THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 24, 1995 TAG: 9506240488
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Norfolk Tides ace Jason Isringhausen finally ran into a night when he didn't have his best stuff. But teammate Butch Huskey made sure he didn't need it.
Huskey homered twice and Isringhausen was tough enough for seven-plus innings as the Tides beat the Toledo Mud Hens, 4-3, Friday night at Harbor Park.
Isringhausen improved his International League-leading record to 8-0, but his scoreless innings streak, which was 18 coming in, ended at 23 and he failed to complete a game for the first time in three starts.
Tides manager Toby Harrah, fearful that Triple-A ball was coming too easy for the 22-year-old righthander, said it was a welcome change.
``This was a big learning experience,'' Harrah said. ``He didn't have his good fastball and went with his breaking ball and changeup a lot more. He made the adjustments and I take my hat off.''
Isringhausen worked out of a none-out jam with runners on first and second when Rob Lukachyk was thrown out at the plate by rightfielder Carl Everett while trying to score on Jim Givens' single.
Lukachyk appeared to beat the throw, but slid wide of the plate to avoid the tag. Tides catcher John Orton scrambled behind the plate to get Lukachyk before he could return to the plate.
``I was just doing everything I could to get out of it,'' Isringhausen said.
Kevin Baez then lined back to the mound and into a double play on a hit-and-run to end the inning.
Isringhausen wasn't as lucky in the sixth. Milt Cuyler walked to lead off, stole second and third, and scored on a two-out single by Derrick White to tie matters at 1-1.
But the Tides struck back in the seventh. Omar Garcia led off with a single and one out later scored from second on Aaron Ledesma's double to the wall in left.
Huskey followed with a monster shot that cleared the visitors' bullpen in left for a 4-1 lead.
``That was a bomb,'' Isringhausen said.
Huskey had also homered in the second. His two shots give him 12 for the season, tying him for the league lead with Pawtucket's Matt Stairs.
``I think it was a fastball, middle-in,'' Huskey said of his second shot. ``I'm not a pitcher, but I don't think he wanted to throw an 0-2 pitch there.
``I've been swinging well the last three weeks. I think I'm in a groove right now. Hopefully I'll stay there a while.''
In the eighth, the Mud Hens finally chased Isringhausen. Cuyler singled to lead off and Joe Hall followed one out later with a run-scoring double, his third of the night off Isringhausen. Bryan Rogers relieved, striking out Tony Clark before giving up a run-scoring double to White.
Don Florence then came on, pitching the final 1 1/3 innings for his third save of the season.
Isringhausen gave up nine hits and three earned runs, walked two and struck out six in his 7 1/3 innings. His earned run average climbed to a still impressive 0.88.
In improving to 47-29, the Tides upped their lead over Richmond in the IL West to 4 1/2 games.
And the maturation process of Isringhausen, the hottest prospect in the New York Mets' farm system, took another big step.
``I had to battle,'' Isringhausen said. ``But it made me a better pitcher.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Paul Aiken, Staff
Tides catcher John Orton readies to tag diving Toledo Mud Hen Rob
Lukachyk. Orton missed with the tag, but Lukachyk missed the
plate...
by CNB