THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 8, 1995 TAG: 9508080374
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
With the greater part of the pitching staff that helped them carve out and keep a huge lead in the International League West gone to New York, the Norfolk Tides, at least for now, are trying to patch and mend on the mound. Not to mention figure out who is wearing which number, considering the personnel shuffles that have taken place lately.
``The continuity of the staff has changed. The depth we had isn't there,'' Tides pitching coach Bob Apodaca understated Monday before he sent three relievers out to tangle with the Syracuse Chiefs at Harbor Park. The Chiefs, propelled by two home runs from second baseman Felipe Crespo, prevailed, 7-4, in the opener of a four-game series.
Because newly acquired righthanders Robert Person and Juan Acevedo won't pitch until Thursday and Saturday, respectively, and because of last Sunday's doubleheader in Columbus, the Tides won't fall back into a regular starting rotation for at least a week, manager Toby Harrah said.
On top of that, Monday's scheduled starter, reliever Al Osuna, left the Tides early in the day before they returned from Columbus because of what was termed a family emergency. His return date is unknown.
That forced another reliever, Pete Walker, into his first Triple-A start, to lackluster results. Crespo hit Walker's first pitch over the rightfield fence, then drilled a two-run shot in the third to give the Chiefs a 5-2 lead.
Walker (4-1), who last started in 1993 in Double-A, was also hurt by first baseman Trey McCoy's error and catcher Ben Boka's passed ball in the fifth that led to two unearned runs.
In all, Walker, who now is unavailable for the bullpen for a few days, gave up 10 hits, two walks and all seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, the Tides (72-45), who have lost three in a row and four of their last five, were checked by the trio of Virginia Beach's Jeff Ware, former Tide Wally Whitehurst and Tim Brown, who went the final five innings for the victory.
``It's tough, because you want to go out and do well for yourself and also pick up the staff,'' reliever Bryan Rogers said of the pressure felt by relief pitchers who are asked to spot start. Rogers' two innings Monday followed Jim McCready's 2 1/3 innings. Another reliever, Phil Stidham, is slated to start tonight.
``It's very hard to ask a guy whose mindset is pitching one inning or maybe two to go out and throw four or five,'' Harrah said. ``It's an unavoidable situation that we're trying to get through the best way we can. Things like this happen.''
Once the situation settles, the outlook is still good as the Tides close in on the West Division title. Acevedo, shelved by elbow tendinitis after his July 31 acquisition from the Colorado Rockies for Bret Saberhagen, arrives to glowing advance notice for his potential. Person, up from Double-A, is a hard-throwing prospect on the Mets' 40-man roster.
They'll join Jimmy Williams, Paul Wilson and Chris Roberts in the starting rotation. And yes, there will be such a thing as a firm rotation again, Harrah promised.
Sometime. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by Paul Aiken Tides catcher Ben Boka reaches
over a retreating batboy as he snares a foul ball over the dugout
railing during third-inning action Monday night at HArbor Park.
Graphic
Syracuse 7
Norfolk 4
by CNB