THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 15, 1995 TAG: 9504160174
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
The Norfolk Tides won their sixth game in eight tries Friday in a new way, at least for them: Sheer offense. A club predicated foremost on starting pitching and defense only had the defensive part - can you say ``Rey Ordonez?'' - clicking at Harbor Park against the Rochester Red Wings.
But 10 hits, including six for extra bases, clubbed the visitors into submission, 8-5.
The run total was a season-high for the Tides, who scored six in a fourth inning that sucked the momentum from Rochester (4-3). The Wings had scored three times off Tides' starter Chris Roberts in the top of the fourth for a 4-2 lead, only to see the Tides tear into Kevin Ryan and Jim Dedrick in the bottom of the inning to the delight of a paid crowd of 5,555.
``It was all offense tonight,'' said Roberts, the lefthander who got his first Triple-A victory, though not in memorable fashion.
He lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up 11 hits and all five runs, but walked no one.
``I gave up five runs in almost seven innings. You can't expect to win too many games like that. The offense picked me up. Hopefully, next time out I can hold them to one or two in case we only get three.''
Roberts' support in the field was strong again - Ordonez's sixth-inning dive up the middle and glove-handed scoop to Ed Alicea for a force out at second was the best of a few nice plays. But the Tides' bats chimed in with four doubles, a triple and a home run.
Doubles by Alicea and Chris Jones in the first tied it at 1. But the real damage took place after Roberts stumbled through the fourth and fell behind, 4-2.
The fourth-inning onslaught, the Tides' most productive inning of the season, started with Jeff Barry's ground ball that scooted through second baseman Junior Noboa's legs for an error. Four extra-base hits followed in succession: a two-run home run by Chris Saunders, his third of the season, doubles by Charlie Greene and Ordonez, and a triple by Jay Davis.
Later, a sacrifice fly by Jones and a single by designated hitter Frank Jacobs made it 8-4.
``You want your pitcher, after you've gone ahead, to get the side out and they didn't do that,'' said Jones, the rightfielder who had two hits, improving his team-high total to 10 and his average to .370. ``That should show our pitchers, no matter what they do on the field, we're going to give 100 percent at the plate for you. We're not going to give up.''
Roberts took the lead and battled until the seventh, when three singles and a run compelled Tides manager Toby Harrah to lift Roberts in favor of Bryan Rogers. Rogers halted the rally and handed off to Jimmy Williams in the ninth, who earned his first save.
``I wasn't sharp,'' said Roberts, who won 13 games in Double-A last year. ``I got away with a lot of pitches. Luckily, it didn't get out of hand.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA, Staff
Tides second baseman Edwin Alicea, right, calls out Rochester's Kris
Gresham during the second inning. Most of the Tides' success Friday
didn't come from stopping the Red Wings, however, but from scoring
themselves.
by CNB