THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9408230568
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Kevin Morton is just two years older than Juan Castillo, so it's interesting how their baseball perceptions drastically differ. Castillo, 24, is the hot prospect on the way up. Once in the same shoes, Morton, still only 26, is the Triple-A veteran hanging on through a tough season.
Lately, though, Morton has given the Norfolk Tides the better end of the deal, as he did Monday at The Diamond. The lefthander's three innings of one-hit relief held the Richmond Braves at bay, but the damage they inflicted upon Castillo was more than the wilting Tides could overcome in a 5-3 loss.
The Braves moved into first place in the West Division with the victory. Meanwhile, Norfolk's bats have generated exactly six hits in each of the last four games. Richmond nearly matched that total in the fifth inning, when it drove Castillo from the game with four runs on four hits.
Castillo fell to 1-3 in four starts since his promotion from Double-A, where he was an Eastern League terror, after two big-league starts. His earned-run average soared to 5.91, and pitching coach Bob Apodaca said he and Castillo both know why. A flaw near the end of Castillo's delivery often prevents him from throwing effective breaking balls, Apodaca said, which literally disarms him.
Castillo managed a strong debut two weeks ago, a four-hit, seven-inning victory against Syracuse, and a decent second start, but he has stumbled in his last two outings.
``Basically he's going out there with one pitch,'' Apodaca said. ``He hasn't been able to get his slider over or his curveball over. You'd better be able to spot it extremely well if you're going out there with one pitch.''
Morton has seen his share of hard times over the past few years. The Seton Hall product is remembered in Boston as the Red Sox's third draft pick in 1989, who didn't pan out despite a respectable 16-game stint in the big leagues in 1991. He returned to Triple-A in '92 and struggled. And an injury during a lost season in Double-A Memphis last year left Morton with modest goals this spring with the Mets.
``Pitch in Triple-A in some capacity and try to go from there,'' Morton said. ``Anything can happen. You never want to look too far ahead. Two minutes ahead, that's about it in this game.''
Morton has bounced between the starting rotation and bullpen and has piled up the third-most innings on the Tides. He could have improved his record to 5-8 Monday had the Tides' two-run, sixth-inning rally continued. But three relievers retired the final dozen Tides in order.
Still, Morton gave up one hit, struck out three and walked one to get his ERA back under 4.00. Wildness - 61 walks in 127 innings - has hurt him, but that has improved, particularly with his curveball, the past few weeks.
``He's a young guy who's a veteran at this game,'' Apodaca said. ``Yeah, he went through a little spell there as a starter when he struggled, but this is what he can do. He can throw strikes, he can work ahead in the count, he can get his curveball over and his cutting fastball in on righthanders. It's himself just allowing himself to do it.''
It's a lesson Castillo is struggling to grasp in Triple-A. by CNB