THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 5, 1995 TAG: 9508050447
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CLYDE HUGHES, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MAUMEE, OHIO LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The Norfolk Tides received a strong pitching performance from reliever-turned-starter Phil Stidham to salvage a doubleheader split with the Toledo Mud Hens Friday night at Ned Skeldon Stadium.
The Tides lost the first game, 5-1, snapping a five-game winning streak, but rebounded to win the nightcap, 6-0.
Stidham struck out six in 4 1/3 innings while giving up three hits.
``Phil jumped up there when we needed a starter and did the job,'' Norfolk manager Toby Harrah said. ``We really needed it. It was a great job in the pinch.''
Stidham, who didn't get the win because he didn't complete five innings, said he enjoyed his first career start.
``It's different from being a reliever,'' Stidham said. ``As a reliever you walk in, and the pressure is on you immediately. As a starter you can walk a guy, and you still have a chance to work your way out of it.''
In the win, the Tides jumped on Toledo starter Kent Bottenfield for two runs in the third inning. Jay Payton tripled with one out and Tracy Sanders followed with a single to right for a 1-0 lead.
Sanders scored from second when Omar Garcia reached on a ground ball after third baseman Craig Wilson misfired to first.
In the sixth, Virginia Beach's Trey McCoy drove a Bottenfield 3-0 pitch well over the leftfield fence with Derek Lee aboard. McCoy's third home run of the season to give the Tides a 4-0 lead.
Greg Graham scored later in the inning on a Jay Payton ground ball that was dropped by second baseman Jim Givens.
Butch Huskey hit his IL-best 26th home run off reliever Frank Gonzales in the seventh inning. It was Huskey's eighth home run against Toledo this season.
Stidham, who spent most of last season in Toledo, was relieved in the fifth by Bryan Rogers, who received the win.
``I always want to pitch well against these guys,'' Stidham said. ``I may have something to prove, not against Toledo but the Detroit Tiger organization.''
Toledo won the first game, 5-1, on a strong pitching performance by former Tide Mickey Weston. Weston pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and striking out three.
The Tides scored their only run in the fifth when Alex Ochoa doubled and Lee followed with an RBI single.
Milt Cuyler welcomed Norfolk starter Chris Roberts with a leadoff triple to left in the first inning. Cuyler scored on sacrifice fly to right by longtime Tide Steve Springer, newly acquired by the Tigers and assigned to the Mud Hens.
In the third inning, Toledo added two more on a bases-loaded single by Tony Clark that scored Cuyler and Springer.
Kevin Baez homered in the fourth, driving in Rudy Pemberton, to make it 5-0.
Notes: Newly acquired pitcher Juan Acevedo was examined in New York on Friday and found to have a mild case of tedinitis in his right elbow. He is expected to miss one start for the Tides. . . . The Tides are 2-4 in doubleheader games this year. Norfolk split with Pawtucket and were swept by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in its other doubleheader. . . . Garcia went 0 for 13 in the Toledo series after hitting in four consecutive games before the series. . . . Huskey's seven-game hitting streak was snapped in the first game. . . . Norfolk finishes the season at Ned Skeldon Stadium at 5-4, giving them a winning road record against all the IL West teams so far this season. ILLUSTRATION: TIDES 1-6
MUD HENS 5-0
BOXES
STANDINGS
SCHEDULE
[For a copy of the charts, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB