THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 29, 1995 TAG: 9505290131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
It wouldn't be surprising if Chris Roberts were reluctant to get out of bed on days when he has to pitch at Harbor Park.
The Norfolk Tides lefthander has an 8.49 earned-run average at home, compared with 2.65 on the road. So when Roberts left the game Sunday against the Columbus Clippers with a 1-0 lead after seven innings and turned the ball over to the Tides' formidable bullpen - which hadn't blown a save opportunity in 13 tries this season - the outcome of the game seemed neatly in hand.
It wouldn't be that easy.
Columbus tied the game when it took three Norfolk relievers to get through the eighth, but the Tides rebounded for five runs in their half of the inning to claim a 6-1 win before 7,866.
``We've had a good habit of scoring late,'' Tides manager Toby Harrah said. ``Our starters have kept us in the game almost every day, day in and day out.''
Dave Telgheder relieved Roberts in the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Billy Masse. Pinch hitter Jalal Leach then advanced the runner with a grounder to first that slipped under the glove of Omar Garcia for an error.
Don Florence took the next crack at Columbus. Oddibe McDowell laid down a sacrifice bunt that Florence fielded while keeping the runner at third, but Masse sprinted home on the throw over to first for the tying run.
Carlton Fleming singled to left and Leach rounded third and tried to score, but Ryan Thompson gunned him down at the plate with a perfect throw from the outfield.
``That was the play of the game right there,'' Harrah said. ``It was a great throw and a great block of the plate by (catcher John) Orton.''
Pete Walker (4-0) recorded the final out of the inning by fanning Tony Perezchica.
The Tides finally solved the mystery of Columbus starter Mark Hutton (0-4) in the eighth. With a four-hitter until that point, Hutton walked Edwin Alicea to open the inning and was driven from the game when Rey Ordonez put Norfolk ahead, 2-1, with a triple off the leftfield wall.
Carl Everett extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single off Jeff Patterson, and Thompson greeted reliever Kirt Ojala by smacking his first pitch to short left field for two more Norfolk runs.
Orton's bases-loaded grounder to first rounded out the scoring.
Norfolk took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a single by Garcia and a bloop double to left by Derek Lee.
Roberts had his best performance of the year at home with a four-hit shutout over seven innings. He walked one and struck out three.
``He's really pitched well his last few starts. I wish we'd had a few hits from last night for him,'' Harrah said.
The Tides blasted Columbus for a season-high 20 hits on Saturday.
NOTES: The Tides embark on a nine-game road trip, with stops at Toledo and Columbus before wrapping up at Scranton-Wilkes Barre. ... Outfielder Ricky Otero is expected to be sent down from the New York Mets and will join the Tides on the road. Otero is hitting .146 (6-for-41) over 22 games with one RBI. ... Thompson, hitting .340 for the Tides on injury rehabilitation (strained right elbow), is joining the Mets and will be activated at a later date. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN
Staff
Chris Roberts hurled seven shutout innings for Norfolk Tides, but
his poor luck at Harbor Park continued as he failed to pick up the
victory.
Norfolk Tides shortstop Rey Ordonez made a long throw from short
leftfield, but the Columbus runner was safe.
by CNB