he's going against a fence and he never gives in when it comes to running in and diving forward.''
Nor did Hillman or Castillo give ground to the Chiefs hitters. Hillman pitched with a man on second only twice, and Castillo, before Delgado's home run, had just one man as far as second.
``They have a nice balanced lineup. That's a good hitting team,'' Hillman said. ``It was a challenge for me. They have three lefties in the starting lineup and usually I only see one, if any.
``Obviously, the ball Delgado hit, you can't fool that guy forever. He's a great player. He's going to get his hits and his home runs.''
Castillo, who bypassed the Tides two weeks ago on his way from Double-A to the Mets, showed the dominating form that carried him to an 11-2 record and 2.59 ERA in Binghamton.
Relying on fastballs and changeups, Castillo kept the Chiefs guessing and scoreless until Delgado pounced on a high changeup and drove it the opposite way into the leftfield picnic area to break up the shutout.
``I tried,'' Castillo, a 24-year old from Venezuela. ``But I'm pretty happy about the game. (The changeup) was over the middle of the plate. He's a strong guy. He hit it good.''
In his two big league starts, Castillo was roughed up by the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates to the tune of a 6.94 ERA, though Castillo got off with two no-decisions.
Certainly the majors were exciting, Castillo said, but his first start in Triple-A was not an anticlimax.
``I still think this is the level he was really thinking about,'' pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. ``In the big leagues, I don't think there were too many expectations, he wasn't supposed to win. I think he felt tonight he was expected to win this game.''
In the first game, the Tides' leadoff man reached base and scored in the second through the fifth innings. In the second game, the Tides bunched three runs into the third inning on five singles and an intentional walk - all after starter Randy Phillips retired the first two batters.
``I don't think anybody's got our number,'' Delgado said. ``I think they had a good night. We'll be back swinging (today), so they've got to pitch well if they want to win.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
BILL TIERNAN/Staff
The Tides' Patrick Howell, top, lays down a bunt in the fourth
inning of the first game. At the end of the same play, Joe Kmak,
bottom right, asks for and gets a safe call.
by CNB