THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200617
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
The Norfolk Tides' impressive run of starting pitching performances hit the wall Wednesday, propelled there by the Columbus Clippers' rough treatment of lefthander Chris Roberts.
For the first time in 13 games, the Tides' starter did not pitch at least six innings. And for the first time in five losses, the Tides were trounced. A five-run third did most of the damage as Columbus knocked out Roberts in 4 1/3 innings on the way to an 11-4 victory that closed the Tides' homestand at Harbor Park.
The Tides (8-5) had fallen previously by no more than three runs.
Tides manager Toby Harrah talked before the game of ``a situation where we'd like to be all year, where you're looking for innings for your middle men.'' That's because a rotation of Mike Birkbeck, Bill Pulsipher, Paul Byrd, Dave Telgheder and
Roberts had averaged seven innings and a 2.83 earned-run average per outing.
But the bullpen was beckoned by the time the Clippers (7-6) had two more runs in in the fifth for a 7-4 lead. On the night Roberts (1-1) gave up eight hits, four walks and eight runs. It pushed Roberts' earned-run average to 7.94 and the opponents' batting average against him to .364.
``I'm not surprised because these are five quality starters,'' pitching coach Bob Apodaca said of his rotation's run. ``It doesn't surprise me at all - it surprises me when they go 4 1/3. I expect them to be on top of their game. They might not have the stuff every time out, but I expect them to have the know-how to pitch when they don't have the good stuff.''
Roberts didn't have it in the third when Columbus had only one man on and two outs before its next six batters reached base on three hits, two walks and a hit batter.
That eruption erased the 3-0 lead the Tides had taken off lefthander Tim Rumer before they made an out in the first. Jarvis Brown and Ed Alicea led off with singles and Derek Lee lofted an opposite-field home run, his fourth, to left. But Rumer allowed only three more singles through the sixth.
``I was shocked. All of a sudden it was 3-0 and it was like, oh my God I don't have any outs,'' said Rumer, who attended Duke University. ``Then, I don't know, I said to myself I better start making better pitches.''
It wasn't quite that easy, especially when he faced Brown, who has moved into the hitting zone recently occupied by rightfielder Chris Jones. Jones saw his six-game hitting streak end, but Brown reached base his first four times up - he had two singles, was hit by a pitch and walked - before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Brown has reached base in 10 of his last 11 plate appearances, including seven in a row. He is 8 for 9 in that streak with five runs scored.
``I'm pleased I'm getting on base,'' Brown said. ``That's my job. I'm setting the table. I know it didn't happen tonight, but it will. If I'm out there on base, we always have a chance.'' ILLUSTRATION: PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Tides' first baseman Jeff Barry reaches over the dugout railing to
carch a foul ball and mercifully end Columbus' 5-run third inning.
by CNB