THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 27, 1995 TAG: 9505270580
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The night before, the Norfolk Tides could do nothing with Jason Schmidt's heat. Friday at Harbor Park, they took a crack at the opposite pitching menu, namely Dave Eiland's four-pitch, off-speed smorgasboard.
Again, nothing.
And so the Tides have something they've avoided for nearly three weeks - back-to-back losses. The Columbus Clippers' 4-2 victory Friday followed the lead of the Richmond Braves' 8-1 triumph on Thursday. In each game, the Tides managed four hits and produced minimal scoring opportunities.
Stymied on two hits until the ninth this time, the Tides (30-17) actually had a run in, a man on and the dangerous Carl Everett at the plate with two outs. But Dave Pavlas, the Clippers' closer who entered one batter earlier, got Everett on a grounder to second for his sixth save.
``Nothing fancy,'' said Eiland, a righthanded journeyman who, despite bouncing between the majors and Triple-A in six of the last seven seasons is still only 28. ``I was spotting my fastball on both sides of the plate and keeping them off balance. Spotting my fastball and changing speeds.''
Eiland (4-4) was the International League's pitcher of the year in 1990 when he went 16-5 with a 2.97 ERA for the Clippers. He has been in the majors with the Yankees and the San Diego Padres since then. But he spent all last season with Columbus (20-26), and this season is only padding his Columbus franchise records for starts (94) and victories (45).
``Well, it beats the heck out of being the all-time loser,'' said Eiland, who worked his longest outing, 8 1/3 innings, and struck out a season-high eight. ``I think I've improved since the last time I was in the big leagues. I didn't have the repertoire to keep hitters off-balance. I didn't have a curveball and my change-up wasn't much to speak of.''
It was enough to leave the Tides muttering. ``He worked his pitches in and out well,'' said Everett, who had one of the Tides' four singles. Rey Ordonez, Alberto Castillo and Tracy Sanders had the others. ``He did his job. I don't think his stuff is that good, but he worked well with what he had.''
Paul Byrd (2-4) did the same for the Tides past the third. But Byrd, who has not won since April 26, gave up six hits and four runs in the second and third, and hurt himself with a throwing error in the second that led to a run.
The Tides had a run in and Derek Lee on third with no outs in the fifth, but Eiland struck out Ryan Thompson and Butch Huskey and got Sanders on a ground out. End of offense until the ninth.
``Third base, nobody out and we can't even make contact,'' Tides manager Toby Harrah said. ``All we've got to do is put it in play and we didn't.
``When you're not doing a lot offensively you have to take advantage of the opportunities you have and we haven't been doing that. That hurts.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN, Staff
In the third inning at Harbor Park Friday night, Norfolk Tides
pitcher Paul Byrd tries unsuccessfully to throw out Columbus
centerfielder Oddibe McDowell. Byrd took the complete-game loss,
allowing nine hits.
by CNB